* Importing FTM14 - lost media links

[Devonjon]

Hi

I am switching from FTM to FH6. I followed the instructions for creating GED from FTM and have imported into FH6.

I have always retained my media files in structured folders seperate from the FTM folder structure and it worked well and I know FH6 works similarily. So when I imported I didn't click import media into FH6. My assumption being the GED had the appropriate media links to where the media is sat.

However I have found post import with FH6 that apart from the first 3 or 4 most recent people in tree the media tab against all other 1000 or so people and is empty. When I view the extermal links tab on FH6 is does show them all. Can't understand why it worked for a handful but not majority.

I this expected issue with migration or is there a way to correct without having to individually re-link facts to each 1100 media I have ??

Many thanks

DJ

[tatewise]

Welcome to the FHUG.

Although FH will support Media links to files anywhere on your PC, it is NOT recommended.
When you inevitably have to move your Project to another PC, all the links will get broken again.
That is why you should import the Media into the FH Project, so it can use relative file links.

The Tools > External File Links window lists exactly where FH expects to find each Media file.
FH puts an X against each file it cannot find.
Those file paths were supplied by the Gedcom file exported from FTM, and presumably should link to the FTM folder structure you mentioned.

Please investigate what it is about the FH links that prevents them from finding the FTM Media files.
Is the path wrong, the filename wrong, or what?
What is different about the few that successfully find the FTM Media files?

Please give some examples of how the FH links differ from the FTM file paths.

[Devonjon]

thanks for reply.

i'm open to change but am i right in saying that if i do migrate all media into fh6 they will all then sit in one folder with no subsequent structure? i currently have media organised around bmd, cenus, probate, news articles, phtos etc. where they sit doesnt worry me its having that level of structure that i wish to retain.

the tools- external links option does show all the folders with media in with no x against.

the media links that did make the migration point to right place and are shown in the external links option and are present in the relevant media tab of inividual.

the large majority of media links that didnt make it are absent in the individuals media tab but are shown in the external links option. there is otherwise no difference between what made it and what didnt.

am on tablet but later will access files to view and provide examples.

cheers
dj

[LornaCraig]

You can maintain your folder structure within FH. You can do this by moving/copying the various sub-folders from their current master folder into the FH Media folder. Then use Tools>External File Links to re-map the file path from the old master folder to the FH Media folder. The paths to the sub-folders within the Media folder will still be recognised.

However the first puzzle is why most of the media are not showing in the individual media tabs when the external file links are not showing any crosses. Are you able to view the media in the main Media Window? Choose an individual for whom you know you have some media, and on the media tab of their Property Box click the gear-wheel icon. Then try both View Pictures (etc) of ... in the Media Window and View Media linked to ... in the Media Window. If the second option displays the media, it means they are linked to particular Facts, Places or Sources for the individual but not to the individual themselves. The media tab in the individual Property Box only displays media linked direct to the individual record. Media linked to Place records or Source records can be viewed in the media tabs of their respective Property boxes. 

[tatewise]

Everything Lorna says is good advice, and I was also wondering if your Media are attached to different locations than the Individual Media tab.
If you open the Property Box and the Facts tab are there picture icons shown on the right against any Facts?

Also from other work with FTM, it seems to like attaching Source Media directly to Citations rather than Source Records. Unfortunately, Citation Media are difficult to find, being hidden in the All tab, and only readily appear in certain Report styles.

Also there is a method for importing your Gedcom and the Media structure automatically into a Project and retain your folder structure.

[Devonjon]

Many thanks for help and advice.

I have now relocated my media into the FH folders and was able to relink so all are uncrossed and live.

However I do still find the majority are not immediately obvious when clicking individuals. I do think your right that FTM has attributed the media to events or facts rather than individuals. It is odd as I have individuals where I have received GRO record and scanned and tagged say a marriage to someone but I'm not seeing such media attached to the individual or to the marriage event but I DO see such media when I view media linked to individual.

I also feel FH seems to talk about individual media as pictures where to me media is person pictures but also downloaded jpegs of census pages, BMDs etc.

All this heralds more my inexperience with FH6 - as yet but will work on that.

I have browsed through online help and starting to get a better feel but as yet looked at the 'getting the most of' book which at a skim I think is a marvellous item compared to what FTM offer.

I think I can work through my media issues but if I can ask 2 last questions associated:

1. My external links page is now neat (I am keeping media in FH folder as above but sat on my networked cloud drive) but it does contain some old file path structures from FTM which I have no use of and doesn't appear to link to anything live anymore. They are X'd. How can I remove those X'd enteries on the external link page ?

2. For FH6 users wanting a marriage certificate or jpeg census page linked to a person what is 'best practice' method ie: so I can view readily against the individual it relates to from their page on the FH view ? I'd hoped FTM was not far off mark but evidently its set differently.

Thanks for any help - I promise to do more revision and not be a regular here ! lol.

J

[Devonjon]

PS: forgot to add another pain I have found is my pdf media isn't recognised and i guess thats because FH6 doesn't support. Wont be stuck for jobs !

[tatewise]

The External File Links window should now be listing all files as being in Project Data Folder - Media folder.
These are Relative File Paths that allow the Project to migrate from account to account or PC to PC without disruption.

FH does 'recognise' all file types including PDF, but only displays graphical image files (JPG, PNG, GIF, etc) internally.
In Media windows there is usually an Perform Action red triangular button that will open the file in the associated program.
In the case of PDF it will open Adobe Reader or whatever your default PDF viewer program happens to be.
Similarly for Word Document files, Audio files, Video files, etc.
See how_to:v4:adding_multimedia|> Adding Photographs and Other Multimedia.

FH does support all types of media including photos and all types of source documents such as Census records and BMD Certificates.
Media can be attached in several different locations within the FH data structures depending on what is appropriate.
Photos are often attached to the Media tab of the Individual Property Box, but can also be attached to specific Facts via the Facts tab.
Source documents are usually attached to the Media tab of a Source Record Property Box.
That Source Record is then linked via Citations to all the associated Facts, Names, Records, etc.
For example a Source Record for a Census household would have that page from the Census return attached to its Media tab, and a transcript in the Text From Source field.
Then every Individual in the household would have a Census Fact with a Citation to that Source Record.
In addition they may also have Birth and Occupation Facts with a Citation to that same Source Record.
This is what we call Method 1 Source Citations. See id=glossary:sources|> Sources.
With say a Census Fact selected and the yellow Sources pane displayed the Source Record should be listed.
Click the Show Multimedia button in the Sources pane and the linked Media are listed and easily displayed.

FTM uses a different approach that is referred to in KB article above as Method 2 Source Citations.
The Source records represent an entire year of Census returns, so Media and transcripts are not attached.
Instead they are attached to the appropriate Citations, but these are more difficult to find in FH.
You have to look in the All tab of the Individual Property Box.
The continuing the Census analogy, expand a Census Fact by clicking its [+] that should reveal a linked Source.
Expand the Source by clicking its [+] and that should reveal any Multimedia Object linked to the Citation.

To delete unwanted Media you need to delete the Media Record.
Use the View Media camera icon in main toolbar to display Multimedia Window.
Select any Media Record or its thumbnail image with a X and press the delete key on keyboard to delete it.

You may find how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers has useful advice.

[Devonjon]

thanks Mike. Having reviewed looks like I will be reorganising myself to method 1. The ancestral sources plug in and the fact sets I've downloaded (and surprised these aren't packaged with the program) are far more fluent and logical than anything I got via FTM. Will descend into the cave and return with a revitalised database...probably around 2018 ! see you then cheers J

[tatewise]

Be aware that Ancestral Sources is not a Plugin, but a separate application program that works in tandem with FH.
There is a Plugin called Ancestral Sources Data Entry that launches AS from FH with preset parameters.

FH is supplied with glossary:gedcom|> Gedcom 5.5 100% compatible features.
Everything else is customisation, which may or may not export to another genealogy program.
You know about that in migrating from FTM14.

[Spud56]

Hi, posting my first request as a new user of Family Historian. I, too, have moved over from FTM. I have been busily updating my media resources when I have discovered that FH does not show PDF files internally. I read with interest the post above that there is a "red triangle" somewhere in a media window which will allow me to open a pdf file in an external program e.g. Adobe Reader. However, I can't find the red triangle (aka perform action button) in FH version 6.

Could someone kindly baby walk me on how to do this?

[davidm_uk]

If you have the Source window open, with the media tab displayed, what you're looking for is the green circle with the black triangle inside, in the middle toolbar.

Capture 1.JPG (48.85 KiB) Viewed 8684 times

Click that and the PDF file will open.

That same green circle tool also appears in various other windows, and will do the same thing there.

[Mike Tate says: Sorry, the button has changed from a red triangle in V5 to a green circle & black triangle in V6, but you can always double-click the PDF icon.]

[Spud56]

Lovely! So simple once you know how! Many thanks!