Family Historian User Group

I would like to be able to import a FH Gedcom 7 file into ancestry.com but that is currently not possible. Are any genealogical apps or websites that have flagged their intention to implement Gedcom 7 import capabilities?

Update: Seems I was incorrect below. This is a symptom of thinking one is certain and can quickly reply to a message on their handheld device ... without verification ... just before turning in for the night.

I read on another forum this weekend that the latest version of Rootsmagic will import GEDCOM 7. It also does a direct load to and from ancestry.

harold wrote: ↑

08 Mar 2023 03:21

I read on another forum this weekend that the latest version of Rootsmagic will import GEDCOM 7. It also does a direct load to and from ancestry.

I just saw a post in the RM users group on facebook. Their employee says GEDCOM 7 is not officially supported. That's not to say that it might not work or mostly work though.

I'm still evaluating fh7, but the Export Gedcom File plugin has settings for exporting to RootsMagic too, so that is an option too, in addition to the default gedcom from fh7.

Wayne, what exactly is your objective?
Is it to experiment with GEDCOM v7?
Is it to migrate your FH Project to Ancestry.com?
If the latter, do you want a full Family Tree or are you more interested in maintaining Ancestry 'hints'?

I'm not sure whether you mean commercial paid-for genealogical sites such as Ancestry, FMP, etc., or more user-orientated but still paid-for options such as TNG (The Next Generation). I'm also not sure how much can be discussed without the moderators imposing restrictions because of the forum rule not allowing us to "promote competing products or discuss the commercial practices of any company".

TNG version 14, recently released, allows the import of GEDCOM 7, including the new GedZIP feature which allows attached media files. RM saying that "it might or might not work" is a bit misleading I think - a lot of the structure is very different, so the chances are the import will fail in a lot of places, and GEDZip won't work at all.

GEDCOM 7 seems to be gaining a lot of traction and I believe it won't be long before FMP, Ancestry, etc., start introducing it for imports. How well it will be implemented though is anyone's guess!

It will be interesting to see what GEDCOM 7 features get implemented by the major genealogy players.
Among many other excellent features, it formally defines both Sort Dates (SDATE) and Fact Witnesses (ASSOciations).

Interestingly, when FH exports to GEDCOM 7 it does use SDATE but still uses _SHAR instead of ASSO.
When FH imports GEDCOM 7, SDATE is handled OK, but ASSO is a UDF, so the FH implementation is incomplete!
Also, just spotted that FH exports _ATTR in FAMily records instead of FACT which is defined in GEDCOM 7, but imports FAMily FACT attributes correctly.

ADC65 wrote: ↑

08 Mar 2023 10:27

I'm also not sure how much can be discussed without the moderators imposing restrictions because of the forum rule not allowing us to "promote competing products or discuss the commercial practices of any company".

Discussing exporting to another product is fine (we have a whole forum dedicated to Importing and Exporting, after all!).

Thanks for the clarification, Helen, I wasn't sure if TNG counted as I was mentioning there was a new version with new features, albeit Import/Export

From my experience, most genealogy programs don’t support v5.5.1 of the GEDCOM specification very well, so expecting them to support v7 is going to be just as questionable!

I actively comment to the steering committee for v7 and know about many of the changes to v7 over v5.5.1 and at some level, every program the exports a GEDCOM can say they support v7 because the primary structure has not changed, but it is the small little subtleties where I question having any current or future support!

It also exports UniqueID in the old format of _UID rather than the GEDCOM 7 version of UID. When this is corrected in a text editor and reimported as a new project, UID is reported as a UDF.

Disappointing there are so many obvious errors in an app that takes GEDCOM compliance as a major feature, but we'll get the bug reports in...

I've already reported the _SHAR ~ ASSO and FAMily _ATTR ~ FACT issues as GEDCOM 7 implementation issues #929605.
That also reports that _AREA {...} tags are not converted to CROP tags with TOP, LEFT, WIDTH, HEIGHT subtags, which also import as UDF.

Do you want me to tag that _UID ~ UID case to that same report?

UID already reported as "GEDCOM 7 error for UniqueID #701514"

Is it worth starting a separate thread or KB page to correlate GEDCOM 7 issues such as the ones we have already found?
Then at least we won't waste time duplicating reports for known issues.

tatewise wrote: ↑

08 Mar 2023 17:57

Is it worth starting a separate thread or KB page to correlate GEDCOM 7 issues such as the ones we have already found?
Then at least we won't waste time duplicating reports for known issues.

Yes, a sticky thread sounds like a good idea.

Heredis 2023 imports and exports GEDCOM 7 files.

tatewise wrote: ↑

08 Mar 2023 09:41

Wayne, what exactly is your objective?
Is it to experiment with GEDCOM v7?
Is it to migrate your FH Project to Ancestry.com?
If the latter, do you want a full Family Tree or are you more interested in maintaining Ancestry 'hints'?

My highest priority is getting my FH tree on to Ancestry.com in the most complete form that is possible.

koornalla wrote: ↑

14 Mar 2023 00:42

My highest priority is getting my FH tree on to Ancestry.com in the most complete form that is possible.

A challenge indeed. Mike's Export Gedcom File plugin does a good job, but I still find the way Ancestry shows Source note text very poor. It puts into one long string e.g.

)Header)__Name______ | S | Ag | _ Occupation | _ Where Born John______Hodgkinson | M | 25 | Bleacher____ | Lancashire Catharine Hodgkinson | F | 25 | Bleacher____ | Lancashire Margaret__Hodgkinson | F | 04 | ____________ | Lancashire William__ Hodgkinson | M | 02 | ____________ | Lancashire Ellen____ Hodgkinson | F | 2m | ____________ | Lancashire

yet if I go to edit it in Ancestry trees (which other viewers will not be able to), it looks fine. e.g.

)Header)__Name______ | S | Ag | _ Occupation | _ Where Born
John______Hodgkinson | M | 25 | Bleacher____ | Lancashire
Catharine Hodgkinson | F | 25 | Bleacher____ | Lancashire
Margaret__Hodgkinson | F | 04 | ____________ | Lancashire
William__ Hodgkinson | M | 02 | ____________ | Lancashire
Ellen____ Hodgkinson | F | 2m | ____________ | Lancashire

It will be interesting to see if Ancestry take Gedcom 7 inputs and if they display any better.

koornalla wrote: ↑

14 Mar 2023 00:42

tatewise wrote: ↑

08 Mar 2023 09:41

Wayne, what exactly is your objective?
Is it to experiment with GEDCOM v7?
Is it to migrate your FH Project to Ancestry.com?
If the latter, do you want a full Family Tree or are you more interested in maintaining Ancestry 'hints'?

My highest priority is getting my FH tree on to Ancestry.com in the most complete form that is possible.

You did not say whether maintaining Ancestry 'hints' was important.

If you simply want to migrate most of your Project data to an Ancestry Family Tree then use the Export Gedcom File plugin from the Plugin Store and use its GEDCOM Destination: (ANC) Ancestry Family Tree option.
Don't use the FH Export > GEDCOM File... command with the GEDCOM 7 destination as that is not as suitable.