* Importing families ...

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Pollowick
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Importing families ...

Post by Pollowick »

I am very computer literate but for some reason my brain does not want to help me do what I want.

I have a very large family at my grandparent level - possibly 40 plus their spouses and each of those with 3, 4, 5, 6 children ... and I have been working across them. I recently located a distant cousin who has started the tree of one of those 40. I already knew the names of the 6 children but that was all. My cousin has provided a GED file with all of her work and it loads fine and I want to integrate it with mine and then provide a full copy back to her too.

I have tried to use the, import function based around families to bring a branch across (80+ individuals). I have gone through various error messages and finally thought I had solved it - but it only imported the top level without any descendants.

IMPORT >>>> File Merge/Compare >>>> Open File

at this point I tell it NOT to suggest matches (there are quite a few repeated names) and I get the Merge File Window and select the families tab.

As I want to manage exactly what is added, I change all of the *Add*instructions (in Families) to discard, except the family I wish to add. But everyone is imported ... including the families I do not want.

If I then go to Individuals and change all of the *Add*instructions to discard, I get no import. By selecting the Mother and/or Father I get one or two imported even though I have asked for the Family to be added.

What am I doing wrong? Surely I do not need to go through and select each individual that is part of the family ... with a need to do that several times it would be almost as quick to add each one individually.



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tatewise
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Importing families ...

Post by tatewise »

Have you posted this in the correct Forum because FH Version 3 does NOT offer to suggest candidate matches. That is V4 feature.

The first important advice is to make sure you work on copies of your data, or ensure you have good backups you can restore.
Secondly, I know it is tedious, but do look through the FH Help associated with Merge/Compare File, and the Getting the Most From Family Historian 4 tutorials in Chapter 15 – Compare, Merge, Split, Copy and Export GEDCOM Files.

Ensure that your cousin's GEDCOM is opened, validated, and saved using FH before you start merging.
You should initially allow FH to automatically match records because it does not just match on names, but also on other details.
In order to successfully merge you must check each tab - Individuals, Families, Sources, etc before completing the merge.
I know it may be time consuming, and unfortunately you cannot stop halfway, save the merge status, and resume later. (There is a Wish List entry for this capability).
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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gerrynuk
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Importing families ...

Post by gerrynuk »

Pollowick said:


As I want to manage exactly what is added, I change all of the *Add*instructions (in Families) to discard, except the family I wish to add. But everyone is imported ... including the families I do not want.

If I then go to Individuals and change all of the *Add*instructions to discard, I get no import. By selecting the Mother and/or Father I get one or two imported even though I have asked for the Family to be added.


It might make things simpler if you were to delete the unwanted names before you try to merge the two files. Open the gedcom file you were sent in FH and delete the people you don't want. Then save the file and then try the merge again.
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tatewise
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Importing families ...

Post by tatewise »

That is a good idea provided that the deleted Records do not contain any useful extra details that you might want to retain with the Merge.
If a new Record matches an existing Record and has the same/fewer details then the Merge simply says Null Merge All/Subset and no action is needed.
It is usually only the highlighted * Merge * or * Add * entries that need more detailed review.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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Pollowick
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Importing families ...

Post by Pollowick »

tatewise said:
Have you posted this in the correct Forum because FH Version 3 does NOT offer to suggest candidate matches. That is V4 feature.
Definitely V3.1

File >>>> Import and a pop-up window offers

I select and I get a warning Pop-up 'Before merging or comparing 2 GEDCOM files, you are ... '

I then have the file list, from with I select the one I wish to merge ...

Another Pop-up Window Titled RECORD MATCHING OPTIONS with two buttons

And yes, I am working with copies and have back-ups. Both my original and my cousin's file are validated, I imported her original, did various checks/validation &c and no errors, then saved it under a new name so it does work in FH. I am also working with both windows open.

In the case of what I wish to import, there will be just a single match - the Mother or Father at the top of the tree as they are all I have in my tree, except in one case where I have Husband (un-named) and one child (different spelling) and I have removed those to try and make a clean import.

I have tried the help file - but there is NOTHING on importing files. Reading the manual (Ch14) seems to be around importing an individual rather than a family ...
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tatewise
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Importing families ...

Post by tatewise »

Sorry, I was looking at FH V3.0 and the feature was added in V3.1.
One thing to mention is do not confuse the lay term of 'family' that often refers to a family tree, with FH 'Family Records' that each refer to one marriage.

Chapter 14 – Merging, Comparing and Splitting Tree Files is talking about Merge which is the term you should focus on rather than Import.
Yes, Chapter 14 focusses on one Individual but the process is repeated for every Individual Record per person, every Family Record per marriage, every Source Record, etc, etc.
When you get to the Merge File window click the Help button to reach the appropriate part of the Help file, and follow the links to the various subsections.

Try selecting Suggest candidate matches for merging and see if FH only matches the Individual Records for the Mother and Father, and the Family Record for their Marriage.
If so, then simply proceed with the Merge and all the other records will be added (imported) from your cousins data.

If FH matches more than you want, then start again, and choose Do not match any records.
In the Merge File window select the Individuals tab.
Select the Mother record in your original data, then hold the Ctrl key and select the matching Mother record in your cousins data, and click Match.
Repeat this for the two Father records.
Select the Families tab and repeat for their marriage records.
Finally click the Merge button.
Note that you may have to scroll down to bring all your cousins records onto the screen.

Let us know how you get on.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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Pollowick
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Importing families ...

Post by Pollowick »

Thanks for that latest ... it look similar to what I was trying but I will go though it line by line again as I do the Merge.

I have the advantage of two screens to use ... so it is easy enough to have several windows visible.
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tatewise
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Post by tatewise »

In your original posting you spoke of changing Add to Discard and getting unwanted results.
You should not need to change Add if you want to merge/import all your cousin's data.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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