Family Historian User Group

Apologies in advance for a rather long post!

I've finally taken the plunge and purchased v4 (the full version, not an upgrade, as I don't want to have to feed in old CDs whenever I need to reinstall).

In v3 I have kept my GED file in d:datafamily history, and my source documents (image files, word docs etc) are ALL in sub folders eg.

d:datafamily historysource documentscertificatesbirth
d:datafamily historysource documentspictures
d:datafamily historysource documentscensussmithsmith
d:datafamily historysource documentscensussmithjones

and so on.

From reading here and elsewhere I think that if I set up a new project in v4 and import my GED file that it will also import all my sources, as they are in subfolders, and it will maintain this subfolder structure?

However, I also use Excel spreadsheets to create timelines of people and families (help enormously in research, so you see the 'flow' of people and interconnections between families). These spreadsheets include many hyperlinks to the census images etc (which are also source documents in FH). So, in the subfolders (above):

d:datafamily historysource documentscensussmithsmith
d:datafamily historysource documentscensussmithjones

my spreadsheet for the Smith family is

d:datafamily historysource documentscensussmithsmith.xls

and then the census images for the Smith family are in the smith subfolder, and if Mr Smith married Miss Jones, then the census images for the Jones family are in the subfolder Jones. These family subfolders go down to further levels as I go back in time.

Now I know (cos I just tested it) if I copy, using Windows Explorer, the spreadsheet file and all it's subfolders to somewhere else, even another disc drive, then the spreadsheet modifies all its hyperlinks to point to the new locations (pretty clever I thought)...

BUT I bet it won't do that if I let v4 move everything? Anyone know?

I've got eight of these spreadsheet files (I've chosen to start them at grandparent level for me and the wife), and most of them have multiple worksheets, one for each family going backwards, with lots of hyperlinks to census images, BMD index screen captures, emails that people have sent me etc). I really don't fancy going back through all this lot to remake the links manually.

However, if possible I would like to move to the the v4 project structure so that I can take advantage of the newer functionality.

Will I also have to reset up all my diagram flags in v4, or will it do it for me. What about custom diagrams?

I have other (research) subfolders below the GED files, will v4 object to me having (and creating/deleting these). There are no links to these from FH.

And I assume I can specify to v4 where I want the project kept (ie not on C: and not under My Documents).

Any advice on how best to proceed would be most welcome (and yes, everything is backed up, but undoing a v4 install might not be straightforward).

Thanks, David.
[smile]

ID:4420

FH will keep your subfolder structure.

When you make a project it copies everything so once it's done you will need to clean our the images from the old location (I used a duplicate checker for that).

You don't have to move all your media if you don't want to, as long as you create projects for your GEDCOM file.

For you spreadsheets, I suspect you could simply do a search and replace in the links, but I have not tried it.

For your diagram settings, before you upgrade make sure you have all your diagrams saved as custom diagram types, that way you can reset your defaults when you have upgraded.

For the Project Folder, when you start up V4 for the first time, click on the More Tasks option and use the Choose Project Folder Location to set the location you want.

When you start V4, set the location of your projects to be on D:Data. Create your new project. You'll end up with D:DataYourProject. Let FH copy the files across. Now copy across the files manually. This is a very important step because FH will only copy the files referenced in the Gedcom. Your spreadsheets and any other files you might not have linked will not get copied across by FH.

You don't need to worry about your spreadsheets since Explorer doesn't adjust the links when you copy them. It will be Excel doing the adjusting.

Your diagram flags are not stored in your project's directory structure, they are stored elsewhere (C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataCalico PieFamily Historian...) and won't be affected by the upgrade. When you upgrade make sure you save your diagrams/text settings/reports as custom settings as v4 will overwrite any standard ones.

HTH

Thanks Jane and Jon,

I'll have a tidy up, save any custom diagrams etc, do a backup then have a go.

I'll report back how I got on in case anyone else finds it helpful.

David

[Written by JonAxtell (03/18/10 - 22:01:45)
'When you start V4, set the location of your projects to be on D:Data. Create your new project. You'll end up with D:DataYourProject.']

Jon - are you implying by this that the new v4 project should not be in the same folder as my current files ie

d:datafamily history......

?

David

I don't know what the effect would be if you did keep the project in your current directory. If you've got everything backed up then have a try, but it's your responsiblity. FH might keep everything in place or it might get it's knickers in a twist trying to copy into the same place.

OK, well I've done the upgrade to v4 and everything seems to be working ok.

I set up a new folder for my family tree stuff, told v4 to create the new project in there using my existing GED file, and away it went, including copying all the source files (just the ones referenced in the GED file) to a new media folder, maintaing the folder structure I had previously.

After all that had finished, I then just moved the old source folder (with all the Excel files and other stuff not yet entered into FH) into new source folder, overwriting the existing files that FH had put there, and lo and behold nearly all the hyperlinks in the spreadsheets still work. A few didn't for some reason, but they are easily corrected.

I've kept all my research material out of the FH project file area, so as not to confuse things.

Now just need to update my backup routines to pick up the new family tree folder, and start exploring the goodies in v4.

Thanks for the good advice!