* Merging projects warning

[Valkrider]

Even though I have been using FH for some while I have never merged 2 projects. I now need to do this.

I have backed up both projects and copied both Gedcoms to new locations so no issues there. When I kick of the merge I am getting this warning

FH warning.PNG (18.55 KiB) Viewed 8412 times

This warning makes no sense to me. Both projects are saved. Both have their media correctly attached to the individuals in each of the separate files and the media folders are in the standard place.

Any suggestions on what to do before I click the merge button?

[tatewise]

I must admit Colin that I have never seen that message before.

Also review glossary:merge_compare_files|> Merge/Compare File for advice.

I think the message must be viewed in the context of a master Project being Merged with an imported Gedcom file (not a Project).

A Gedcom file within a Project does NOT usually have absolute Media paths (they all start with Media\...) so the Merge dialogue cannot locate those Media files, because it does not know the Project Root folder. (I know it could probably work it out from the path to the Gedcom file, but it appears not to attempt that.)

So as the KB advice explains, export the Gedcom from that Project to create absolute Media paths.
Then from your master Project choose that exported Gedcom for the Merge and it should be OK.

The most important steps that many users overlook is to perform the Merge on ALL the record TABS in the Merge dialogue. Otherwise, you finish up with merged Individuals, but not merged Families, or Sources, or Media, and that is a mess!

[Valkrider]

Mike

Thanks for that.

Given what you say it looks like you cannot merge 2 projects and that one of them must be an exported Gedcom. Seems as though this is a bit of a shortcoming if that is the case.

[tatewise]

Most of the functionality of Merge/Compare File dates back to before Projects and is mainly aimed at merging an imported Gedcom into a Project.

There is nothing other than the Gedcom and its Media files that get merged in, so all other components of a Project are irrelevant. Be aware that Project features such as Charts and Websites do not migrate across into the master Project.

[Valkrider]

Thanks for that.

[Valkrider]

Mike

There are some real inconsistencies here. The File > Import has an option for Family Historian Projects.

I have tried all the export options for the smaller of the two projects. I have tried both the file path options and even embedded the media in the gedcom and I am still getting that warning regardless of which gedcom I am trying to import into the master project.

Any more thoughts or is this one for Calico?

[tatewise]

I think I see what you mean.

The File > Project Window > New Project > Import a GEDCOM file quite happily handles a Gedcom file from within a Project.

I have tried using File > Merge/Compare File and chosen a Gedcom file from within a Project and it works fine.

So the problem message is something unusual about your setup, which I presume is on your Mac.

Perhaps Calico Pie do need to look at it.

[Valkrider]

Mike

Thanks I will raise it with Calico Pie.

It should not be a Mac issue as it is on my iMac which runs a VM with 64bit Windows 7 so it is a Windows machine. I could understand if it was on my Mac Air as that is running Crossover.

[NickiP]

I have merged two projects in the past and not had any issues. I have also had that message on the odd occasion. From memory, and its over a year since I merged numerous projects into just four, I think I just cancelled the merge, clicked save on the open project, opened the other project and clicked save and then closed it, and then ran the merge from within the first project and have not had any issues going forward. I didn't really think anything of it when it happened. I was combining about 80 projects into 4 grandparents projects and didn't bother exporting the gedcoms from within the existing projects, just merged into the existing projects. I should say that all the media at the time wasn't saved within the FH hierarchy but within a folder elsewhere on the hard drive, something I have always done and continue to do apart from edit media for sources. At the time of the merges I was running Win7 Pro 64bit.

[tatewise]

As a side issue Nicki, keeping your Media files outside the Project folder will make migrating to another/new PC much more tedious, because all the Media file links will almost certainly become broken, and need to be mended via Tools > External File Links. If you are unfamiliar with this scenario, then please start a new thread to discuss it.

[NickiP]

Not really Mike, all my data files (apart from Outlook files and other windows profile related files) are stored in C:\\Docs which removes problems with long file names. I would just copy the whole folder into the root of C again. I've had problems with long file names in the past, even considering the length that you can now have, so this was one way of reducing the problems that occur because of them, such as deleting files.

[tatewise]

OK, you are aware of the situation, but may still have to change drive letter if you switched to using an SSD with limited capacity unable to accommodate all your Docs.

I hope you are aware that the FH Medium/Full Backups will NOT include any of your Media image files.

[NickiP]

I am aware of the issues with the FH Backups, but as I use other imaging software to image the whole drive that isn't an issue.

If I was to migrate the laptop to an SSD, it won't be smaller than the current drive or it would mean I would always have to have an external drive connected to access most of my data, so its not really an issue. While using a separate folder to store the media files may be considered by some as inconvenient and "not good practice", its nothing compared to having to sort out problems with long file names, something I have had to do in a professional capacity in the past and its a real time consuming pain. Therefore I do not consider my solution as a problem but a way to avoid problems.

[tatewise]

As I suspected, you have everything under control, but the points discussed may offer useful advice for others.

[Valkrider]

I have had an update from Calico Pie about this warning.

It only applies if you are merging a v3 or earlier gedcom and so should not be displayed as mine were both 6.2 projects. It appears that this is an issue in Windows and Family Historian only does a simple check on the file name and so a more sophisticated file name checking mechanism should be used. This will be done in a later version of Family Historian.

In the mean times I was told to ignore the warning and go ahead with the merge. This I did and the two projects and media merged successfully. So if anyone else sees this warning and they are merging v4 or later Family Historian gedcoms / projects it can be safely ignored, with the usual proviso of ensuring you have both fully backed up before implementing the merge.

[tatewise]

Thank you Colin for the feedback.
I have updated the glossary:merge_compare_files|> Merge/Compare File page with a summary of that advice.