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FTM 2017 Gedcom Converter Mod for TNG


hopemetzler

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Anyone knowledgeable about the Gedcom Converter mod and why it does not work properly?  Fatal error: Unsupported operand types in /home4/hopemetzler/public_html/genealogy/admin_filepicker.php on line 137

I just want to simply work on my genealogy in Family Tree Maker 2017 and occasionally upload my work: scanned documents, photos, latest tree, to the web.  But it seems that FTM 2017 does not work with TNG at all.  I thought the mod would make the transition smooth.  Anyone have experience with this?  TIA!  Hope

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A work around may be to use something like Genviewer to make sure that the FTM gedcom is in the right format for TNG. Several genealogy programs export Gedcoms with non-standard outputs.

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50 minutes ago, Chris Lloyd said:

A work around may be to use something like Genviewer to make sure that the FTM gedcom is in the right format for TNG. Several genealogy programs export Gedcoms with non-standard outputs.

So Genviewer ($20) is some kind of clean-up utility for Gedcoms?  Does it convert the entire file FTM file so that it can be used in TNG?  The website for it does not explain what it does exactly "GENViewgedcom er is a utility that adds new ways to search, sort, analyze, and manage your genealogy family files anywhere on your computer."  I thought the Gedcom Converter Mod was supposed to match FTM 2017 gedcom output to the TNG gedcom.  I don't really want "a work around".  I'd like a step-by-step process:

1.  Export a gedcom file from FTM 2017.

2.  Upload to TNG.

3.  Use Converter Mod to convert file to compatible TNG file.

5. Import into TNG

Anyone do this method that would like to share?  TIA!! Hope

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20 hours ago, hopemetzler said:

So Genviewer ($20) is some kind of clean-up utility for Gedcoms?  Does it convert the entire file FTM file so that it can be used in TNG?  The website for it does not explain what it does exactly "GENViewgedcom er is a utility that adds new ways to search, sort, analyze, and manage your genealogy family files anywhere on your computer."  I thought the Gedcom Converter Mod was supposed to match FTM 2017 gedcom output to the TNG gedcom.  I don't really want "a work around".  I'd like a step-by-step process:

1.  Export a gedcom file from FTM 2017.

2.  Upload to TNG.

3.  Use Converter Mod to convert file to compatible TNG file.

5. Import into TNG

Anyone do this method that would like to share?  TIA!! Hope

I do it like that all the time, and it works very well.

Maybe a silly remark, but I need to ask: you do make sure that after converting the file, you import the *new* gedcom that is created, right? And not the original gedcom you uploaded? The original one remains unchanged, when passing it through the convertor mod, a new gedcom is created.

 

Also (for Chris): as far as I know, the gedcom output of FTM is completely in line with gedcom standards. I just don't understand why TNG does not import certain things. For example, a standard gedcom line can have 255 characters. There's no reason why TNG needs to cut a text after about 40 characters and only import half of a description field... Yet it does. Gedcom rules for very long descriptions (longer than 255 characters) are to put it in a note in stead. These notes can be attached to a fact/event. Yet TNG seems to import them into a general note field attached to the person, not the event it's supposed to go with. Gedcom standard also permits adding media to a citation rather than a person or source. Yet TNG does not treat the media as it should (and citations, for that matter... while sources are properly named, and citations are shown correctly on a person page, in any source list they only get a number that says nothing. All media are packed together in that source and not withy the citation they go with etc).

I absolutely adore TNG and have been using it and I have been buying upgrades since version 10 years ago. But in my opinion there is still a lot of room for improvement...

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Hi fluffy82! 

Yes, I am using the new gedcom created by the converter to upload into TNG.  The converter even has a nice little link at the bottom to prompt you to use the new converted file.

You will laugh when I tell you why I could not get the converter to run on my gedcom file  . . .  the NAME of the file was too long!!!  Can you believe that?!  Silly me!   But now I just have to figure out which of the options in the converter I need to have checked off.  There are so many options!  I just want the "make my tree look normal" option!  LOL!  :-)

I have to learn how to upload all of the photos, documents, pdfs, etc. so that they are attached and open correctly.  Yes, I chose the option to export the gedcom from FTM to include media but they do not open now in TNG.  They are listed but I haven't gone in and poked around to see why they aren't loading.   Does all of your pictures and pdfs load when you convert your gedcom file?

I saw there is a long tutorial in TNG Wiki on how to import media (https://tng.lythgoes.net/wiki/index.php?title=Import_Media_Using_GEDCOM).  I didn't have the energy to concentrate on it last night.

How about you writing a FTM Users TNG for Dummies book for me??!  That would be fabulous!  I am surprised that TNG needs a converter if FTM uses GEDCOM standards.  But the converter webpage details the LONG list of items it must change from FTM to TNG.  I also like what TNG offers!  It is an amazing software that is probably far more than I need and can comprehend.  But I enjoy playing with it anyway.

I really mean it when I say thank you for responding to my cries for help!  It's amazing how just a little guidance in the right direction and help you figure out something!

Hope

 

 

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2 hours ago, hopemetzler said:

I have to learn how to upload all of the photos, documents, pdfs, etc. so that they are attached and open correctly.  Yes, I chose the option to export the gedcom from FTM to include media but they do not open now in TNG.  They are listed but I haven't gone in and poked around to see why they aren't loading.   Does all of your pictures and pdfs load when you convert your gedcom file?

 

 

The way I do it, is to have the media on my PC stored in folders with the same name as the folders on tng. When I imported my gedcom, including media links, I copy all my media onto my server through ftp. TNG then automatically finds them.

The two keywords are: same folders, and upload the pictures manually.

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17 hours ago, fluffy82 said:

The way I do it, is to have the media on my PC stored in folders with the same name as the folders on tng. When I imported my gedcom, including media links, I copy all my media onto my server through ftp. TNG then automatically finds them.

The two keywords are: same folders, and upload the pictures manually.

Thanks!  Yes, you follow what is outlined in the article. You make it so easy to understand!  😁  I finally read the article on the subject https://tng.lythgoes.net/wiki/index.php?title=Import_Media_Using_GEDCOM so I understand what to do.  However, like many genealogist and family historians, I sort my photos and documents by surname and then individuals under that.  So that complicates matters for me. 

I believe I would need to this:

1. Create 6 new folders on my PC for "photos, documents, headstones, histories, recordings, videos".

2. Move or copy ALL MEDIA FILES (copy if I want to keep the files separated by surname for myself to find files easily) from my current folders by surname into the new 6 folders.

3.  Go back into FTM to reattach each media file from the old location to the new 6 TNG folders.  (I'm afraid this could take days to complete).

And then begin by following the steps outlined in the article.  But once it was done, then IT IS DONE!  That's one positive note! 

On your PC, do you have your media files in the 6 or more TNG folders AND your own surname folders?  Or just the 6 TNG folders and use Family Tree Maker to find a media file you want to view? 

Again, many thanks and I appreciate your responses immensely!!  

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Jumping in...

Hope,

I also plan to work in a desktop system (brothers keeper) and upload a few times each year.

Your list looks like what I use to update media, but rather than move the pictures to these new folders permanently I run a batch file to copy them just prior to uploading to TNG.

That way I don't have to move and re link them in the desktop system.

Before importing the GEDCOM I copy all the files to a staging folder on my PC, then copy that folder/files to the site using FTP program (FileZilla), then during import of GEDCOM I have TNG ignore the file path in my GEDCOM.

This is the script inside the batch file that copies all my JPG files (in sub folders below \JPG-Photos) to one folder, c:\gpics\new.

 " for /r "C:\Users\sp\genealogy\2 Photos\4 pryer history\documents\JPG-Photos" %a in (*.jpg) do @copy /y "%a" c:\gpics\new"

Don't get discouraged once you learn the process it is easy, and worth it all.

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18 minutes ago, Scott_Pryer said:

This is the script inside the batch file that copies all my JPG files (in sub folders below \JPG-Photos) to one folder, c:\gpics\new.

 " for /r "C:\Users\sp\genealogy\2 Photos\4 pryer history\documents\JPG-Photos" %a in (*.jpg) do @copy /y "%a" c:\gpics\new"

Don't get discouraged once you learn the process it is easy, and worth it all.

Hi Scott!  Thanks for jumping in!  I understand you up until "This is the script....".  I would have to teach myself about that by reading an article with more details, then I could follow it.  Know what I mean? 

What I don't understand is if you have one folder for all media, how does TNG operate correctly - being able to use all of the tools?  I have read the article "Import Media Using GEDCOM" several times.  They cover my problem in this small paragraph.  "One Media Folder - Some desktop programs, such as Family Tree Maker (which is associated with Ancestry.com), cannot separate different types of media files into media folders. And, sometimes, the person managing a TNG site may decide not to use separate media folders. In those cases, there whould be just one PC media folder and one one media folder on the TNG server, and all of the media types in TNG Admin >> Setup >> Import Settings >> Local foldername Path(s) will specify the same folder name."  How does your solution separate the media into the collections that TNG is made to use?  Many thanks!  Hope

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  • 1 month later...

My workflow has been to download my GEDCOM file directly from Ancestry and then upload it to TNG, replacing everything. However lately I've run into a new problem (on Ancestry's end) where I'm sometimes unable to download a GEDCOM. The progress indicator under "Manage your tree" gets stuck with the message "Generating a GEDCOM file...(5% completed)" and simply spins and spins, sometimes for days. Normally it takes less than a minute to download my GEDCOM file. It does resolve itself eventually after an unpredictable amount of time.

So what I'd like to do is output a GEDCOM file from Family Tree Maker 2017 and use that instead, since I'm still able to sync my changes from Ancestry normally (assuming the "weather" is ok)....but FTM jumbles up the person ID numbers in a manner I don't understand. Not just the "I" vs "P" prefix issue but the numbers actually change. I'm unclear how or if I can use this mod to fix this.

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