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GEDCOM - Export from Family Tree Maker into Legacy

Author: Reference Number: AA-00507 Views: 45236 Created: 2013-11-14 11:27 AM Last Updated: 2022-02-13 10:02 PM 100 Rating/ 1 Voters

Moving From Family Tree Maker to Legacy:

Watch the free 90 second video showing how: http://familytreewebinars.com/video-detail.php?video_id=76

1) If you have a tree on Ancestry.com you will need to sync your FTM to the tree and make sure that ALL of the media is downloaded to your hard drive and that the media is linked and visible in FTM.  You need FTM 2012 or 2014 to be able to do this. If you are using an earlier version of FTM and you have media files, you will need to open the file in FTM 2014 and newer to convert the media items from embedded to linked.  Prior versions embedded media files instead of linking to them (all contemporary programs link including FTM).  FTM 2014 will pull the media out and convert them to real media files and then link to them instead of embedding the media.  

2) Compact your file (TOOLS > COMPACT FILE, select Perform extended analysis)

3) Create the gedcom. Leave the settings at the defaults.

4) Do not move or rename any media file or folder after you create the gedcom.  We will get to that in a moment.

5) Make sure you are using the most current update to Legacy because there are FTM fixes in it (FTM generates gedcoms that do not adhere to the gedcom standards so Legacy has to compensate for that)

6) Import the gedcom into Legacy.  Here is a step by step video that Geoff made http://familytreewebinars.com/download.php?webinar_id=415

7) Once you have your file in Legacy, go to FILE > MEDIA RELINKER and make sure that you have no broken links.  Go into someone’s Media Gallery and double check that you can see the media.  Now go to TOOLS > GATHER MEDIA.  For now allow Legacy to copy the media to the default location which is \Documents\Legacy Family Tree\Media.  Legacy will copy all of your linked media to this folder and then relink.  This is important because if you uninstall FTM and delete the FTM folders you will lose your media unless you so this. 



The import will be very faithful, but please be aware of the following Family Tree Maker quirks:

1. Facts are exported from Family Tree Maker with a PLAC tag, which in all other genealogy programs is reserved for Locations. Any program would import that as a Location and not an event. In Legacy, we have accommodated this by giving the user the option to determine at the time of import if the data is actually a location or an event and where to direct it.  Just click the Save button.

2. FTM GEDCOM files do not include saved publications or tasks.

3. Pictures and documents inserted in pre-2012 versions of Family
Tree Maker do not move to other programs. The article "Import GEDCOM" at http://wiki.phpgedview.net/en/index.php?title=Import_GEDCOM states, "Family Tree Maker is one of several off-line editing programs that does not properly handle media object pointers within the GEDCOM. Legacy, among many others, does handle these properly." (Media object pointers is another way of saying multimedia links, or in other words pictures, sound, video and documents.)

4. The work-around for pictures that were embedded in files in pre-2012 versions of Family Tree Maker is to open your file in Family Tree Maker 2012 or 2014, which will resolve the picture links. 

1. Go to the Media Gallery and then double-click on one of the photos/documents that does NOT have a link.
2. Family Tree Maker will tell you that it can't find that photo and give you a list of all embedded media.
3. Click Select all and then click Search. Give Family Tree Maker time to find them all. You will see them all change to links in the list.
4. That's it ... now all your media has links that will transfer to Legacy in a GEDCOM file.

5. If you are exporting from Family Tree Maker 2012 or 2014, the GEDCOM files will contain picture links (see 4. above). If Legacy does not see the pictures, it may need help. Please see I have missing media files (attached pictures and documents that can't be found).

• If your Family Tree Maker file is damaged it probably won't create a good GEDCOM file. Here is what the Ancestry Support Center says:

1. The best way to recover from file damage is to restore a backup of your data that was created prior to when the damage occurred.
2. Probably the easiest fix you can try is compacting your file.
3. Often times, uploading your file from Family Tree Maker 2008-2014 to Ancestry.com can create a corruption free file that you can download again directly to Family Tree Maker 2010-2014.

4. Exporting your file as a GEDCOM and then back into FTM. When using this repair method, it's important to note that GEDCOM files do not include saved publications or tasks. Additionally, in Family Tree Maker versions 2011 and prior, you cannot include linked files.

Once your Family Tree Maker file is repaired, your can export a good GEDCOM to Legacy.