FTM2019 - Remove Media files from an Ancestry Member Tree

Ancestry had made some changes to their Terms and Conditions on the Website that impacts me,  and probably everyone else, we read what had been provided.

The Legal Genealogist blog is on MUST READ blogs, as I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV or on a blog. The bottom line for me, is that I have less than 30 days to remove my Media Files from the Ancestry.com website, on any of their properties, including an Ancestry Member Tree (AMT). I probably have 3,000+ images, in my master file that needs to come down.

Another MUST READ Blog is Genea-Musings. The author expresses his concern and plan of action.

This Video explains how I intend to remove my Media Files from the AMT.

Ancestry has updated their initial change.

Making Our Terms and Conditions Clearer: Modifications to our August 2021 Update (05 August 2021)____________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2021 by Cousin Russ

FTM User Question - What Media files are uploaded to an AMT in the FamilySync™ Process

Will try to answer a User Question about what Media files will be included in the FamilySync™ Process. I have blogged about this before https://ftmuser.blogspot.com/2017/04/... But this is a different take on the subject.

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Copyright © 2018 by Cousin Russ

What's YOUR Plan for FTM2017 ?

While we await the Software MacKiev team continue to test FTM2017, have you thought about Planning what are YOU might be doing to prepare for it's release ?

Used with permission from Software MacKiev

Actually, I thought I would share mine, based on what I have seen on the support.familytreemaker.com website.

• Make an inventory of ALL of my Family Tree Maker FILES on my computer
• Make an inventory of ALL of my Linked Ancestry Member Trees (AMT)
• I have a Desktop and a Laptop so, on that 2nd item, Identify WHICH computer is linked to which Ancestry Member Tree
• I have done this, but my inventory needs to be updated
• Within the FILES, I need to identify what Version of Family Tree Maker last opened that file
• For the older files, do I have THAT file in FTM2014.1 ?

So, getting the inventory of what I have to work with. EXCEL works for me. I have NOT done anything to these files at all, just gathering my inventory

When I open or close of my FILE, I do NOT just Exit or use the red X in the upper right to close the Program down. File Close, and File Exist.

• Review the Inventory and MARK which FILES can be ARCHIVED, meaning I already have a Back Up AND it's in FTM2014.1 already
• Inventory ALL of the BackUp files. Making a distinction between a manual BackUp and an Automatic BackUp. (the filename will include Auto Back Up, unless you removed that). The Automatic BackUp does not include Media Files
• Open Each of your "new" working list in FTM2014.1, one at a time
• Go to Tools, Compact AND BackUp that file, ALL check marks
• Mine will be to an External Drive

Now, ARCHIVE ALL of those files you marked to be inventoried BUT those files that you have in FTM2014.1, Hopefully, to an external drive, JUST IN CASE.

• In the Plan Workspace, use the Link to View the AMT from that Link
• Check the number of Profiles between the File and the Tree
• Check the number of Gallery Items in your Tree, and the number of Media Files in the Media Workspace

You can skip those steps if you do NOT have a Linked AMT. But you want to make sure that the File on your computer links to the Ancestry Member Tree.

Next, review, in the Plan Workspace, under "Start a new tree" and select Download a Tree from Ancestry. Check that list against your Inventory of Files (on your computer) and Trees (on Ancestry). See if you are missing any files. If you are missing a file, use the Export button, to download the Tree from Ancestry. MARK that file in your inventory. Suggest that you do something about that File LAST. I am guessing that you will have some clean up work to do.

You have your Working Files and it's Media Folders all in one place and you know what you have. You have a BackUp of EACH of them, on that external drive that can be restored if needed. You should be good to go.

Now, if you still have some time left, do a spot check of File, Restore from BackUp. This would be a file and folder that you can delete. When you are offered what the File Name should be when you restore, I add -Restored at the end

Master_2014-1_1510-2017-04-13-Restored

The Back file will have everything but -Restored so all you have to do is to add that. That makes it easier to Delete File and the Media Folder. For me, I will Archive that as well to my Archive External Drive.

Now you can prioritize the order in which you want to bring these files into FTM2017.

Things to think about:

• Make another BackUp and use  a SMALL file to test out the FamilySync™ feature
• Look at the information in EACH of the Workspaces
• Plan
• People - Tree View
• People - Person View
• Places
• Media
• Media - by Category
• Source
• Citations
• Publish
• Publish - Saved Reports if you have them
• Publish - Books, if you have created any
• Look in the Help Menu for any NEW items in the Help Menu

Notice, I didn't say anything about New Features. What you are looking for is any problems in your File that you might have found during the new FamilySync™ feature. Remember, you have a BackUp..

• Make ONE, small change, in that "test" file, maybe the real file and do a SyncNow
• Review as you did before.

Think of this as a test file and don't panic. Remember, if you follow my suggestions, you have at least Two (2) Back Ups.

IF there is an issue, don't ask me, don't go to FaceBook, go IMMEDIATELY to

support.familytreemaker.com

and let them know, EXACTLY what you did, what you saw, Verify in the Help, About Family Tree Maker and the Version number, include the last four numbers that you will see (FTM2014.1 .... 1510)

You could report a Bug on that website, you could have a Chat with them, but let Software MacKiev know that you have a problem. Posting those problem here or on Facebook is not the right place to get help.

This may look like a lot of work, and it is, but for me to plan this out, ahead of time will help me in the long run.

Because I teach creating and using Files and Trees, I have a lot on my list. Probably 25 or 30. At the End of this project, I will clean all of that up. Then I can get back to my research

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Copyright © 2017 by H R Worthington

Why the difference in the Number of Media Files ?

I was asked, why do I have a difference in the number of Media files in Family Tree Maker and in the Media folder on my computer related to the file I am working on?

Here is my file in the Family Tree Maker program, the Media Folder for my current database I have 293 Media files..

Using Windows Explorer, I look at the Media folder for that same file., Again 288 Media files.:

So far, I have the same number if Media files. Yes, I check these two numbers frequently.

But, that doesn't answer the question. One of the reasons was discussed in this blog post;

Should I Copy or Link to a New Media File?

The indication that a Media file was LINKED to the Media Workspace instead of the Copy command, looking at the file Media Folder using File Explorer (the Windows file explorer), would have FEWER files vs the Media Workspace. The Media file is in Family Tree Maker, but in another place on the Hard Drive.

If the Media Workspace has FEWER Media files, vs using File Explorer, that would indicate that there are Media Files in that Media Folder that have not yet been added to Family Tree Maker.

To compare what files are not in Family Tree Maker but in the Media folder, you would want to go to Tools, Options, and use the Sort by Filename option.

More Media files in the Media Workspace, may be the LINKED option and not the Copy Option.

More Media files in the Media Folder, may be that there are Media files in that folder that have NOT been Added to Family Tree Maker.

Since we are talking about the number of Media files, and a question that wasn't asked, Why do I have FEWER Items in my Ancestry Member Tree Gallery.

There are Two Reasons, that I know of, that might be the difference. 1) Media files from Ancestry, where a merge was done, may not be in the Gallery. You can see those images, in the Ancestry Member Tree, but those images are coming from Ancestry, not your database. 2) Any Media files, in Family Tree Maker marked as PRIVATE, will not be in the Ancestry Member Tree.

I checked this file, and I have 30 Media files that came from Ancestry, using the Web Merge feature.

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Copyright © 2017 by H R Worthington

FTM2014 - Image Citations

I recently made this blog post:

FTM2014 - How to include a 2nd Image for a merged Record with two pages.

But I have one more step for ALL of my media files or images. That is to put a Citation "on" them. I want to be able to look at a Media File (image, picture, census record) and see where I got it from and any other detail. I also want to be able to view that "citation" in my Ancestry Member Tree (AMT).

In the Sources Workspace, I have selected the 1870 U.S. Census for Maryland, Baltimore County. I have selected the Citation for the Record I was looking at. The Citation detail is combined with the Source Template and presents the Reference Note.

But, there are two Media files. The one on the left says 1870 Federal C and the second one has some random filename that came from Ancestry.com.

None of that is very helpful for me.

I need to do two things to both of these images. I had put them into the Census Category in the Media Folder, as I showed in the above blog post, but I can do better AND then include a Citation with that image.

There are two items below that are important for the next step. The first is the Reference Note, and the Media Detail ICON. I want to Copy the Reference Note (my good citation) and use that in the Media Detail Screen.

If I Right Click in the Reference Note and use the Select All, then Copy that text, the Citation will be in my computer's Clipboard.

In the above image, the COPY text will become active and I will right click again and click on Copy.

Back to that tool bar, I will select the Media Detail ICON and the image will open.

I will select everything in the Description box on the right, and Paste (CTRL+V) the Reference Note that is in the Clipboard. You can also Right click on the Hi-lighted text and select paste.

The Caption is the way I want it.

1870 Federal Census Record for William Howard - Page 1

The Category is Census - Citation

(That category was created to remind me that I need to put a Citation on that image. The filename is the format I want.

1870_Fed_MD_Baltimore_Ward11-HowardWilliam-p1.jpg

Now the Description has my Citation. I clicked on Edit to the Right of Categories and put this image into the Census Category, as it has a Citation.

To the 2nd page.

Selecting the Media Detail for this one, doesn't meet any of my standards. The Caption has no meaning. If you look closely, the Caption and the Filename are the Same, and not helpful at all. Both need to be changed. The Category is right but the Description is blank. I will have to rename the file so that the Filename reflects the 2nd page and the Caption reflects the 2nd page.

Remembering that I still have the Reference Note on my Clipboard, I will put the Citation in the Description box. (CTRL+V)

I will also replace the Caption to:

1870 Federal Census Record for William Howard - Page 2

Clicking on OK will take me back to the Source Workspace, where I will Right Click on the 2nd image and it will allow me to RENAME the file.

 I will rename it to:

1870_Fed_MD_Baltimore_Ward11-HowardWilliam-p2.jpg

Here is the final Media Detail for the 2nd page:.

All is well within Family Tree Maker but, what about the AMT?

Here is that image in the Ancestry Member Tree.

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Copyright © 2014 by H R Worthington

Ancestry Member Tree of FTM2014 Media Detail

 As a follow up to FTM2014 - Media Detail I wanted to see what the work involved with that blog post looked like in the Ancestry Member Tree.

Rather than write about it, here it is:

This is the Citation for that image that was put into the Media Description field in FTM2014.

I'll take it.
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Copyright © 2013 by H R Worthington

FTM2012 and AMT - Filenaming and Captions

As with much of what we do, in Family Tree Maker, or any other genealogy program, we should take a few minutes to think about how we want to handle "things". Unknown Names, for example. This isn't about Unknown names, as I have posted about that before. Suggestion has been to try it as far as Data Input, Finding that entry while working on the file, and How does it look in the Output.

FTM2012, for me, has made me go back and relook at two items. File Names and Captions for Media Files. What is new, is how the Captions appear in the Ancestry Member Tree (AMT), now that we have the TreeSync™ feature. The AMT does not deal with File Names, but it does rely on the Captions that we put on those media files.

For Consideration:

• Sorting by Filename
• Sorting by Caption
• Use of Categories
• Use of Windows Explorer (or Finder for the Mac)

We use Media files for a Person, and for a Citation image. We attach or Link a Media file to a Source, Citation so that we have easy access when working with a specific Fact that has a Citation with a Media File.

We should consider how the Gallery Looks in the AMT, for ourselves and others that find out Online Tree.

File Names:

The file name format that I use for Federal Census Reports is:

YYYY_Fed_ST_County_City-SurnamePreferredName.jpg

When the Sort by Caption is turned OFF,  in the Tools, Options menu, in the Media Workspace, all of the Census Records will be seen, sorted by the State (ST), then County, they by City or the next Jurisdiction on the Census Record. That is followed by the Head of Household's Surname, and the Preferred Name that I have selected for the Name Fact.

Note: Users may handle Census Records differently, but over time, I have found that I do all of the Census Record based on the Head of Household. It has become much easier for me. If I have a 'hit' on a child or non-head of household, I will select the Head of Household and do the Web Merge based on that Head of Household. Another User's preference.

One of the benefits of this, is when looking or comparing the number of Media files with Windows Explorer.

Note: I choose to keep ALL of the Media Files, for a family file in the < family file > Media folder.

If there is a number of files / media item difference, between with FTM2012 and in Windows Explorer, I can pretty quickly see files that are not in my file naming convention.

For Census Records, and the Caption, I reverse the format a little:

Preferred Name Surname - YYYY United States Federal Census

Again, this is something to think about. What looks good for YOU.

So, when the Sort is changed to be by Caption, then any Media file for that person will be listed and sorted.

I wouldn't look at the Media Workspace to determine WHO has a Census Record, but I would see what Census Record a person has in the People Workspace, Family View, Media Tab for the selected person (Right Hand Panel). I would also see who is listed in the Census Record by looking at the Links tab in the Sources Workspace, and selecting the Census Record Citation.

The use of Categories of the Media Files are also helpful. In use Census - Federal and Census - State Categories.

This has been helpful for me, no matter which Sort is used, Caption or Filename.

Keeping this in mind and expanding that to Person Media Files, those Media Items in the Peple Workspace, Person View, Media Tab (left, half way down the screen), the Captions that I use are very similar

Preferred Name Surname - YYYY - Event

This continues the Sorting by Date, but see the Event as well. 1955 - Birthday Party, for example. So, looking at the Media tab for a person, the sorting is by Date for that person. At this point, that format has worked for me in the AMT Gallery.

The file naming for a Person's media is different, for me, then the file naming for a Census Record. I prefer to see my Census Records grouped, both within FTM2012 and with Windows Explorer, by date. The grouping for a Person, I want to see that persons pictures grouped together.

SurnamePreferredName-YYYY-Event

When I use the term Surname, for a female, that is the Birth Surname.

Again, the Sort by Caption or Sort by File Name is not an issue but it DOES keep a person's media files organized.

But, what if I have 5 names in a row (PreferredNameSurname) how to tell the difference? I add the birth year following the Surname.

Lesson Learned: Try different ways of handling Media Files, Captions and File Names and determine what works for you.

I have redone this structure several times, and with the TreeSync feature I am revisiting it again. Thought I would share this experience here. Please feel free to comment on your  experience.

Thank you.






Copyright © 2011 by H R Worthington

FTM2012 vs AMT - Category / Picture Type

Another difference between FTM2012 and AMT is how we can group the media files.

In FTM2012:

Some of the above list are items that I have added. Building, Civil War, City Directory to mention a view. In FTM2012, (or earlier, as this is not a new feature) you can click on Add to create your own Category.

In AMT, this is the list of choices:

When a photo or media file is uploaded the Category may end up in a different Type.

As the Knowledge Base article suggests, they may be different.

For further details of the Differences between Family Tree Maker 2012 and an Ancestry Member Tree, please visit the Knowledge Base article #5359 What are the differences between the Family Tree Maker and Ancestry.com trees when using TreeSync™?
Copyright © 2011 by H R Worthington

FTM2012 vs AMT - Media / Photo Differences

This is not a new difference, but we, the users, need to remember a couple of things.

Within Family Tree Maker, we have File Names, Descriptions, and Caption fields to uses, as well as categories. File Names are not important in the Ancestry Member Tree (AMT). Within FTM2012, we can sort by Filename or Caption.

Here is FTM2012 view:

 The Filename is at the very top of the screen, Caption, Date, and Description are fields to be edited. (FTM2011 screen capture, but should be the same in FTM2012)

Here is the same image in the AMT.

Picture Name in AMT is the Description in FTM2012

Description is the same in both

Date is the same in both

ATM has a Location Field, FTM2012 does not

The Type in AMT is similar in the Category of FTM2012.


For further details of the Differences between Family Tree Maker 2012 and an Ancestry Member Tree, please visit the Knowledge Base article #5359 What are the differences between the Family Tree Maker and Ancestry.com trees when using TreeSync™?

Copyright © 2011 by H R Worthington