Reader Question: Export / Import

Another Reader Question:

When importing/exporting, the system creates a new tree.  Is this suppose to happen?

The answer is "yes" and "no", or just "it depends".

When you do a FILE, Export, and you make your choices for people and FILE Format, Yes, you will be creating a NEW FTMB (Family Tree Maker Back Up FILE) on your computer. From there, you can do a File, Restore, or send the file to some one else.

When doing a File, Merge, you are NOT creating a New File, You are given two choices, using the Import option. 1) to Amend your current, open File, or 2) Merge that the file you select, into the File you have Open. Two different things will happen.

But, the question was Importing. You get that from the Plan Workspace, New Tree (FILE).

Plan Workspace, New Tree (FILE) Import an Existing Tree

This is where you can Browse to the file you want to Import as a NEW File. You will also be asked for a Tree (FILE) Name. The difference is that you have several options of what that Existing FILE is. A Family Tree Maker Version 5 (not 2005, but very old Version 5), a PAF file, or a Legacy Family Tree File, or a GEDCOM File.

Note: a GEDCOM file will NOT include any images.

Remember that the Import option, is to create a New FILE from another Genealogy Program, or an earlier (old) version of Family Tree Maker.

Please note my use of the work FILE and not Tree, as the screen shows. To me, a TREE is an Online version of the information in the FILE the is on my computer. I have NO Trees on my computer. My computer may be dusty, but it has nothing for a Tree to grow in. It's also easier to tell the difference between information on the Computer (File) and information that is Online (Tree). But that's just me.
____________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2019 by Cousin Russ

Family Tree Maker 2009 - New Tree

We will begin a New Family Tree.


Figure 4 (from Plan, New Tree)

Beginning a new Family File. Known is the Name: Hiram Deats, and where he was Born: Hunterdon County, New Jersey. He is a noted historian in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Opening Family Tree Maker, the Plan Screen opens, with the option to work on an existing file, or to create a new file. For this example, the file will be created by hand.

1 - The word PLAN is hi-lighted when you open the program. To Create a New File, select New Tree. This one will be entered from this screen.

2 - The default is Import a tree from an existing file.

3 - Enter what you know is selected in this post. What is known is the Name, Sex, and Birth Place.


The name of the New File is normally the Surname of the individual in the Name field. In this example, the filename will be BLOG. You will see the filename filled in, when you enter the name. Clicking on the Continue Button will take you to the next screen.

Figure 5

Here is the completed screen. based on the information known. Please note the Birth Place field. Hunderton, New Jersey, USA was entered. More about this entry below. Also note the New Tree Name that was changed, and Continue is hi-lighted.

Clicking on that button will take you HERE.

Figure 6

1. The Filename followed by the Version number is listed at the top of the screen [ Blog - Family Tree Maker 2009 ].
2. The People Button and Family Tab are hi-lighted.
3. The Name of the individual is in dark blue. In this example, you will note the "shakey leaf" ICON. This is an indication that there is information on Ancestry.Com on this individual. How to use that will be in a future post.
4. There is a ICON with a Question Mark [?] next to Hunderdon County. This is an indication that there is something wrong with this entry. OR more accurately, the way that entry is at this point is Not in the Place Name Authority part of Family Tree Maker 2009.

How to resolve the Place Name Authority will be covered shortly. In this example, it was entered in correctly on purpose.

Our Home person is in the file with basic information, but a hint that there is information about this person at Ancestry.com and there is a problem with the Birth Location.

Knowledge Base Article

Family Tree Maker 2009 - Plan, New Tree

After the Family Tree Maker program opens you have the ability to import an existing file or creating a New file. This item is for the Plan, New Tree screen (1) and looks like this.

Figure 4

From here, you can Import an existing file (2), or you can Create a New Tree (3). The post covers the Enter What You Know.

Most of us have heard, when starting to do Genealogy Research, Start with what you know, yourself, then work backwards. This screen does that. You should enter all Names as complete as possible. That is FULL First Names, any Middle Names, and the Surname(s). When this tree is created, this first name, You in this example, will become the HOME person, or focal person, in this tree. It CAN be changed later.

For the Family Tree Maker program, Upper and Lower Case name entry should be used. Later you will see that you can control how these names will be displayed in reports, charts or trees.

There are special instructions for entering names that can be found under Help, Index, and typing Name and selecting Enter.

After the name is entered, use the Tab key to move to the Next field. In this case, you will be taken to the Sex field, where there is a drop down menu

The Tab key will take you to the Birth Date and Birth Location for this individual. After completing these two field, the Tab key will take you to the Parents Names.

The next Tab key will take you to the Name of File field. By Default it will be the name of the Home person. However, it can be changed. The File Location, by Default will be in your My Documents folder and a New Folder will be created called Family Tree Maker. The defaults can be changed. A note as to what the Filename and Location should be noted, if you are new to the Family Tree Maker program. Like other fields, they can be changed.

The Continue button will complete creating this new Family File. If you were to close Family Tree Maker at this point, the next time you open the program, you will be automatically taken to this tree.

As you close the program, you will see that the File is Saved. A note, the file will be updated each time you leave a field.

Terms: A FILE is what was just created. It will contain RECORDS for each Individual, and Each record will have a series of FIELDS containing various bits of information on that individual

Link to Knowledge Base Article

This is a link to the Getting Started Guide for Famliy Tree Maker 2009.