44 replies to this topic

[R Steven]

With the imminent general release of FamilySearch Family Tree and the phasing out of NewFamilySearch it would be nice if RM would synch to the new system as soon as possible.

[Renee Zamora]

We just received part of the API for Family Tree and are working on it's development to sync RM with Family Tree right now.  Not all the features are there yet so you really wouldn't want to be using that in place of NFS right now.  We plan to be on target when FamilySearch has FamilyTree completed by the end of the year.

[Romer]

Well, it sounds as though FamilySearch Family Tree will be released to LDS and non-LDS members this fall, but that a preliminary version that can be accessed already exists.  It's anticipated that nFS will cease to exist early in this coming year.

RM is already working on the FT interface with RM5, so it's advisable to wait to match and/or sync your RM5 database data with FT until after it's been completed and released rather than entering it directly via FT now.  Remember that RM development only occurs with the most-recent release (RM5).  In the meantime, you might want to look into trying to understand and gaining insight of how FT works on FS, itself, behind the scenes.

For additional information (in chronological order, so September information more up-to-date):

(27 Apr 2012) Family Tree Update - https://familysearch...ily-tree-access
(30 Jun 2012) Family Tree Update - https://familysearch...y-tree-update-2
(25 Jul 2012) Try Family Tree on FamilySearch.org - https://familysearch...familysearchorg
(04 Sep 2012) Family Tree Training - https://familysearch...y-tree-training
(04 Sep 2012) Frequently Asked Questions About Family Tree - https://familysearch...ons-family-tree
(05 Sep 2012) Family Tree is Coming. Are You Ready? - https://familysearch...comingare-ready
(05 Sep 2012) Benefits of Family Tree Vs. new familysearch.org - https://familysearch...familysearchorg

[Romer]

Renee, I'm curious if FS has been good over the years about giving enough advanced notice as to when and how the API will change.

I know that there have been some complaints about RM putting work into FS Central development, but hopefully that work up-front over the past few years and coming across any issues makes the experience better for the rest of the general public once we're able to use it.  Very eager to give it a go.

[Renee Zamora]

FamilySearch was very slow in releasing the Family Tree API to their affiliates, which include RootsMagic.  What we did received isn't even complete. This is making it difficult to respond to the development changes needed to work with it.  Because of our work with NFS we understand its quirks and have gotten good about tinkering with their API. We are confident we will be one of the first FamilySearch Affiliates to sync with Family Tree.

[Romer]

Haven't gotten to take much of a look, but it appears as though there are some good resources at the links I provided above.  The information provided at one of them referred to some sort of Family Tree guide, but the link to that item seemed to be broken.  I just did a web search and wonder if it might be this item:

http://broadcast.lds...eeUserGuide.pdf

The date of the document as I look at it right now is shown as 29 Aug 2012, but I wonder if it will be updated as new features continue to roll in.

[Romer]

Quick Start Guide (Sep 2012):

http://broadcast.lds...e/FT-QSG_EN.pdf

Release Notes (15 Aug 2012):

http://broadcast.lds...eleaseNotes.pdf

[cragun47]

Does the API look like Notes and Sources will be able to be synchronized?

[Romer]

From what I've read so far, notes aren't part of Family Tree, but are expected to be added.  As of now, anyway, notes wouldn't be able to be synchronized, but I'd hope they would be in the future.

[R Steven]

I have been using the beta version of Family Tree.  They don't have notes in the same sense as Roots Magic, but they do have comments which can serve much the same purpose.  It gives you a chance to explain why you chose to make a change you did or add an explanation to a date or fact.

[Romer]

Steven, I think that those items are referred to as reason statements.  Notes are a different matter and are expected to be added to Family Tree.  Perhaps Renee can comment early this week on intent toward reason statements.

I'd fully expect for the RootsMagician to conduct a webinar once ready.

[Renee Zamora]

FamilySearch will require Affiliate Software (RootsMagic included) to have the ability to add a note for reasons why you added or made changes to Family Tree.

[Romer]

Some of the features available in Family Tree don't seem to be part of the current functionality of RM5, so may need to be added.  I now wish that I'd paid closer attention when reading through things and made notes of them, but had limited time and had to get through the material quickly.

Being able to tag a source to a person's name, a person's sex, or a relationship (parent/child, spouse/spouse), come to mind.  I think that I've actually requested each of these at some time in the past, but the past may've been too long ago to have been incorporated into the tracking system.

I'm sure that there are others that I've forgotten.  Has anyone else been able to make their way through and spend more time with the material and seen anything else that might need attention?  I didn't use nFS, so perhaps some of the issues pertained there, as well, so were already addressed in RM.

[Renee Zamora]

Confirming adding source function to the above mentioned areas is in our tracking system.

[R Steven]

Dealing with the Source Box intelligently will take some thought.  Whenever you add a source to a person, it automatically also gets copied to the Source Box.  You can also create references directly in the source box or create an automatic link to reference in FamilySearch.  If supported by the API, it would be helpful to have the following functionality in RM:

• Use a source already in the Source Box (perhaps created from outside RM), to provide a source for a person.
  
• Add sources from RM citations to the Source Box.
  
• Navigate the Source Box (it has an ability to organize sources in folders)
  
• Remove sources from the Source Box.  A source can be deleted from the Source Box when it isn't needed for copying any more.  It functions more like a permanent clip board, really.  It gets hard to use if it gets too cluttered, so it makes sense to prune it regularly and delete sources which aren't needed.

[R Steven]

Another helpful integration to thing about (if supported by the API) is making and breaking relationships (child-parent, spouse).  This works differently in Family Tree than NFS.  It would be nice if RM had a way to add and remove Family Tree links.

[Romer]

One of the features that I like about Family Tree is that it sounds as if you add a FamilySearch.org record's source to your (source box then to your) tree, the citation is automatically formed, and things get updated should FamilySearch make any changes.

[Renee Zamora]

Confirming enhancement requests are in our tracking system.

[R Steven]

Romer, on 25 September 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

One of the features that I like about Family Tree is that it sounds as if you add a FamilySearch.org record's source to your (source box then to your) tree, the citation is automatically formed, and things get updated should FamilySearch make any changes.

I have been using this feature and it seems to work pretty well.  An additional nice aspect that the source includes a link to the static image of the source citation.  Others can click on the source link and see the source directly themselves.

[Romer]

Yes, FamilySearch has said that it won't change the URL to the record, as some other companies seem to have a habit of doing . . .