7 replies to this topic

[TimB]

I love RootsMagic and have been using it since version 4. I have followed the discussion boards for some time and am excited for my first post. Generally I am the type of person that researches and thinks about a problem in order to come to a conclusion. After researching this topic I cannot come to a conclusion, thus I bring my question to all of you.

My question is in regards to the migration from NFS to FT and how RootsMagic 6 will assist in this migration. I want to know this information so that I know how I can best complete my family history work in the proper manner. Family Tree seems to be a massive enhancement of NFS, but the more I research what it will allow individuals to do the more I understand that currently RM 6 is not in a position to help me with a bridge between the two databases. I understand that FS has recently released the API to RM and other 3^rd parties, and that the magicians are working hard to bring all the information together, but I do have a few questions.

• What features will be included?
• From my research of Family Tree it seems that you will have the ability to do a great deal of collaboration. In order for all of this to take place a significant change in how information is presented was made. I was wondering how RM 6 will handle all of these changes?

Will individuals be able to import and export images to FT from RM 6?
Will individuals be able to merge individuals in the FT?
Will individuals be able to import and export sources to FT from RM 6?
I can see that adding and changing information allows for you to justify your change, will RM 6 allow for this extra documentation with FM? (Pg 55)
Will individuals be able to select the correct template in FT for entering names in a different language? (Pg 57)

• Will RM 6 have ALL the functionality of NFS Family Tree in order to continue in progression of our family databases?

Much of the research of the features came from the FT Manual. The manual can be seen at this link.

http://broadcast.lds...serGuidelds.pdf

Thank you for your help and I look forward to hearing what everyone has to say.

[Renee Zamora]

I am moving this discussion under the New FamilySearch thread in the forum. We would like to keep all questions or issues relating to NFS or FT in that forum.

The answer is rather simply. When RM releases the ability to sync with FT it will contain all the functionality that was available with NFS. There will be a few new features that will match what FT does instead of what NFS did, like merging instead of combining, adding reasons for changes, etc.

FamilySearch has released an API to sync with Family Tree but it is not complete. FamilySearch will not certify a third party product to sync with FT unless essential features are available, they also must plan to add additional features in the future. We will meet with all of FamilySearch's criteria now and in the future.

Everything on your list will be a requirement, but maybe not available in the initial release. It all depends on the API and our development schedule.

[fhc]

RM 6 is an amazing, wonderful program. I was recently called to be a family history consultant and wanted to get the best tools for my calling. After purchasing a copy of RM 6, I imported over 20,000 of my family names from PAF 5.2 into RM 6. (I found over 20,000 family names years ago on Ancestral File CDs and matched and merged them into PAF). When I noticed the RM 6 feature which allows import of names from the new Family Tree website into RM 6, I was curious to know if any additional ancestor names were available from Family Tree. I began to import ancestor names beginning with myself. Eleven days later, I was amazed that RM 6 had imported over 196,000 names including 26th great great grandfathers, 26th great great grand mothers, 24th great great grand uncles, and 24th great great grand aunts!!! Could anyone please explain how to merge the 196,000+ names from Family Tree with the 29,000 names already imported from PAF 5.2? I told ward members about this amazing feature and they asked me to show them how to use RM 6. I sincerely appreciate any help you can provide. Thank you very much!!

[TomH]

Since you are obviously collecting names on trees without any regard for evidence, just use RootsMagic auto merge. Look in the Help system for directions. There is probably a webinar you could watch also.

[Renee Zamora]

Very impressive stats for FT Importing. How fast of an internet connection did you have? Right now FamilySearch isn't throttling back on the download speed off FT. I'm sure they will when more and more people start to use that feature.

[TomH]

Very impressive stats for FT Importing. How fast of an internet connection did you have?

That works out to around 1 person in 5 seconds. If we assume an average of 1kB per person (a 1000 characters of text is quite a lot for a family tree record), then the data has been transferred at a rate of 200 bytes per second. A 1980's telephone modem connected to the Internet would provide ample bandwidth.

Thus, the speed is not impressive at all and clearly points to a very small bottleneck somewhere other than in the network. I wonder if RootsMagic itself has been tested with a high speed FT service and its own limits on record creation in its database tested while carrying out a FT import.

[Renee Zamora]

The stats are impressive compared to what NFS Importing did. FamilySearch does impose limitations on the transfer rate. They are just not as strict or throttling it as they did with NFS. Your own internet speed equals into it also.

I tested my internet speed this morning and the download speed is 55 Mb. I have been running FT Import and my stats are:
8 hrs - People: 26555, Families: 12300. It's about 25 generations back. I told it to download the maximum 100 generations of ancestors and descendants. I have a "supposed" royalty line so it has a lot of data it could retrieve. I am curious to see how long it will run.

[TomH]

That's almost 1 person per second, still telephone modem speed over an awesomely fast Internet connection. I don't think anything faster than a 28 or 56 Kbps analog telephone modem should have much effect. FS must have the throttle turned way down.