13 replies to this topic

[Krishaven]

I've built a new RootsMagic database from my Ancestry tree. First sync fine, whenever I add a new person, fine, but when I update some facts/items they don't update.

 

An example is that I'm trying to commit an additional source for a name and it's not saving. This is from Ancestry to RootsMagic. One new event/fact (a marriage) saved to RootsMagic, but immediately popped up as needing to sync back to Ancestry.

 

Any ideas?

[Renee Zamora]

In the Magic Guide  "FAQ: WebHints & TreeShare for Ancestry" on page 3 you will find under "Ancestry Tree Items Not Supported When Downloaded or Updated by TreeShare" - Anything attached to the Primary Name on Ancestry - No place to display it in RootsMagic".

 

In the background it is there, you just can't see it right now in RootsMagic. This part of the program needs to be rewritten in order for us to display it. 

 

The other issue with marriage is discussed in the FAQ. Ancestry only had individual facts, and no family facts. Marriages may appear to be family facts there, but if you edit one spouse's marriage information you will find it's not changed on the other spouses. When we add a Marriage fact through TreeShare it will create two separate facts for both spouses. If you are adding it in WebHints we are only able to add it to the spouse you are on. Its gets complicated but there is a reason family facts don't match up. 

 

 

You can download the Magic Guide PDF here - http://rootsmagic.co...ncestry_FAQ.pdf

[RobJ]

I want to highly commend RootsMagic for this document.  It's what I've been looking for, a nice summary and listing of the differences in data handling between Ancestry.com and RootsMagic.  I can't stress enough how important a document like this is for the future, and I hope that the RootsMagic company will consider adding versioning to this and keep it up to date, as new discoveries of compatibility issues arise, and as development changes happen, both on the Ancestry.com side and on the RootsMagic side.

 

I believe that in the future data portability is going to become increasingly important, partly because of the volatility of current genealogical tools and web sites, and partly as DNA usefulness and general helpfulness drives more and more users to permanent and public world trees.  Users want to make sure that all their work is completely safe, that if they lose a tool or web resource, they can still move their data somewhere else, with only changes in methodology, not loss of data.  I believe RootsMagic is becoming well positioned for this future, a safe data conduit between tools and web sites and tree storage places.

 

If not already available somewhere, I would like to see similar documents for My Heritage, and others too when they have time (Family Tree Maker, PAF, TMG, geni.com, FindMyPast, etc).  This could help users understand what is a safe core of features and data fields to use, safely portable between sites and tools.  In the future, users are going to be dropping features and fields that are unique to specific tools.  But I'm sure there will always be users who don't want to share, just keep a personal tree, and accept the limitations and inaccuracies inherent.

[Renee Zamora]

We have a series of Magic Guides - we work on them in our down time, or in prep for new features. You can access them here - http://rootsmagic.com/guides/

[Krishaven]

Then the sync interface needs to reflect this and maybe ignore or hide stuff it can't do. I now have a growing list of unsyncable changed records in my sync interface. I was hoping to use RootsMagic as part of my plan to get stuck into sources and other data quality issues. Within a week it will likely be hundreds of people with a source connected to their name or updated marriage information. I have in excess of 17,000 outstanding hints in Ancestry Within a month syncing will likely be unmanageable. 

[RobJ]

We have a series of Magic Guides - we work on them in our down time, or in prep for new features. You can access them here - http://rootsmagic.com/guides/

 

That page needs a little update! 

[Renee Zamora]

It's on the to-do list.

[mapleleaf]

I'm looking for info about how to sync my RootsMagic database to the tree I uploaded to Ancestry using RM TreeShare.

 

I came across this thread and it looks like an update to the guide is still on the to-do list because the date of the last update of the guide is June 27, 2017: "Using TreeShare for Ancestry: Learn how to use TreeShare and WebHints for Ancestry" http://rootsmagic.com/guides/

 

Is the info in this guide up-to-date? http://files.rootsma...ncestry_FAQ.pdf

 

When I search for the word sync in that guide, I find nothing. 

 

How do I sync from RootsMagic to Ancestry? Is it automatic? Or does it not sync at all? 

[Jerry Bryan]

The initial sync is automatic - when you first connect an existing RM database to a new and empty ancestry tree or when you first connect an existing ancestry tree to a new and empty RM database. After that, everything is manual.

 

I think of it as a manual sync. I personally think it's appropriate to call it a sync, but it's a manual sync. Every single person to be synced has to be approved manually and every single piece of data to be synced for that person has to be approved manually.

 

But strictly speaking, RM itself and most RM users don't call it a sync. Instead, they call it a sharing, and that's why RM calls it TreeShare rather than TreeSync.

 

Jerry

[mapleleaf]

Jerry, thanks for confirming it's a manual sync.

 

How do I approve data and each person manually? I'm not finding where to do that in RM 7. 

[Jerry Bryan]

 

How do I approve data and each person manually? I'm not finding where to do that in RM 7. 

• Click the TreeShare icon in the toolbar.
• Wait a while
• There is a window with three panels. The panel on the left is a list of people that are potential candidates for manual sync. Filter this list as appropriate. The main filter is to show everybody or to show only people who have changed. You can also filter using RM's group facility if you have defined any groups. I usually filter both by "only people who have changed" and by a group.
• Click a person to sync. The data for the person in RM will be shown in the middle panel and the data for the person in ancestry will be shown in the panel on the right.
• There are little square boxes where data is different. Click the square boxes for the data you wish to sync. Click the square box for the RM data to copy it to ancestry, or click the square box for ancestry to copy it to RM. But unfortunately, RM has a bad habit of pop-up windows that drill down to additional data. Unfortunately, TreeShare's manual sync process is badly afflicted with this mode of operation and you will have to do drill downs to see and approve the real data you want to change. You will need to play with it to really see how the drill downs work for TreeShare.
• TreeShare won't really do anything until you click the Accept Changes button. But if you click the Accept Changes button before you mark all the changes for the person, the TreeShare removes the person from the "only people who have changed" list even though there are further changes to be processed for the person. Aside from needing a much more automated mode of operation, TreeShare really needs to recognize that there are unprocessed changes before it removes somebody from the "only people who have changed" list. I'm hoping that the RM developers will revisit many aspects of how TreeShare works, but surely this shouldn't be done until after RM8 is released and is stable.

Jerry

[mapleleaf]

Hi Jerry,

Thanks very kindly for the directions!

 

@Renee, could you add Jerry's helpful directions to the tutorial? http://rootsmagic.co...ncestry_FAQ.pdf

I think it should appear in section C, #3, page 9 under "How do I update just the sources and/or media." 

 

There is a note at the end of that section that says, "The process works the same to update media and to update the Ancestry Tree with information that was added to RootsMagic." Except it does not work the same that I can tell. There are no differences highlighted in pink. Also, you don't choose “Update existing event in RootsMagic" - you choose "Add as a new event on Ancestry" (for new events). An Update Fact window does not open! 

 

In RM, I added two new events to a person and updated only one new event at Ancestry. I tried to search for that person since he no longer appeared when "only show changed people" was checked, and the list of names froze numerous times. Finally got it to find the person, but the remaining new event now showed two options when clicking the box: "Add as a new event on Ancestry" and "Update existing event on Ancestry." This new event added to RM was not yet at Ancestry, but I was given an option to update it at Ancestry. 

 

I agree that more automation and fewer clicks would be easier. And what you said is right on: "TreeShare really needs to recognize that there are unprocessed changes before it removes somebody from the "only people who have changed" list."

 

Hoping version 8 will have all the kinks worked out to make it a much better user experience! 

[Renee Zamora]

I have made a note of it. Probably won't see any Magic Guides updates until after RM8 is released. 

[Vyger]

I have made a note of it. Probably won't see any Magic Guides updates until after RM8 is released. 

 

Same with any video demos/comparisons