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Archiver > TMG > 2001-12 > 1007253499


From: George King <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Importing from Generations 4.2
Date: Sat, 01 Dec 2001 19:38:19 -0500


Early tomorrow (2 December!!) Ann Carson asked:
>Dear TMG Listers
>
>I have been reading the list messages for a couple of months now and while
>I am still extremely impressed by TMGs potential features, & keen to use
>them, I am very concerned (read "filled with dread/terror") about
>importing my data successfully.
>
>I have TMG Gold v4.0c for Windows. I have over 16,000 people in my
>database - not all connected of course.

By all means upgrade to TMG 4.0d. The upgrade is free and is available for
download from www.whollygenes.com


>Can any lister help with advice - or directions to helpful
>web advice etc - re any of the following please?
>
>1.I have Generations 4.2 (Easy Tree). I can't find it in the
>list of software from which TMG imports. Is this a problem,
>and what do I do about it?

You have learned that TMG does not support a direct import from Easy Tree.
Therefore, you must export a GEDCOM file from Easy Tree and import the
GEDCOM to TMG. I received an Easy Tree GEDCOM from a cousin a couple of
months ago and successfully imported it into TMG.

I do not know if East Tree offers GEDCOM export options but do know that
TMG has some GEDCOM import options. The point is to try an export and
import and to inspect your new TMG data set. For example, I had some
problems with titles for people's names and had to adjust the TMG import
options.

The conversion from one type of program to another is never easy. I begin
with the master place list and leave the master source list 'til last.

I suspect that your biggest challenge is to build the new master source
list and move all of your source information from the event memos to the
TMG msl. Given that you have a large number of source citations embedded in
event memos, I would give a high and early priority to standardizing how
you record your sources. Do you have a number of e-mail sources,
interviews, etc? Be sure that you develop a standard way of recording the
source information. Do you want a master source list entry for each birth
registration, obituary, etc or do you want to include the individual source
information in the citation detail field? I hope that you get the gist.

As you begin to add or edit sources, be sure to identify in the source
abbreviation that you have updated the source information. After I have
confirmed that my end note, abbreviated end note, and bibliography entires
all read well in TMG, I add a # to the TMG source abbreviation. When I have
completed the conversion I use John Cardinal's TMG utility for one pass
through the source abbreviations to delete all #.

Now identify the earliest ancestor for each family line. I prepare a
descendancy chart for each of these ancestors, a bare bones chart with
little more than the TMG ID numbers, then slog through the names, reviewing
the information for each individual and spouse.

To help me with the clean up I created a one generation Genealogy Report
and placed a button for it on the TMG tool bar. I include my event memos
(not in parentheses) and embed my source citations in parentheses. Whenever
I have a question about my editing, I run the report for the individual and
his or her family. (There may be an easier way in TMG 5??)

I hope this puts you on the right track,

George

George W King, Vice President
Edmund Rice (1638) Association
http://www.edmund-rice.org

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