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Archiver > TMG > 2003-04 > 1049230184


From: George King <> (by way of Lee Hoffman <>)
Subject: Re: [TMG] FTM vsTMG
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2003 15:49:44 -0500


>>Anita wrote:
>>
>>>I am a newbie to TMG. I looked all over in the archives. I am trying
>>>to decide which is better. I have the 9 version in FTM. I am running
>>>into roadblocks now. I am wondering if there is any problem that anyone
>>>has had transferring to TMG from version 9 FTM. I have so much 30 years
>>>info into this file and don't want to lose any of it. I have heard this
>>>is an excellent program, but so was FTM when I first started using it
>>>years ago. Any help would be appreciated. You can email me off line if
>>>you want.
>>
>>Anita, TMG will do a superb direct import from FTM. You will not loose
>>any information. However, ..... because of limitations in FTM you will
>>need to do quite a bit of clean up in TMG. The biggest problem is with
>>events. By genealogical convention each event should have separate fields
>>for date, location, and memo. TMG, and most other genealogy programs,
>>follows that convention. The FTM Facts and Memo functions DO NOT follow
>>that convention. The FTM Facts field permits both comment (memo) and
>>location information. Further, the FTM Memo function does not relate each
>>memo to an event.
>>
>>As part of the TMG import process you have the option to import the FTM
>>Comment/Location field as either an event memo or an event location. I
>>suggest that you try the import both ways to determine which one yields
>>the best import and least cleanup.
>>
>>I receive a number of FTM files from cousins each year, so have some
>>experience with the conversion to TMG. My personal preference is to
>>import all FTM facts using the Location option. That puts all of the
>>Comment/Location information into the TMG Master Place List. I then
>>realign the MPL, putting all of the Comment information in the MPL
>>"Detail" column. Realignment of real location information in the MPL is
>>part of the FTM clean up in any event.
>>
>>Then I use a custom Individual Detail report to search for a part of the
>>character string in that Detail column. My report filter is: Any event...
>>Place Detail Contains [?]. With the [?] TMG will prompt you for the
>>character string when you run the report. This makes the report reusable.
>>The Individual Detail report result tells me the person and the event
>>that needs the information moved to the TMG event memo field.
>>
>>You will also want to clean up your source citations as TMG makes one
>>much more aware of the importance of sources than FTM. But sources is an
>>ongoing task with any genealogy project.
>>
>> George
>>
>>George W. King
>>Vice President
>>Edmund Rice (1638) Association
>>http://www.edmund-rice.org

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