Transferring Media Files Between Software Programs - Post 4: RootsMagic GEDCOM Imported to an Ancestry Member Tree

I am posting a series on transferring Media Files between genealogy software programs and an Ancestry Member Tree using a GEDCOM export.  Here are the posts to date:

* Transferring Media Files Between Software Programs - Post 1: Project Defined and RootsMagic GEDCOM Created

*  Transferring Media Files Between Software Programs - Post 2: RootsMagic GEDCOM Imported to Family Tree Maker 2014

*  Transferring Media Files Between Software Programs - Post 3: RootsMagic GEDCOM Imported to Legacy Family Tree 7.5

In this post, I'm going to import the GEDCOM file created using RootsMagic 6 into an Ancestry Member Tree and see if all of the Media Files transfer during this process.  

Note that Ancestry Member Trees are FREE to create (with a free registration) or upload via GEDCOM, but registered users cannot access Ancestry.com record databases or other Ancestry Member Trees without subscribing to Ancestry.com.

1)  The GEDCOM import into a new Ancestry Member Tree went easily and quickly.  On an Ancestry.com page, I ran my mouse over the "Family Tree" button in the main menu and selected "Upload a GEDCOM" from the list.  On the "Upload a Family Tree" page, I browsed my file folders and selected the GEDCOM file, unchecked the box to make the new tree public, added a short description, and checked the "I accept the Submission Agreement" box. 

I clicked on the orange "Upload" button and the GEDCOM file uploaded.  I didn't count the minutes to do this.

2)  After the upload, I checked the "Tree Settings" link, and changed the "home person" to myself: 

The Tree Overview page told me that I had 50 persons, no photos, no stories and no records.  I figured it would take some time to upload the media.

3)  After some time, I went to my father's "Pedigree" view and saw:

There were already green leaf Hints.  I ran my mouse over my father's name, and picked the "View profile" icon and saw the person profile:

I clicked on the "Media Gallery" tab and saw:

Huh?  The media did not upload!  The other people also had no media attached to them.

Then I remembered that Ancestry Member Trees do not upload media from the user's computer via a GEDCOM file.  Duh!

4)  The screen above told me that there were 10 historical records, 1 family tree, and 8 photos and stories in the "Hints" section.  I clicked on the "Hints" tab and saw:

I went through the "Hints," and all of them applied to my father, and I attached them to my father's profile, except for the Ancestry Member Trees hint which I ignored.

After attaching the 10 historical records (found by Ancestry.com searching their record databases) and the 8 Photos (which had been attached to other Ancestry Member Trees - mine!), I looked at the "Media Gallery."  The attached Photos showed up, and I quickly attached the head shot to "Make primary photo" (lower right-hand corner in the screen below):

When I click he "Return" link (top-left corner) and see the "Media Gallery" again, I see the profile photo and the 8 Photos that were attached through the Hints:

If I go back to the "Overview" tab, I will see the added Historical Records also, but only as Facts and sources, not as media images.  I clicked on the Residence Fact for the 1930 U.s. census and saw:

The information attached to this Fact is provided, along with the source citation and a thumbnail image of the actual census page.  If I click on the title of the source citation, in this case "1930 United States Federal census" and could see the record summary for that record.  From there, I could view the actual record image.

5)  So the answer to the challenge is:  NO media are transferred using a GEDCOM file to an Ancestry Member Tree.  

However, users can manually upload media to a person in an Ancestry Member Tree, or attach photos and historical records to each person from Ancestry.com record databases and other Ancestry Member Trees.

The URL for this post is:   http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/11/transferring-media-files-between_21.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver