Tuesday, March 28, 2017

More Answers About TreeShare in RootsMagic

When we last heard about the planned synchronization of a RootsMagic family tree database with an Ancestry Member Tree in A Sneak Peek from the Underground Labs  by Michael Booth (posted 3 Marc h 2017), it was unclear what the capability would be to synchronize the RootsMagic database with the Ancestry Member Tree after the initial matching.  

RootsMagic clarified the TreeShare features and capabilities today in another blog post by Michael Booth - Questions about upcoming Ancestry features?  We've got answers!


1)  Three of the paragraphs say:
What are these Ancestry features?RootsMagic’s TreeShare for Ancestry will let you move data between your RootsMagic files on your computers and your personal Ancestry online trees. You can transfer people, events, notes, source citations, and even pictures between the two systems. 
How will I connect my RootsMagic file with my Ancestry online tree?At release, you’ll have two options: 1. Upload your RootsMagic file to a new Ancestry online tree, or 2: Download an existing Ancestry online tree into a new RootsMagic file. 
How will I keep my RootsMagic file and Ancestry online tree synchronized?After the initial upload or download, everyone will be in sync between the RoothsMagic file and Ancestry tree. As changes are made to either RootsMagic or Ancestry, RootsMagic will let you know who and what has changed and will allow you to easily select what to move back and forth. Rather than force your RootsMagic file and Ancestry tree to always look exactly the same, you as a user will choose what to share. This is what allows two (or more) different people to be able to connect to the same tree without forcing each other’s data into the other’s file.
2)  I asked a question in Comments to the blog post, saying:
Once I have uploaded my RootsMagic file to a new Ancestry Member Tree, will I be able to click on one button (or something) to update both my RootsMagic file and the AMT after making changes to one or both the RM file and the AMT?
That is what TreeSync did in FTM and what FTM claims that FTM 2017 will do using their FamilySync. Will RootsMagic do the complete synchronization task after changes to a synced file are made?
3)  Michael responded shortly after, saying:
Randy, since you aren’t the only person to ask this today, I updated the article with that question and answer. While it’s not exactly “click on one button,” our testing shows that - in practice - it doesn’t take very long to compare and approve the changes between the two trees once they have been initially connected and are in sync. I’m sure we’ll continue to receive feedback from users and will make adjustments to best meet their needs.
What Michael added to the post was the third paragraph noted above in Section 1).

4)  So I think that the answer to my question is "No, there will not be a button to click on to completely sync a previously synced RootsMagic database with the synced Ancestry Member Tree."  Users will have to compare differences between the two trees and select the information to add to one or the other tree one person, one event, one source, one media item, etc. at a time.

This does provide user control of what they add from one tree to the other.  It is different, apparently, from how Family Tree Maker 2017 is going to work.

5)  There are several other features and capabilities of the RootsMagic TreeShare features announced:

*  TreeShare for Ancestry will be a FREE update to RootsMagic 7 and is expected to be released by the end of April.

*  Users can connect multiple RootsMagic files to one Ancestry Member Tree.

*  A user could update their RootsMagic tree on a laptop computer with the Ancestry tree.

*  A user could put RootsMagic To Go and their synced RootsMagic file on their flash drive and use it wherever they are.

*  A family or group of persons could use RootsMagic on their individual computers to move data back and forth between the RootsMagic file and the Ancestry tree.  This could be an excellent collaboration opportunity.

*  A RootsMagic software license is for a household, so multiple computers and operating systems can be used on the single license.

*  The TreeShare capability will be available for the FREE RootsMagic Essentials software but only for uploading or downloading the tree, not for comparing and transferring subsequent changes.

6)  Note that for many of the features noted above in 5), the "master" Tree will have to be the Ancestry Member Tree.  

7)  This is all good, and I appreciate the work and time that Bruce, Michael and the RootsMagic team have invested to make this work.  

8)  In my opinion, this TreeShare system will be improved over time as features are added to RootsMagic.

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Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver


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1 comment:

Gwynn, Research and Mentoring for a local Genealogy Society said...

Hi Randy, I wish shared facts from RootsMagic would show up in Ancestry tree but these shared facts dont get exported by GEDCOM. Note from Gwynn Socolich. Do you use shared facts in Roots Magic?