Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Dear Randy: How Do I Create a GEDCOM File for Part of My RootsMagic Tree?

Reader Linda asked this question recently - her husband had a strong DNA match and she wanted to send the cousin a GEDCOM file of her husband's tree using RootsMagic.  However, her husband's tree was part of a larger RootsMagic file.  How could she create a GEDCOM file for only her husband's tree part of the larger tree?

My response was:

1)  You could use the Help section in RootsMagic - search for "GEDCOM files" and when that opens, read it and use the "Select people" article to pick the persons you want in the GEDCOM file.


2)  The step-by-step process I use is (I'm doing it for my spouse):

a)  Go to File > Export

b)  In the "GEDCOM Export" screen, pick "Select from list" in the "People to export" dropdown list.  

c)  On the Select People" list go to your key person - the one you want at the top of the pedigree chart - in your case, probably your husband.  Click the box to the left of that person.

d)  Click on the "Mark group" button at the top, and the list of choices opens.  You probably want "Ancestors of highlighted person."  

I clicked on "Ancestors of highlighted person."

e)  That opens another dropdown menu to select how many generations, and then if you want ancestors only or ancestors and descendants of ancestors.  If the latter, how many generations.  I would put in the same number of descendant generations or perhaps even more than you select for ancestors.

I picked 10 generations of ancestors, and clicked on "Ancestors and descendants of ancestors" so that siblings of ancestors, and their descendants, would be included.  I chose 7 generations of descendants.

f)  Click OK and all of the selected persons will be checked on the person list.

As you can see, there are check marks for a number of persons on the person list who have been selected to include in the GEDCOM file.

g)  Click OK and you're back to the "GEDCOM Export" screen.  Check the "Data to export" items you want to include.

h)  Click OK and you will be asked to define a file folder and file name for the GEDCOM file.

I saved it in my Software > RootsMagic 7 > GEDCOMs file folder.

i)  Click "Save" and the GEDCOM file is created and saved where you said to put it.  During the creation, there is a counter that shows progress in people, families, events, sources, etc.  I took this image in the middle of the creation:

The GEDCOM file, with 2,350 persons was created and saved in the file folder I selected.

j)  You can then email (as an attachment) or Dropbox that file to the cousin and they can import it into their genealogy program or upload it to an online family tree system.  

Voila!  Done!  A little complicated?  Easy, no?  

=============================================

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/06/dear-randy-how-do-i-create-gedcom-file_27.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

No comments: