The table below maps most of the fields in Family Tree Maker to their GEDCOM 5.5.1 tag (at least how FTM exports them). As I complete my testing of each app, I’ll update the table. You can use it as a quick reference and as a checklist of fields that might require corrective action before or after you export your family tree to a GEDCOM. If you click the image below, it will open in Dropbox, where you can download it to your device. Items highlighted in red are missing or handled incorrectly; if the field name is highlighted, then it’s imported incorrectly into the app, while if the GEDCOM tag is highlighted, then it’s exported incorrectly to GEDCOM. Items in yellow are custom fields, which may be problematic for some applications. Please let us know in the Comments if you find any errors.
[Read more…] about Family Tree Maker to GEDCOM to Other Apps Crosswalk (Updated 4 Apr 2022)fields
Family Tree Software Alternatives, Part 2: How to Get Your Tree out of FTM (Updated 13 May 2018)
This is Part 2 of the series Family Tree Software Alternatives, which was originally motivated by the planned demise of Family Tree Maker (FTM) (FTM was subsequently bought by Software MacKiev and revived). If you haven’t already, please read Part 1 first on How to Scrub Your Data. In Part 1 I showed how FTM does not produce GEDCOM standard compliant files (have you contacted Software MacKiev yet?) and explained a few things you can do within FTM to fix your data. In this article I’ll go through the steps to export your family tree to a GEDCOM file and edit the file directly to fix things that can’t be changed in FTM. But you don’t want to edit your GEDCOM directly until you’re completely finished making changes in FTM. The steps for both the Mac and Windows versions are similar, but the figures shown are from a Mac. [Read more…] about Family Tree Software Alternatives, Part 2: How to Get Your Tree out of FTM (Updated 13 May 2018)
Family Tree Software Alternatives, Part 1: How to Scrub Your Data (Updated 16 May 2018)
After Ancestry.com announced that they were abandoning (aka “retiring”) their venerable Family Tree Maker (FTM) desktop application in Dec 2015, many users and genealogy bloggers asked, “What do I replace FTM with?” Several genealogy desktop app retailers offered discounts and help guides on how to transfer a family tree from FTM to their software. Most of them make it sound as if it’s as simple as exporting your FTM tree to a GEDCOM file and importing the GEDCOM into their application. I say, “Not so fast.” [Read more…] about Family Tree Software Alternatives, Part 1: How to Scrub Your Data (Updated 16 May 2018)
Displaying Memo Fields in Family Views
I saw this neat tip on ReunionTalk.com this afternoon and I wanted to share with you.
You can add memo fields to a family view to make them easier to review. Memo fields can be displayed for events and facts. If you use memos extensively like I do, this is going to come in handy.
[Read more…] about Displaying Memo Fields in Family Views
How to Tab Backward Between Fields in Reunion for Mac
Sometimes you tab beyond the field you were after, right? Do you know how to go back without your hands leaving the keyboard? If so, great! No need to read this quick tip.
You can easily tab backward by holding down the shift key then pressing the tab key. It’s that simple–shift-tab. It should work in every Mac app, not just Reunion 9.