Skip to main content

Copy entities across genealogies

This tool helps you copy genealogy individuals and complete family branches from one genealogy to another.

From a main entity, this tool can to copy it, attach it, or merge it to a different genealogy and bring along some or all the family tree linked to that main entity.

This main entity can be any entity type, an individual, a family, a note, a media, etc.

If media files are linked to the main entity and are to be copied as well to the receiving genealogy, Ancestris will offer to copy the media files as well and attach them properly to the newly copied media entities. 

This tool also lets you do this within the same genealogy although it makes less sense to do that.

This tool is also accessible when using Drag-n-Drop on an entity, and from the Context menu of an entity.

PICTURE

Pre-requisites

Both genealogies must be of the same Gedcom version and version 7 is necessary when using Associations.

Description

Usage

Across different genealogies

Here we consider the situation where both genealogies are different, which is the most common need.

  • Let's call "Source genealogy" the genealogy from which you want to extract information.
  • Let's call "Target genealogy" the genealogy into which the extracted information will be stored.

etc...

 

 

 

Copying Media files

Reminder: media files are regular image, videos, sound, etc. files that are linked to the Gedcom genealogy data using file addresses called file paths.
Each piece of genealogy data that needs to reference a Media uses a FILE property in Ancestris that stores the file path to the media file. This helps Ancestris find the file and display it. 

If some of the entities you want to copy across involve someare Media files,entities, you will want these Media to appear correctly in the target genealogy. Several conditions will be necessary to achieve that.

  • The media files will need to be located on your computer
  • The file path indicated in your genealogy media information within Ancestris will need to indicate the correct location of the files.
  • You will probably want the mediacorresponding files to be stored inamong the same filing structure as theyour other media files. 

    • For remote files, those using a web address, you may decide to leave the files thatremotely, or to download them. Either way, we suggest you to use the Ancestris Media manager after the entities are alreadycopied usedacross. withinThe media manager includes a tool to download remote files. In the targettool genealogy.described Thisin this page, Ancestris will requirenot toalter their path and will copy them leaving the file path unchanged.
    • For local files, those using a local file path, Ancestris will make a copy of the media files fromand theirstore currentthem location toin a locationdirectory of your choice.choice - the target directory - and modify the file path accordingly.

    RegardingA Medianumber files,of 2questions situationsmay can occur.arise.

      • MediaWhat wellif displayeda onfile is not found?
      • Should the target directory underneath the Gedcom file directory (relative target directory) or not (absolute target directory) ?
      • Can the file path be simplified in case the source genealogy:file the source genealogy from which you want to copy informationpath is displayeda correctlylong withcomplex thestructure?
        • media
      • Can different files when you open this genealogy in Ancestris.
      • Media not displayed on the source genealogy: Ancestris cannot display media files propertly. This could be due to missing files or because you received this genealogy without the media files or because the files locations has changed and is not the one specifiedput in the mediasame informationdirectory or vice-versa, can files within the same directory be put in thedifferent genealogy.ones?
  • Can more than one target directory be defined?
  • What if a file path is relative and an absolute directory is provided? and vice-versa? 

 

First situation
  • The media files are accessible and found by Ancestris. They are located on your computer in some directories.
  • Ancestris will copy them to a directory structure that you will indicate.
  • As best practice, you will indicate the media directory underneath the directory where your Gedcom file is located. Ancestris will use relative file paths if you do that. 

The benefit of relative paths is that you maintain the links between your Gedcom file and the media files if you move the whole directory somewhere else or rename it. 

  • If you indicate a directory which is not underneath your Gedcom file, Ancestris will need to use absolute paths. This is not best practice.
  • Within that directory, Ancestris will maintain the same directory structure as in the Source genealogy.
  • If files are located within different directory structures in the source genealogy, Ancestris will create these structures within the directory you indicate so as all media files stay behind one single directory.

 

 

 

 

 

Within the same genealogy

Within the same ennealogy, etc.

Copying Media files

This possibility is not applicable within the same genealogy. It would not make sense.


Customization

There are no customization settings for this tool.

Back to top