* Using ShareMerge in RootsMagic

[MickRalph]

I have been following the KB advice (using the Munro family Sample database) in using Mark Draper's plugin "Synchronizing Your Tree With Ancestry to Exploit Hints", but have run into a problem with using ShareMerge after uploading changes to the RM database.

When I try to run ShareMerge in either RM7 or RM8, I am advised that ShareMerge is only available in the paid-for version of the program. There is no mention in the KB article that I need the full vetrion of RM in order to be able to use the plugin to synchronise fully an Ancestry tree with my FH tree.

Have I missed something, or do I need to pay $30 for the full version of RM in order to use the plugin? This would be a shame, as the plugin seems to be brilliant.

One other question - there seems to be no "Save" button in RM; is saving automatic? I can't find ant reference on the RM site as to how to save changes toi a database.

Mick

[ADC65]

Yes, I believe you have to use the paid version of Roots Magic to be able to update trees in Ancestry. You can find the comparison between the free and paid versions here: http://wiki.rootsmagic.com/wiki/RootsMa ... ature_List - although, confusingly it states you can upload and download trees from Ancestry in the free version (but, presumably, not update them).

You don't have to save changes in Roots Magic - they are applied automatically - not a feature I am a fan of. I'm not sure if this can be switched off.

[Mark1834]

Yes, Adrian is correct. Apologies if the KB doesn't make that clear. I will review and update as necessary. I think the free version can do one-off uploads/downloads to Ancestry, but not synchronise.

It's always worth looking out for discounted offers on RM, as they often have promotions that offer significant discounts to Ancestry subscribers. TreeSync appears unchanged between RM7 and RM8, so either version will do if you can get RM7 cheaper from somewhere (the full version is no longer available from RM AFAIK, but you can still download the Essentials versions).

Personally, I strongly dislike the way RM commits every change to the live database as soon as it is made. It means that there is no "undo" facility, and operations that could change a lot of records (such as merging databases or duplicate records) run extremely slowly compared with FH. It's the main reason that I added a backup option to the plugin, so you can at least recover your RM database if there is problem during updating.

[MickRalph]

Thanks to Adrian and Mark for the very rapid responses. I will look for the best deal I can find.

TreeShare does work in the free version of RM7 and RM8, as I have uploaded the test database from RM to Ancestry; it is the updates I can't do without the paid-for version. Question for myself: do I value the Ancestry hints enough to warrant paying for RM, when FH is a much better database (from what I have seen with my very limited experience of RM).

I have never before (as far as I can remember) come across a program that does the save automatically and immediately - yes, most have an autosave after a definable period, but that it different, and with no undo facility ....

Thanks to Mark for his work with the plugin, which works very well.

Mick

[Mark1834]

I have added a sentence to the KB page to clarify that the full version of either RM7 or RM8 is required.

[ADC65]

Question for myself: do I value the Ancestry hints enough to warrant paying for RM

Obviously only you can answer that, depending on your circumstances. I bought it just to explore the possibilities of using it after it have been updated from v7 to v8, and for the Ancestry update feature, but I didn't like it and put it to one side. To be fair to the software, learning any new product is a significant task and I didn't give it a heavy workout. For the price of $40/£30 I would say it is good value if one is going to use it as a primary software tool. Subsequently, I only kept it to use for Mark's plugin.

In my experience, Ancestry Hints have rarely given me anything I hadn't or couldn't have found myself without some simple searching, and quite often they miss even the simplest of things. Because the hints are prioritised or generated based on the number of other users that have accepted the hint, and the sheer number of other users that accept anything put in front of them (however illogical), they have to be examined very carefully. You already pay Ancestry for that 'privilege' without paying other software providers.