* Export Gedcom File - Ancestry questions

[BillH]

I just exported my tree to a GEDCOM and uploaded it to Ancestry. I haven't done this for a few years and the results look a little different when I view my tree on Ancestry. I'm guessing I have a setting wrong in the Export Gedcom File plugin as that has changed a lot since the last time I used it. My overall method is use File>Import/Export> Export>Gedcom file, Clean Unwanted Fields, Clean LIving Persons, Split Tree Helper, and then Export Gedcom File.

What is odd is when I look at my tree on Ancestry I am seeing a lot of sources which only show Ω Note.

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When I expand one of these it looks like this.

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When i look at that fact in FH I can see that what is shown as Citation Information under Citation details on Ancestry is actually a note on the graduation fact in FH. Oddly both the Detail and Source Title have Ω Note.

Here is what the actual Fact looks like in FH.

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The text "Graduated 8th grade." is not in any citation for this fact. It appears to have been moved here somehow from the fact note.

I tried playing around with the options in the plugin, but couldn't figure out which one might be causing this. Can you help me figure out which one I need to change?

Thanks,
Bill

[tatewise]

Does that "Graduated 8th grade." local Note have a Source Citation of its own?
i.e. A Source Citation distinct from the Graduation event itself.

Just as confirmation, what does that fully expanded Graduation event look like in the All tab?

If you have recently updated the plugin to the latest version, and have been happy with the default settings in the past, then try using the Reset these (ANC+) Options buttons on the Extra Options and the Other Options tab, because sometimes the old saved settings do not adjust to the latest defaults automatically.

If there is still a problem then we may need to dig deeper.

[BillH]

Mike,

That note does not have a citation. I wouldn't even know how to create a citation on a fact note.

Here is the expanded event on the All tab.

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Originally I had already reset all the settings to the default before setting them to what I wanted and that is what gave me the results I reported.

In any case, Just now I redid all the steps I go through to create my exported GEDCOM and am no longer seeing the issue. Originally I had tried to remove all notes within records in Split Tree Helper, but I must have made a mistake. At this point all the notes are gone so I'm not seeing this issue on Ancestry anymore.

Things are looking a bit strange for me at at the moment though.

First I'm a bit confused by the export folder setting in the plugin.

I have Choose Export Folder set to D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export. When I run the plugin, it creates an empty folder in D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export called D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export\Export. This is even before I click on Click here to export GEDCOM & Media files in chosen format.... The folder is empty.

When I do click on the button to do the export, the GEDCOM is created in D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export as expected. The empty folder D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export\Export is still empty.

What is this folder for and why is it created?

When I look at the exported GEDCOM I am seeing things I don't remember seeing with the old version of the plugin. Here are some examples.


0 @S3450@ SOUR
1 TITL Ω Source Note: %INDI.EVEN-ARRIVAL._PLAC% ~ Invalid Tag

0 @S3457@ SOUR
1 TITL Ω Note

2 SOUR @S3450@
3 PAGE Ω Note

Oddly, sources S3450 through S3463 do not exist in the original file and seem to have been created by the plugin.

1 FAMS @F7281@
1 EVEN
2 TYPE Ω Individual Record Note

I'm not sure what an Individual Record Note is, but there is no note on either individual in the marriage. Also there is no note on any fact for either individual. The Family record has no note either. Neither does the marriage fact.

I probably have some settings wrong. Is there a way to prevent these types of situations. I will attach my settings in the next post.

Thanks,
Bill

[BillH]

Here are my settings in the plugin.

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Bill

[tatewise]

Bill, I'm sorry you are having issues. However, the original Ω Note problem has been partially resolved.

Global ProgramData Settings
This plugin version has a new Manage Settings tab that you should find useful.
Choose the Global ProgramData option and Copy all settings FROM this Project data TO Global ProgramData.
You may need to close and re-run the plugin.
Now this plugin's settings are saved globally in C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data so even if you delete or change the D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export folder the settings are preserved.

BTW: The settings that you posted are a much closer match to the (-) Brief Data mode that uses Remove entirely on the Extra Options tab very similar to your settings. However, there are a few others that differ from yours.

Export Folder
I suspect that the D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export folder holds your exported standalone GEDCOM file.
That file is the plugin input file and it prefers to avoid that folder for the output GEDCOM file (and possibly Media).
So it creates a new separate Export subfolder D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export\Export.
That also makes the Empty Export Folder button safer to implement.
Contrary to what you say, I believe the output GEDCOM file is in that new Export subfolder, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

TITL Ω Source Note
Anything in the output GEDCOM that uses the prefix Ω indicates it has been synthesised by the plugin, so they will not exist in the original GEDCOM file in exactly the same form.
See Export Gedcom File (ANC) Ancestry Family Tree under ★ Source Citation (SOUR) second sentence.
I suspect these are remnants of using the Change Any Fact Tag plugin that puts invalid tags in the Source Note.
Unfortunately, if FH V7 the Source Note field is no longer shown in the Sources For Citation list pane.
In the example you gave, the data ref %INDI.EVEN-ARRIVAL._PLAC% has a _PLAC tag that is invalid.
In your original standalone GEDCOM, use Edit > Find... and Search For: %INDI.EVEN-ARRIVAL._PLAC% ~ Invalid Tag and click Find Now and then Locate in Property Box to reveal the Source note on the All tab.

TITL Ω Note
This is similar to the above but for a local Note that the plugin thinks is not acceptable to Ancestry.
See Export Gedcom File (ANC) Ancestry Family Tree under ★ Notes (NOTE).
Is there any 2 CONT text on the line after 1 TITL Ω Note?
The link to the Source record, 2 SOUR @S3457@, may hold more clues to the origin of the problem.

Judging by the range of Record Id from S3451 to S3463 it looks like there are several similar instances.
So please post the entire set of Source record lines for 0 @S3450@ SOUR through 0 @S3463@ SOUR and the links to those Source records: SOUR @S3451@, SOUR @S3452@, SOUR @S3453@, to SOUR @S3464@ with the following few lines.
The leading digit on those links will not necessarily be 2 but could be 1 or 3, etc.
Include all lines immediately below those n SOUR @S34nn@ lines with leading digit greater than n.

2 TYPE Ω Individual Record Note
This is similar to the above but for a record level Note that the plugin thinks is not acceptable to Ancestry.
See Export Gedcom File (ANC) Ancestry Family Tree under ★ Notes (NOTE).
The original Individual record that holds the 1 FAMS @F7281@ line in your example must have a record level Note field, albeit possible empty except for some white space, tab, or newline characters.
I suspect the 2 TYPE Ω Individual Record Note line has a subsidiary 3 SOUR @S34nn@ line linking to a Source record mentioned above.

[BillH]

Thanks for the reply. I will reply to your post a bit at a time to try to keep things clear in my head.

Global ProgramData Settings
This plugin version has a new Manage Settings tab that you should find useful.
Choose the Global ProgramData option and Copy all settings FROM this Project data TO Global ProgramData.

I did this right away after I reset everything to the defaults and then to my settings.

BTW: The settings that you posted are a much closer match to the (-) Brief Data mode that uses Remove entirely on the Extra Options tab very similar to your settings. However, there are a few others that differ from yours.

I'll take a look at that. I must have missed it.

Export Folder
I suspect that the D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export folder holds your exported standalone GEDCOM file.
That file is the plugin input file and it prefers to avoid that folder for the output GEDCOM file (and possibly Media).
So it creates a new separate Export subfolder D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export\Export.
That also makes the Empty Export Folder button safer to implement.
Contrary to what you say, I believe the output GEDCOM file is in that new Export subfolder, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

The input file for the plugin was indeed in D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export. I didn't realize the plugin wanted to keep the output file in a separate folder. I always keep the GEDCOMs that have been exported using File>Import/Export>Export in D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export as I have a lot of stuff in the Public folder and it is easier to keep track of the GEDCOMs if I keep them in the Export folder. I was just confused by the new empty Export folder within the Export folder.

After running the plugin, D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export\Export is indeed empty. The output from the plugin is in D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export along with the input file.

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I'll take a look at the rest of your post and reply a bit later.

Thanks,
Bill

[tatewise]

I've investigated the Export Folder scenario a bit further.
If when the plugin is run there are no 'sticky' settings from before, or if the bottom left Restore Defaults button is used, then the subsidiary Export folder gets created and added to the export folder path.
If you use the Choose Export Folder button to reset the path to the original Export folder, then the plugin saves the output GEDCOM there, and remembers that path as a 'sticky' setting for future use.
That will leave the subsidiary Export folder empty, and it can be manually deleted.
Now that the 'sticky' settings are global, the subsidiary Export folder problem will only arise if the Restore Defaults button is used, which should be very rarely.

[BillH]

Mike,

I just ran the plugin again. Yesterday I set all my settings and copied them to the global ProgramData. I used the button and set the export folder to D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export.

Just now I deleted the empty Export subsidiary folder. I ran the plugin on the same input GEDCOM. I did not click the Restore Defaults button. All my settings were 'sticky' and were what I had yesterday.

I clicked the button to create the output file. An empty Export subsidiary folder was created again and the output GEDCOM was put into D:\My Documents\FH\Main\Public\Export.

Will this empty subsidiary Export folder be built every time? I thought it wouldn't be based on your last sentence.

No big deal... I can just delete it or ignore it. Just curious.

Bill

[tatewise]

Sorry, I did not run enough experiments. You are correct, the subsidiary Export folder gets created when the plugin is run but then ignored if the 'sticky' path defines a different folder. I'll see if that can be improved in the next version.

[BillH]

Thanks for looking into the Export folder issue and how it might be improved in the next version.

I followed the instructions you gave (which were very detail and helpful) and found the source notes and deleted them. You were correct. I did use the Change Any Fact Tag plugin awhile back. I was changing some immigration facts to arrival facts. I ended up not liking them and went back to immigration facts.

Now for the next couple of items.

TITL Ω Note
...
So please post the entire set of Source record lines for 0 @S3450@ SOUR through 0 @S3463@ SOUR and the links to those Source records: SOUR @S3451@, SOUR @S3452@, SOUR @S3453@, to SOUR @S3464@ with the following few lines.
The leading digit on those links will not necessarily be 2 but could be 1 or 3, etc.
Include all lines immediately below those n SOUR @S34nn@ lines with leading digit greater than n.

I looked at these and most of them were related to the earlier problem and looked like this.

0 @S3452@ SOUR
1 TITL Ω Source Note: %INDI.EVEN-ARRIVAL._PLAC% ~ Invalid Tag

and this.

1 IMMI
2 PLAC Gaard, Talgje, Finnøy, Rogaland, Norway
2 SOUR @S712@
2 SOUR @S3452@

In none of these was there a line below the n SOUR @S34nn@ lines with a leading digit greater than n.

Hopefully these will have been taken care of by my deletion of all those source notes. I haven't had a chance to test yet.

The only one that was different was for S3457. This one looked like this.

2 SOUR @S1008@
1 FAMS @F178@
0 @S3457@ SOUR
1 TITL Ω Note
0 @I7106@ INDI
1 NAME Lillian Caroline /Fraedrich/
2 SOUR @S441@

and this.

1 EVEN
2 TYPE Crime
2 DATE ABT 21 SEP 1720
2 PLAC Kennington, Surrey, England
2 SOUR @S3457@
3 PAGE Ω Note
3 DATA
4 TEXT Attribute Value: highway robbery

I knew who this was right away. Here is the All tab for him showing the Crime fact expanded.

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Crime is a custom attribute I created. Did I define it incorrectly?

Thanks,
Bill

[BillH]

I knew I would get confused. I think I actually mixed together replies for both the TTIL Ω Source Note and the TITL Ω Note sections but only quoted one of them in my reply. I knew I should have done them one at a time.

Bill

[tatewise]

OK, excellent analysis & feedback. Don't worry about merging sections, as it was clear enough.

The Crime attribute is fine and in the original input GEDCOM will take this form:
1 FACT highway robbery
2 TYPE Crime
2 DATE ABT 21 SEP 1720
2 PLAC Kennington, Surrey, England

The problem is that Ancestry does not support GEDCOM 5.5.1 custom 1 FACT attributes, only 1 EVEN events.
See Export Gedcom File (ANC) Ancestry Family Tree under ★ Custom Attribute (_ATTR, FACT).
The options are to move the attribute value 'highway robbery' to a local Note, or keep it as the value of the Event.
The problem with local Notes is Ancestry does not allow them so must be converted to a Source Citation.
Thus, the better option is to keep the value, which though strictly not allowed by GEDCOM rules, works for many products, and is the default for (-) Brief Data mode with Ancestry, where in the Extra Options tab the Custom Attribute 1 FACT: setting is Custom Event & Value ( ANC- FMP ... ) and will fix that problem.

That just leaves the 2 TYPE Ω Individual Record Note issue to resolve.

GEDCOM ~ don't you just love it ~ such a well-behaved standard ~ but that last issue is a discrepancy between 5.5.1 and 5.5.
Whereas, the various Note issues are poor implementation by Ancestry!

[BillH]

OK... I reran all my steps after having deleted those source notes. I am no longer getting the the issues related to the source notes. Thanks for the help figuring those out.

I'll get back tomorrow, Friday, on the 2 TYPE Ω Individual Record Note issue. My head is spinning and I need a break.

Bill

[BillH]

After taking a break I took a look at this again.

I went into the options in the plugin and changed Custom Attribute 1 FACT: to Custom Event & Value ( ANC- FMP ... ). I then went through my entire process of creating the file to upload. This change to the option did fix the issue for the custom Crime attribute. Thanks for that.

Oddly, the 2 TYPE Ω Individual Record Note issue has resolved itself. Not sure how. Maybe I had not correctly removed all the notes in the marriage or Individual records involved. In any case, it is no longer creating an issue.

At this time I have no Ω symbols in my output GEDCOM. I think most of these were the result of problems in my original GEDCOM file or my not setting the options in the plugin to their best values. I am glad there were no problem with the plugin itself.

I want to thank you again for all your help on this. Your explanations and instructions have been great.

Thanks,
Bill

[tatewise]

I'm glad that all worked out OK.
I'm tempted to make Custom Attribute 1 FACT: Custom Event & Value ( ANC- FMP ... ) the preferred setting for all Ancestry export modes, because the Custom Event & Note (Std) setting is only invoking the issue with Notes in Ancestry.

[BillH]

That sounds reasonable. I know that value works better for me.

Bill

[tatewise]

Export Gedcom File plugin Version 5.1 Date 24 Nov 2022 is now in the Plugin Store.

It fixes the Export folder problem discussed earlier and changes the Custom Attribute 1 FACT setting as proposed.