Import from FamilyHistorian to RM

RootsMagic
1

I am working with a user of FamilyHistorian on a scripting project
to help improve the import of her FH data into RootsMagic.
The issue is with templated sources and citations.

The FH source templates are not brought over into RM, or at least the correct
source and citation fields are not populated with the data.
Instead, the list of field name-field value pairs data are saved into the
source and citation comment notes.

I don’t want to get too involved unless I know that I am solving a general

problem for FH=>RM data transfer instead of a specific user’s issue.

Does anyone here have experience importing data from FamilyHistorian?
I understand that there are a number of options in FH as well as optional
plugin modules that also do export.

I also understand that standard GEDCOM does not deal with source templates.
So I’m wondering if there are any FH output options that will create a GEDCOM
with RootsMagic extensions allowing source templates to be used.

Thanks
Richard Otter

2

My experience is limited – I did test export/import from FH to RM – but that was ver 9 if I recall.
There are various export options of FH and there is also a plug in to customize export options that might help – I was check out the FH boards. I know some of the options also help for FTM as well as TNG. That might produce a cleaner GEDCOM that is agreeable,

3

Do you think that I’m correct about GEDCOM not be able to create templated sources in RM?

4

hmm Thinking that they might all create free form maybe.

5

That is correct. RM does not even preserve the standard GEDCOM source template on import from a GEDCOM created by a non-RM application. All those TITLe, AUTHor, PUBLisher et al tag values are combined into the Footnote field of RM’s Free Form source template. The only template tag carried over is PAGE.

So the structure is collapsed and cannot reliably be restored without the assistance of the format that FH puts into the NOTE tags that RM does preserve.

It’s conceivable that one could convert a FH GEDCOM to a RM GEDCOM generating the custom tags it supports for templates and templated sources. However, it may actually be easier to convert such Free Form sources to templated ones by operating directly on the database as you and Jerry have already discussed.