Ancestry Website v Family Treemaker 2009

[brandyman]

Been using Family Treemaker 2009. When adding shared event such as marriage I am prompted to select or add spouse. I can then add source and attach document/photo to one person in the marriage and it is automatically added to the other person.

On the Ancestry website, when building a tree, I add an event such as marriage and it prompts to select or add spouse. This again automatically adds this event to the other party.
However, when adding a source and/or attaching document/photo to one person in the marriage it does not automatically add that shared source to the other partner.
I have spoken with a number of people at Ancestry and get mixed responses. Some say their website lacks a lot of functionality that Family Treemaker has whilst others have said it should add a shared resource to both parties but they can not tell me how.

It seems strange that when adding a shared resource to more than one person on an Ancestry website tree it seems incapable of doing what Family Treemaker does as a basic function. It does not seem to make sense that for a shared event it will be necessary to enter the same information for every person sharing that event.

Can anyone advise as to how shared events on Ancestry are dealt with

Thanks

[Granny Lynne]

I can't answer your question but would it not be easier to enter all your information into FTM and then upload the tree to Ancestry rather than 'double inputting'?

[Elaine ..Spain]

I can't answer your question but would it not be easier to enter all your information into FTM and then upload the tree to Ancestry rather than 'double inputting'?

.. and far safer! I would always recommend that people keep their master tree on their own computer and under their control, rather than relying on a third party for security of data.

[brandyman]

I agree and this was my original intention until I ran into some problems with my FTM 9. Ideally I would like to add all sources, media files to tree on computor then upload to Ancestry website.

Problem is that when using the Share function and uploading as Family Tree Maker file the people and any attached sources were being uploaded but there was no sign of any attached media files.

Though it may be a shortfall with FTM 9 but help pages on Ancestry suggest not. I did log this as problem with Ancestry who were looking at this problem. They ask me to send them a test tree which I did. They replied today that the test tree I sent was ok (ie all source and media files correctly attached) but they were having same problem and have passed it to their developers for resolve.

I will just have to sit back and wait for a solution I guess.

Thanks for your comments.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Treat yourself to FTM2011 - there have definitely been quite a few improvements and bug fixes to the program since the 2009 version was issued.

Good buy at the moment from Amazon
Family Tree Maker 2011 Platinum (PC)
Price: £32.97

Includes a free 6 Month PREMIUM Membership to Ancestry.co.uk worth £54 - can be activated when your current Ancestry subscription expires (if you already have one!)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Tree-Maker-2011-Platinum/dp/B003S3RLLW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290156393&sr=8-1

[brandyman]

Have ordered this so hopefully this will resolve problems I am experiencing.

Current Premium membership expires in a couple of weeks so the 6 months Premium membership that comes with this software will be very useful.

Thanks

[brandyman]

Received my Family Tree Maker 2011. Installed ok.

Created test tree comprising 2 persons, 1 resource and 1 attached media file. Uploaded to Ancestry using Share function. Same problem as expected, media file not showing in uploaded tree. Given that Ancestry had previously said they were having same problem and had passed it to their devolpers I was probably being a bit optimistic in expecting 2011 to resolve this problem.

Contacted Ancestry and advised of updated FTM and that medai files were still not appearing. Received email from them asking if there were any media files appearing in Media window of uploaded tree. No mention that they had previously acknowledged problem as bing at their end dispite highlighting this in my latest email to them.

I can't seem to get any progress from them on this issue.

I was wondering if anyone out there who has 2009 or 2011 would create test tree of say two persons, 1 resource and 1 media file and upload it to Ancestry website using Share function and feedback as to whether they are experiencing same problem.

Thanks in advance to any one willing to do this.

Regards - Tony

[Elaine ..Spain]

I'll do one Tony. Will report back in a few minutes.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Using 2011.
Tree created - one media file, one resource attached - uploaded to Ancestry via the share function - all present and correct!

[Elaine ..Spain]

Created test tree comprising 2 persons, 1 resource and 1 attached media file. Uploaded to Ancestry using Share function. Same problem as expected, media file not showing in uploaded tree.

Is the Media folder (relating to the test tree that you have created) in the same folder as your FTM data file?

[brandyman]

Root folder called Family Tree Maker has three sub folders:

Backgrounds
Embellishments
Templates
These appeared once FTM 2011 install but before creating test tree or carrying out any backups.

Test tree created as described before. Backup created.

Checked root folder Family Tree Maker.

Same 3 folders as above but additional folder called test Media created in which is the Media file I attached to the source. Backup file also created called test.ftmb but sitting in root directory so Directory/File structure now appears as follows:

Family Tree Maker ( Root Folder)
Backgrounds ( SubFolder)
Embellishments (Sub Folder)
Templates (Sub Folder)
test Media (Sub Folder containing 1 media file)
test.ftmb (Backup file)

I am following the instructions as per the help answers on the Ancestry website for uploading using the Share function. As you have had success, either these instriuctions are not quite right, the instructions provided by Ancestry support are not right, I am not doing something right or there is some other reason.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Checked root folder Family Tree Maker.
Family Tree Maker ( Root Folder)
Backgrounds ( SubFolder)
Embellishments (Sub Folder)
Templates (Sub Folder)
test Media (Sub Folder containing 1 media file)
test.ftmb (Backup file)

This folder should also contain your "test" data files, which would be:

File name: test
File type: FTM Family File 2011

and

File name: test_AutoBackup
File type: FTM Backup File 2011

Are they there - if not where are they?

[brandyman]

Decided to start with clean slate as the directory seems to contain files from both FTM 2009 & 2011 and I am getting a little confused.

De-installed FTM 2009 and 2011. Deleted default directory where FTM stores backups, etc.

Re-installed FTM 2011.

Created test tree with 2 persons, 1 source & 1 media file.

Closed FTM2011

Check file structure on hard drive and found default directory for storing FTM files as C:/Documents and Settings/My Name/My Documents/Family Tree Maker

Within the Family Tree Maker directory are:

Backgrounds (Folder)
Embellishments (Folder)
Templates (Folder)
test Media (Folder containing 1 media file)
test.ftm (File)
test.ftmb (File)

The above were created automatically when I closed FTM 2011 down. Ancestry Support say this is the correct folder/file structure and that the test Media Folder should only contain media files. The ftm & ftmb files should reside in the root directory Family Tree Maker. This seems to differ from last post.

When I upload this tree to the Ancestry website using Share function it indicates in window that there is 1 source and 1 media file being uploaded. However, the media file is still not appearing attached to the relevant person or in the Media Gallery window on Ancestry website.

[Elaine ..Spain]

From the way you describe everything and the folder/file structure you have got, then I cannot see why it is not working.

I will send you a PM (personal message).

[Elaine ..Spain]

Another thought which I doubt that you have missed. When you choose the Share option / Upload to Ancestry, is the box ticked which says "include media files"..