Gedcom Converter

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FTM-to-TNG Gedcom Converter
Summary This mod read a Family Tree Maker 2012 (FTM2012) Gedcom file, and creates a new Gedcom file that corrects some errors and problems in the source Gedcom.
Validation {{{mod_validation}}}
Mod Updated {{{mod_last_update}}}
Download link For
TNG 10.0.3
TNG 9.0

ftm-to-tng_gedcom_converter_v9.0.0.11.zip
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Author(s) Robin Richmond
Homepage Robin Richmond's Genealogy Database
Mod Support My Mod Support form or TNG Forums
Contact Developer My Mod Support form
Latest Mod 9.0.0.11
Min TNG V 9.0.0
Max TNG V 10.0.3
Files modified
admin_dataimport.php

admin_export.php
admin_secondmenu.php
admin_secondary.php
languages/English/admintext.php
New files:
ftm2tng.php
ftm2tngform.php
ftm2tngsaveoptions.php
ftm2tng_help.php (languages/English)
ftm2tngconfig-distrib.php (extensions)

upload.class.php (extensions)
Related Mods
Notes


Purpose of the Mod

This mod implements a Gedcom converter that reads Family Tree Maker 2012 (FTM2012) Gedcoms, and outputs another Gedcom file for import to TNG. It makes two basic types of changes:

  1. Fixes errors in the way FTM2012 creates Gedcom files. These changes enable TNG to import media links, birth and death notes, and media records correctly. These changes are essentially the same as the changes that Stephen Connor's converter makes. See the TNG Wiki article on Desktop_gotchas and the help page for Stephen's converter at http://connergenealogy.com/LoadFTMintoTNG.html.
  2. Makes changes to Gedcom event data to clean up inconsistencies in the way FTM and Ancestry.com generate data. These changes can be applied to non FTM-Gedcoms, as well.

Note that the application created by this mod does not touch the TNG database. It simply cleans up Gedcom files. So it really should be independent of TNG changes, and should work for TNG version before 9.0 and after 10.0.3.

Requirements

  • A working TNG installation.
  • An installed current version of the Mod Manager.

Automated Installation

  1. Remove and delete current (if any) version of this mod.
  2. Download the .zip file. Upload and Extract to the mods folder.
  3. Backup the files listed to the right that are modified by this Mod.
  4. Follow the normal automated installation for Mod Manager, as shown in the example Mod Manager - Installing Config Files to install.

In the event of a problem

  1. Try using the Mod Manager Remove capability
  2. Contact me through My Mod Support form.

The configuration file

If you use the "Save these options" button, the application will write the current options to extensions/ftm2tngconfig.php. The FTM-to-TNG converter application reads the config file extensions/ftm2tngconfig.php if it exists, and reads the distribution config file /extensions/ftm2tngconfig-distrib.php if ftm2tngconfig.php does not exist. This mod installs only the distibution config file ftim2tngconfig-distrib.php.

This scheme allows sites to keep their configuration settings between versions, while still supplying configuration defaults to new installations.

'However, before v10, this mod installed ftm2tngconfig.php, not ftm2tngconfig-distrib.php. Removing (unistalling) those versions of the mod will remove the existing config file, and prohibit you from keeping your configuration settings, unless you make a copy of exensions/ftn2tngconfig.php before you uninstall the mod.

Visualization of this Mod

Step 1. From the TNG Admin home page, select the Import/Export Gedcom option.
Ftm to tng-step1.png
Step 2. The standard Import Gedcom screen will appear, with a new "Gedcom Converter" tab.

Select that tab to get the Gedcom Converter screen.

Ftm to tng-step2.png
Step 3a. This is the FTM-to-TNG Gedcom Converter options screen, with only the essential FTM-to-TNG option set.
You'll need to select a file, and when you do, the program will offer a default filename for the new converted Gedcom file.

Note the highlighted Help link. The help page for the converter describes all of the options in detail. Also note the highlighted "Save these options" button. The default options are read from a configuration file, and you can save your preferred values in that configuration file.

Ftm to tng-step3a.png
Step 3b. When option 3, "Normalize USA Places" is checked, additional options pop-up.
You'll need to select a file, and when you do, the program will offer a default filename for the new converted Gedcom file.
Ftm to tng-step3b.png
Step 3c. Another look at the optional event value changes. Again, these are described in some detail in the help file.
Ftm to tng-step3c.png
Step 4. When the converter runs, it generates a list of option values (behind a button), displays record counts as it processes records, and then, depending on the options you have selected, it may offer to display lists of places that may not have been successfully normalized.
Ftm to tng-step4.png

For Additional Help

The help file for the Gedcom Converter form has very detailed explanations of all of the Converter options.

Mod Change History

Mod Version TNG Version Date Note
9.2.2.11 9.0.0 - 10.0.3 31 Dec 2014 Fixed an installation problem that applied to older versions of the Mod Manager.
9.2.2.10 9.0.0 - 10.0.3 16 Dec 2014 Removed some options that addressed my personal data entry habits. Improved the place normalization. Cleaned up code and added documentation.
9.2.2.9 9.2.2 - 10.0.2 17Aug2014 Fixed some strings that weren't internationalized. Added a warning to the "Compress dates" option noting that compressing dates breaks date internationalization. Modified the mod subfolder for new files so that it has the same folder structure as the TNG site. I thus added the version suffix to that subfolder.
9.2.2.8 9.2.2 - 10.0.2 25Jul2014 Fixed a bug in the handling of Individual TITL events.
9.2.2.7 9.2.2 - 10.0.2 30Jun2014 Cleanup. Improved error handling & handling of form options. The converter configuration file lists the options in (essentially) the same order as the options form. Shows more information while the converter is running.
9.2.2.4 9.2.2 - 10.0.2 25Jun2014 Added an option to suppress secondary events for selected event types. Improved handling of the media object path. Fixed a couple of bugs that caused some conversions to be performed even if their checkbox was unchecked.
9.2.2.3 9.2.2 - 10.0.2 12May2014 Improved handling of the media object path so that it doesn't get in the way of simple TNG installations. Added the "locales that act as counties" concept so it could be more thorough in making sure that counties have the county designator. Added option 5e, which was previously always done along with Date compression. Added the upload module, which was missing in the first release.
9.2.2.1 9.2.2 15Apr2014 Initial release.

TNG User sites using this mod

Please add your site if you use this modification.

URL User Note Mod-Version TNG-Version User-language
Robin's Genealogy Database Robin Richmond Mod developer 9.0.0.11 10.0.3 EN
Total Family History Scott Bennett Private Site (For right now) 9.1.0.0 TNG 10.0.1 EN
Wilcox, Eskelson, and Related families Alan Wilcox Private Site (Password required - relatives only) 9.2.2.3 TNG 10.0.2 EN