How do I do it without leaving hanging 2nd spouses, uncles etc...there are about 3000 people in it thast I do not want.

Should have added that it concerns FTM 2009

rgaddis,

There isn't a good way to remove a branch of your file, with 2009.

I would suggest that you use this link:

http://ftm.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ftm.cfg/php/enduser/ask_feed...

And provide some detailed feedback to Family Tree Maker 2009.

You will probably not receive feedback from them, but the developers do read the feedback.

Good luck,

Russ

Russ is correct

But if you still have FTM 16 or earlier, it has excellent branch "pruning"

Make a GEDCOM out of FTM 2009

Open it in FTM 16 (or earlier)

Run an outline report starting at the oldest person you want to prune

Make sure that you set the number of generations to capture the line that you want to remove

You don't have to worry about items to include.

Then go to the People menu where you will see the delete individuals in the outline report.

Re-import the pruned file back into FTM 2009

Note you can use any chart or report in FTM 16 to do this, but I find that the Outline is very efficient.

John D

I do still have the old version and use it sometimes, but its file is not up to date, If I do the Gedcom output and then reinput the shortened file, will this create complications wrt media and differing techniques of handling other features?

Any idea of how long a wait it might be before the branch delete feature is planned for 2009 improvement version?

It doesn't have to be up to date as you are exporting a GEDCOM from the current 2009 file to do the prune.

After you have pruned you import the pruned file back into FTM 2009.

You don't use your old data at all.

I am not in any position to comment about future enhancements except to say that the developers are aware of the lack of this feature in FTM 2009


John D

John,

I should not have mentioned the old data since I do understand 'completely' what you are suggesting.

The real question was "If I do the Gedcom output and then reinput the shortened file, will this create complications with respect to media and differing techniques of handling other features?"


To elaborate further, I do not remember if Gedcom transfer includes media in any form, but it seems to me that if it does not, there might be a risk that the media indexing could become corrupted?

Ron G

GEDCOM does not include media

This is the downside of the technique

If you have media linked in your FTM 2009 file (and you didn't mention media in your post) you will lose the links when you reimpaort the GEDCOM

Depending on how many media links you have, this may be a big or a small problem

John D

Thanks John,


Media etc. would be disastrously affected by the Gedcom transfer.


Looks like I will have to wait for the 2009 developers to catch up.


Ron

Ron,

I stand by my earlier reply to you. One at a Time.

BUT, I would suggest that you use this link:

http://ftm.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ftm.cfg/php/enduser/ask_feed...

And provide some detailed feedback to Family Tree Maker 2009.

You will probably not receive feedback from them, but the developers do read the feedback.

Good luck,

Russ