I would like to export a portion of my family tree from Family Tree Maker for Mac to a new file. How do I do this?
There are many reasons you may need to split your family tree or create a new file from one of its branches. This can be done by exporting selected individuals from your file or by exporting a tree branch. This article discusses both methods:
Note: Exporting only copies the information to a new file. No information will be removed from your tree.
Exporting selected individuals
1. Click on the File menu and choose Export. The Export dialog appears.
2. In the left part of the Export dialog that appears, click Selected individuals. The Filter Individuals dialog opens, allowing you to choose which individuals you want to export.
3. Use the Filter Individuals dialog to compile a list of the individuals that will be included in your exported file. The dialog is arranged in three sections: the index of individuals on the left, the filter buttons in the middle, and the list of filtered individuals on the right.
After selecting an individual in the list on the left, you can add them and potentially their ancestors and descendants to the list on the right by using the filter buttons in the middle. The individuals in your final list on the right are the ones that will be included in your exported file. The filter buttons work as follows:
- Include adds just the selected individual from the list on the left to the list on the right.
- Include All adds everyone from the list on the left, selected or not, to the list on the right.
- Ancestors allows you to add the selected individual and their direct ancestors to the list on the right. Clicking this button will open a new dialog that allows you to control which ancestors are included.
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- Ancestors to include allows you to specify how many generations of ancestors you want to be included in the list on the right. The maximum number of generations is 999.
- Include Parents lets you choose whether to include all parents or only parents marked as preferred for individuals with multiple parents.
- Include Spouses lets you choose whether to include all spouses or only spouses marked as preferred for individuals with multiple parents.
- Select the Include checkbox for Ancestors' Descendants if you want to add descendants of ancestors to the list on the right, and indicate how many generations down will be included. The maximum number that can be entered here is 15.
- Descendants allows you to quickly move a selected individual and all of their descendants to the list on the right.
- Filter In opens a new dialog where you can set up custom filters to control which individuals are added to the right side. For example, if you wanted to add everyone born after 1900, your filter dialog would look like this:
- Exclude allows you to remove individuals select individuals from the right side and remove them from this list.
- Exclude All removes all individuals from the list on the right, selected or not.
- Filter Out opens a new dialog where you can set up custom filters to control which individuals are removed from the right side. For example, if you wanted to remove all females from the right side, your filter dialog would look like this:
4. After using the various filter buttons to add all the individuals you want to include in your exported file to the list on the right, click the OK button at the bottom of the Filter Individuals dialog. Your list of filtered individuals will appear in the left part of the Export dialog. If you need to edit the list further, click the Choose button at the top to reopen the Filter Individuals dialog.
5. In the Export dialog, choose the format that you want your file to be in from the Output format pop-up menu. The following formats are available:
- Family Tree Maker saves the file in Family Tree Maker format for the version you are using (as an .FTMB file for version 3.1). These files can only be opened with the same version or later of Family Tree Maker.
- FTM 2012 for Mac saves your file specifically for Family Tree Maker 2.
- FTM 2010 for Mac saves your file specifically for Family Tree Maker 1.
- GEDCOM saves your file in GEDCOM format. GEDCOM is a universal file format that can be opened in any genealogy software.
- GEDCOM for FTM 16 saves your file as a GEDCOM specifically for Family Tree Maker 16.
6. Choose what information you want to include in the exported file:
- Privatize living people. Select this checkbox to exclude information about living individuals. Surnames and relationships will be exported, but first and middle names, facts, and shared facts will not.
- Tasks saves your file with all tasks you may have for your tree. This option is not available for GEDCOM files.
- Media files allows you to include media files, such as photos, with your file when you export it. Select the Private media checkbox if you also want to include media files that are marked as private. For GEDCOMs, only links to the media will be exported rather than the media files themselves. To learn more about transferring media with exported GEDCOM files, click here.
- Private facts exports the file with all facts, private or not. Private facts will still be marked private if the file is exported as a Family Tree Maker file. GEDCOM files don’t retain this formatting. The facts will show as any other fact.
- Private notes exports the file with all notes, private or not. Just like private facts, private notes will still be marked private if the file is exported as a Family Tree Maker file. GEDCOM files don’t retain this formatting. The notes will show as any other note.
- Charts, reports, and books allows you to include any items you have saved in the Publishing workspace. Charts, reports, and books can only be included when exporting in Family Tree Maker output format.
- Include only items linked to selected individuals is checked by default. It allows you to export your file only with items (such as sources, facts, media, etc.) associated with those individuals you have included in your filtered list. Unchecking this option will include all such items from the original file, whether they are associated with the filtered individuals or not.
7. If you want to protect your exported tree with a password, select the Enable password protection checkbox or the Export as password-protected ZIP file checkbox. (The option name depends on the output format that you have chosen.) The Password and Confirm password fields become available for you to enter the password you want to use. You, or anyone you give the file to, will have to enter exactly the same password when opening or unpacking your exported file.
Tip: For a password to be secure, it should generally be at least eight characters long and contain digits as well as letters.
8. When you're ready to export the file, click the Export button.
9. In the dialog that appears, enter a name for the exported file, choose the location where you want to save it, and click Save. A new file with the portion of your tree that you have selected is created in the location chosen.
You can easily export people related to a person selected on the Tree tab.
1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and, in the pedigree view, Control-click the name of the individual whose family you want to export.
2. Choose Export Branch from the shortcut menu.
3. In the dialog that appears, select the name of the person who you want to be at the root of the branch are going to export.
4. Click the Continue button.
5. Modify the tree name and output options if necessary.
6. Click the Continue button.
7. A message will appear telling you that the tree branch was exported successfully. If you want to open the newly created branch immediately in Family Tree Maker, leave the Open new branch in Family Tree Maker option selected, and then click the Finish button. The file will be saved in the Family Tree Maker folder located in your Documents folder (unless you previously designated a different location for Family Tree Maker files). You can also select the Open branch file location checkbox, which will open the location where the file is saved in the Finder, and the Attach branch file to an email message checkbox if you want to send the exported branch to somebody.