1. Generating a Skeleton GEDCOM in TMG® for an Online Tree
© Janis Parkison Rodriguez
11 May 2019
Arlington RUG Meeting

2. Why ONLINE TREES
Create an online tree to help you generate hints and improve your online research
Create a tree to pair with your DNA results to help you, and your DNA Matches, analyze your relationship

3. Tree for ONLINE Research
To Break down Brick Walls
You need a tree with all of your research so you can determine whether the information you find is information you have already included in your research
To use such a tree successfully it needs most, if not all, of your tags and all of your sources
This is NOT a SKELETON Tree

4. Tree for ONLINE Contacts and DNA Mining
But if you put all that information out there in a public tree, cousins may just take the gems and never contact you for more information
A solution:
a Private tree with all your research, tags, and sources, and
a public Skeleton tree, with details of living people suppressed or Private

5. Why A SKELETON TREE?
The purpose of this Presentation is to create an online SKELETON tree
I define a SKELETON Tree as:
less people than your whole tree but enough so cousins can find recognizable ancestors and
less tags but enough so cousins will have confidence in your tree and want to contact you for more information

6. Tree for DNA Matching
You did an autosomal DNA Test at Ancestry, My Heritage, Family Tree DNA, or 23 and Me and/or you uploaded your DNA results to My Heritage, Family Tree DNA, and/or Genesis GEDmatch
BUT
You did not upload an online tree to your DNA
Or, for AncestryDNA, you did not link your tree to your DNA test and/or you did not make your private tree searchable OR
You only uploaded your direct ancestors, not their siblings or their siblings offspring

7. Why include Siblings and Offspring?
All your DNA matches will NOT be
close, direct ancestors
Not everyone's trees are as full as yours
Their trees may not go as far back as your Common Ancestor so the relationship is hard for you both to find
BUT
If their tree goes back to a sibling or one of the sibling’s offspring, the matching algorithms have a better chance of finding and correctly predicting the relationship

8. GOAL: GEDCOM containing Direct Ancestors, Their Spouses, Their Siblings & Offspring & All Their Spouses

9. COLLECT Direct Ancestors, their spouses, and Descendants WITH LIST OF PEOPLE REPORTS

10. UsE a List of People Report
Click Report > People > List of People
At Report Definition Screen, click Add a filter
Or, after you save the filter, select it from the drop- down list

11. Screen when ADDing a new filter
REPORT FILTER
Screen when ADDing a new filter

12. STEP 1: Build A People Filter For Direct Ancestors
Click the drop-down list under Field
Select Is an Ancestor
No way here to add less than ALL ancestors
Only available Operator is:
of ID #
Type [?] as the Value so you can re-run the report for any Focus person
Then…

13. STEP 2: Add the Focus Person
Change the connector to OR* from END
Add a 2nd Condition
Select ID number
Again, type [?] as the Value so you can re-run the report for any focus person
Leave the Connector as END
* Remember, Boolean logic applies. The connector AND would require both conditions be met and the result would be zero.

14. Step 3: Add Ancestors’ Spouses, Children, & Grandchildren, & Great-grandchildren
At the bottom, the LOP filter lets you ADD more related people by checking the boxes specifying the # of generations.
Check:
Spouses (Adds other spouses of Direct Ancestors)
Descendants for 3 generations (Adds direct ancestors’ children, including siblings and half-siblings, and their offspring for 2 generations)

15. SAVE List of People FilteR
Make sure you save the filter and the report!
In the top block name the filter
When you click OK the filter is saved
Later, you can select this filter from the drop down menu on the Report Definition Screen or Load it from this Report Filter window. You can also use it to filter the Project Explorer.

16. Save the LOP report with the filter, too!
Make sure Filtered group is checked and the filter you just saved is selected
Below the Configuration Name block Click ADD
Name the LOP configuration
When you click Create Report the LOP is saved or click Save Settings to Save without running the report

17. Create/RUN The LOP REPORT
Click Create Report button
Type in the ID # of your focus person
When LOP runs, TMG shows # people will be in your report.
Report added the focus person, 1076 ancestors, 144 spouses and 4650 descendants

18. Test the Success of This LOP Report
Test whether the filter gave you everyone you wanted by creating a new project. Re-run the filter and change the options.
Click Options button on the Report Definition screen
Click on the Secondary Output tab
Name of the project
Suppress the output to screen
Click OK and create the Report
As it runs, TMG asks if you want to Create a new project, answer YES

19. New Project Using This LOP Report
Open the New Project!
Notice filter did not ADD:
Spouses of the 3 generations of descendants
i.e. no spouses of your direct ancestors children (siblings), grandchildren, great-grandchildren
Parents of a direct ancestor’s other spouses
Parents of the spouses of descendants

20. FLAWS in This LOP Report, ALONE
People added by the bottom selections were ONLY relations of the people identified by the FILTER
No Way to ADD spouses of the descendants added by the choices at the bottom of the filter
The missing spouses of descendants create holes in your tree which could confuse a match (and an algorithm) and make them/it wary of concluding you are a cousin.
More than one LOP required to accomplish our
GOAL

21. ADD Spouses and their parents using a custom flag

22. First - Add a GEDCOM Flag
Click File > Flag Manager
In the Flag manager,
Click Add button
Label the Flag “3DSkeleton”
Give it 3 values
N (No) is for when you specifically want to exclude someone

23. OPEN the LOP & Change Flag
Click Report > File > 3DSkeleton
(Opens report you just saved)
Click Options button
Go to Secondary Output Tab
Clear the Create New Project box
Check the Change Flag box
Select the 3Dskeleton flag
Select the value of “Y”
Click OK to close the Report Options

24. Re-RUN the LOP & Change Flag
On the Report definition screen, click Create Report
When the filter screen closes, TMG asks if you want to change the flag for 5871 people –
Click Yes
Click No on changing the last Edited flag and OK after TMG pops up to says it is done changing flags

25. Then ADD Descendant’s Spouses and their parents Using 2 new LOP reports

26. Use LOP & 3DSkeleton Flag to Add Spouses
Reports > List of People
Click Filtered group and Add a new filter
Select the 3DSkeleton flag, choose = Equals and include the value Y
At the bottom, check Spouses & clear other boxes
Click OK

27. RUN LOP to Add and FLAG Spouses
Options > Secondary Output
Change 3DSkeleton flag to Y
Add new Report Configuration Name
Answer Yes to Apply all settings
Create Report and again
Answer Yes to change Flags
Answer No to changing Last Edited Date

28. LOP to Add Spouses’ Parents
Reports > 3DSkeletonSpouses
Click Filtered group and Add a new filter
Select the 3DSkeleton flag, choose = Equals and include the value Y
Check Ancestors and type generation & clear other check boxes
Click OK

29. LOP using the 3DSkeleton Flag to Add Spouses
Add new Report Configuration Name
Answer Yes to Apply all settings
Because you started with the 3DSkeletonSpouses report configuration, the Secondary Output should still be set to change 3DSkeleton flag to Y
Create Report
Answer Yes to change the Flags, etc.

30. GEDCOM Export Limitations
The Export Wizard has limited options to Export people
To export more than one person or less than all people, you must collect and select the people in the PE or include them in a Focus Group

31. Filter the Project Explorer to COLLECT THE PEOPLE FOR a Skeleton GEDCOM

32. Open and Filter the Project Explorer
Select icon from the Layout toolbar
Or, from the Main menu, Select Window and check Project Explorer
On the PE, open filter window:
press the button at the top of the PE to bring up the Filter the PE window

33. Filter the PE for 3DSkeleton Flag
Select the flag name and choose the Operator = Equals and type the value Y
This will filter the PE to include all 8720 people with the 3DSkeleton flag set to Y

34. SELECT ALL IN THE PROJECT EXPLORER for Export
Click the first person in the PE, scroll down to the last person, then Shift click to Select All

35. Create a Skeleton GEDCOM

36. Create a GEDCOM Export To create a GEDOM, use the Export function
Click File on the top menu and then select Export…

37. Export Wizard
The Export Wizard opens and walks you through the steps to create a GEDOM, clicking Next. By default the file will go in your Export subfolder in you Documents > TMG v9 folder

38. Step 3: Save Export Configuration
Because you will only be exporting selected Tags, in Step 3 click save as new configuration and name it.
Click Next

39. Step 4: Export What people
In Step 4, chose Your dataset
Choose Selected people in the Project Explorer
Notice at the bottom it shows 8712 people are selected in the PE
8712 is more than half the people in my project. Not much of a “Skeleton” tree!
Click Next

40. Step 5: Option Screen 1
In Step 5, since you are creating an online Skeleton tree, click the box next to:
Suppress details for living people
Uncheck all other boxes
NOTE: You could check Sources, too, so people viewing your tree have more confidence in your information.

41. Step 6: Option Screen 2
In Step 6, with a Skeleton tree, you do not want to give up all your hard work without a return.
Click the Unmark All button and select just a few basic flags:
BMDB, Baptism, and Divorce
To inspire confidence in your tree, I suggest adding Census/Residence tags and name variations

42. Step 7: Option Screen 3 Click Next and then Finish on Step 8
In Step 7, clear the boxes under Exclusion to make sure you do not export excluded or sensitive data
Under Place Levels check only City, County, State, and Country (add Detail level, if you want)
Clear the Commas When Missing box
NOTE: Your Choice, I find the stray commas in online trees annoying…
Click Next and then Finish on Step 8

43. Smaller GEDCOM Export USING A FOCUS GROUP
As you can see from the above results, collecting all the Ancestors, 3 generations of descendants, all their spouses and their parents does not create much of a “Skelton” tree (8712 vs. 13,531)
Adding only two generations of descendants still resulted in 5100 people!
We can use a Focus Group to add fewer Direct Ancestors and you do not have to use a custom flag…

44. COLLECT Direct Ancestors, their spouses, and Descendants USING A FOCUS GROUP

45. Open & Clear Focus Group
Click the icon on the layout toolbar
Click Remove All if any people are left over from an earlier group

46. USE Focus Group to Collect Ancestors
Step 1 - Click the Add Individual button and type in the ID # of the Focus Person of your online tree.
Step 2 – Add Direct Ancestors
Be sure to Select the Focus person in the window
Under the Add Others button Check the Ancestors box and select 7 generations; uncheck all other boxes
Click the Add Others Button
RESULT – 188 PEOPLE

47. USE Focus Group to ADD 3 Generations of Descendants
Step 3 – By starting with a 60-something person as focus, I do not want to include too many living people in my GEDCOM. Select the Focus person, their parents, and Grandparents; click the Remove Selected button
Step 4 – Add 3 generations of descendants
click Select All button
Under the Add Others button Check the Descendant box and select 3 generations; uncheck all other boxes
Click the Add Others Button
RESULT – 3529 PEOPLE

48. ADD Spouses Step 5 – Add Spouses of descendants
click Select All button
Check the Spouses box; uncheck other boxes
Click the Add Others Button
RESULT – PEOPLE

49. ADD their Parents Step 6 – Add Spouses’ Parents
click Select All button
Check the Ancestors box again, and type 1 generation; uncheck all other boxes
Click the Add Others Button
This addition takes awhile as it individually checks for the parents of all the people in the focus group.
NOTE: results in 8 generations of Ancestors
RESULT – 6076 PEOPLE

50. Save the smaller GEDCOM FOCUS GROUP
Step 8 - Save the Focus Group with a new name, then click Add
Then run the Export Wizard and create a new GEDCOM using the same settings except for Step 4: Export What People

51. Step 4: Export What people
In Step 4, chose Your dataset
Choose People in the Focus Group
Select the Focus Group you just Saved:
8Gen3DSkeletonSpou sesParents
Click Next on through to Finish

52. Terry’s Related-By Flag
Terry Reigel’s system for identifying all ancestors and all of their descendants, spouses and parents of those spouses with flags could be used to identify the people who go in your GEDCOM
Using Terry’s Related-By flag to Export will make a substantial tree. You can make it Private on Ancestry and/or suppress details for living people during the Export
But, this approach does not create much of a SKELETON TREE, though you can limit the number of tags you include if tree is uploaded for DNA analysis
Terry’s Flag takes several passes, using several List of People reports undertaken in precise order. But, as Terry explains, once the filters and reports are created and saved, you can gather them in the correct order into a Book Manager report. This allows for easy repetition. I use a similar Filter to Accent direct ancestors, etc.
Probably BEST for creating a comprehensive online Research Tree

53. FINAL STEP - Upload GEDCOM
NOTE: I selected Ancestry for this demo but trees should be attached to other DNA tests, too
Click Trees
Go down to bottom and Select

54. Upload GEDCOM to Ancestry
Go down to bottom and click on Upload a GEDCOM

55. Upload GEDCOM a Family Tree
Click Choose File and drill down to where TMG v9’s Export folder
Follow the rest of the directions
Read and agree to Ts & Cs (or no online tree on Ancestry)

56. Decide whether to make your tree Public

57. Upload GEDCOM
Click
When tree finished loading, click Manage tree link

58. Tree Settings – Tree Info
On first tab make sure the home person is correct
Decline to build stories for this Skeleton Tree & Save
Under Hint Preferences, click Site Preferences link

59. Tree Settings
If you have a private Tree for Research, I suggest you eliminate hints notification from your Skeleton tree, at least
I wish you could eliminate all hints from other tree
I wish you could eliminate hints for non-blood relatives
Other Preferences can be changed on this page, too

60. Tree Settings – Privacy Settings
On this page you can Change from Public to Private Tree and back
If you choose Private and want to get Ancestry’s ThruLines, make sure you do NOT check the square box “Also prevent your tree from being found in searches”
Otherwise, your tree cannot be found in searches – No ThruLines™

61. Tree Settings – Privacy Settings
Names of living people are included when I view my tree but, because I chose “Suppress details” in TMG, only Living displays when I view my tree
This screen shot shows what this Public tree looks like from another Ancestry users’ account

62. Tree includes thru 8 generations: 5th Great-grandparents - Enough for AutosomAL DNA
Ancestry’s ThruLines™ only goes back to 5th Great-Grandparents so this is fine!

63. Connect your tree to your AncestryDNA Results
Click DNA and select Your DNA Results Summary
On the WELCOME screen
Click gear on

64. Test Settings for AncestryDNA
Check Settings
DNA matches
Display Name
Ethnicity
Tree linked

65. Edit link to Family Tree
Select the tree you want to link your DNA results to

66. QUESTIONs?