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Can I split my tree?

canadianbeth

canadianbeth

LostCousins Star
I have a question and cannot find the answer in my copy of the Companion Guide.

I have 4745 names in my main FTM list. Is it possible to make two new trees, while keeping the main one, for myself and my husband, without having to enter everything again? And then attaching my DNA results to just mine?

(I received an e-mail from FTM today, with their latest specials, and replied asking this question but do not expect an answer quicker than one from here so am asking here as well since you are all so knowledgeable. . I have found the Companion Guide quite useful generally, but if the answer is there I cannot see it.)

ETA: In that e-mail there was an offer for a book of Answers; has anyone who has it found it useful?
 
You should be able to split branches off the tree without too much trouble. There is an "export" option in File, if you then choose to create a Gedcom (or FTM file if you're simply going to open it again in the same program) and base it around "Selected individuals", then there are options to export a branch of your tree using the "ancestors of" and "descendants" options once you have chosen the correct individual. There are further options that should allow you to get everyone in the branch of the tree that you want.

Then the easiest way I've found to delete an entire branch of individuals off a tree is to create a chart including the branch that you want to delete, then you can right click on a box in the chart and you receive options such as "Select person" and then there is "person and all ancestors"; "all descendants" and "all descendants and spouses" etc, and then there is a delete from file option, which allows you to either delete all the selected persons or everyone included in the chart, and presto.

I would probably do that, and then you wouldn't have to play with the DNA linkage at all, if it's still connected to the original tree that you branched and then pruned.
 
I'm in a slightly different position - I have always kept my maternal and paternal trees separate. It seemed like a good idea when I started my research 22 years ago, and I've stuck with it ever since - so far I have only identified one cousin who is related to me on both sides of my tree, though there must inevitably be many more.

When I want to upload my tree to Ancestry I export separate GEDCOMs from GenoPro, the tree program I've used since the beginning, and merge them into a single tree using FTM (previously I used Family Historian). I either upload a full tree, which is private but searchable, or a direct ancestors-only tree, which is public and attached to my DNA results. (For the pros and cons see this discussion.)
 
I did the file-export-selected individuals-ancestors of his tree to a file but when I try adding it to a new tree it does not work.
 
I received a reply today from FTM, with very good instructions, and was able to make two separate trees, while keeping my main one. I just have to add our own descendants, as well as those of our siblings.
 
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