Is there anything in place or planned to allow all media for a tree to be exported? Ideally it would be included as an option with the GEDCOM export (may need some conventions re file locations etc but there are programs that can successfully import GEDCOM with media), but as a minimum it would be useful to do it as a means of backup. Yes, we keep our own copies offline as well, but knowing you have everything and didn’t lose track of something by doing such an export would be fantastic.
I’ve been thinking about this. I could zip up the media and the GEDCOM into a zip file that you could download. When you unzipped the file, the media would be put into a directory that the GEDCOM file could access.
I expect to have this implemented sometime in the next few months.
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Really really fantastic. We are keen to use RootsFinder as our ‘master’ tree with exported GEDCOM backups, which is almost working for the data but media is still an issue. Will be very keen to see this happen.
Just wondering if you are getting any closer to this one?
I did some research on this today. It’s possible, but tricky. The resulting GEDCOM that references the exported media may work in some desktop genealogy programs but not others. What desktop genealogy program do you use?
Mostly use Reunion on Mac (sorry I posted this under our committee login)
I don’t have Reunion for the Mac, so if you’re willing, I’m hoping you could try an experiment. I want to test an idea that RootsFinder could give you an option to download all of your images into a single zip file, and give you an option to have your exported GEDCOM file include the filenames of those images.
I’ve attached a small GEDCOM file that references three images, and I’ve also attached an Archive.zip file that contains those images. I’m hoping that if you download both files and unzip the Archive.zip file so the images end up in the same directory as the GEDCOM file, and you import the GEDCOM file into Reunion, that you will see the images in Reunion. If know this approach works for RootsMagic. If it works for Reunion as well, then I can implement it inside RootsFinder.
GedWithImages.ged (1.3 KB)
Archive.zip (865.6 KB)
I think this will work, but just needs a tweak by the user at the Reunion end.
By default Reunion looks for the folders in the user’s ‘Pictures’ folder (full address, not relative), not very smart or useful but that seems to be what happens. When first creating the Reunion file, the pictures are not found as they are not in the default directory. However, by going to the Preferences you can tell Reunion where to look for the pictures, and then click a button to repair all the multimedia links so they are all updated to point to the correct location.
It’s an extra 2 steps (on one window), but not difficult and achieves the desired outcome. There may be a smarter way but I haven’t found it.
Awesome! Since that worked, I think we have a plan for this.
I’m going to ask people to “vote” on their favorite feature requests this weekend to give me direction on what to work on this Summer. I will add this (and all of the other outstanding feedback items) to the list.
Suggest the title of this be changed to ‘Export all media with GEDCOM’ as that is the intention. Also may help the meaning to be clearer on Trello.
This doesn’t have a heap of votes on Trello but I’m hopeful you’ll still look to invest in this. It opens up great possibilities in terms of treating RF as the primary tree with all associated documentation attached - and being able to back it up effectively.
I must have missed all this 
I created a Gedcom & for the first time, I uploaded my Gedcom to Ancestry.com & all pictures & media were missing 
I thought this program would bring the media with the upload. Is this what you’re speaking of in this post? If not, is there another post that answers this problem?
Thanks
Yes, this is exactly what I’m referring to. I am currently managing over 20 trees in RootsFinder and have chosen to make that my primary (master) location for my trees. There are a few reasons for doing this including ease of use, ability to work cooperatively with a few other people on particular trees online, and the tidy ability to cross-check and maintain FamilySearch. I export GEDCOM files as a backup (but may one day want to export and load to another product if RootsFinder’s direction doesn’t turn out to be what I’d still hope it will be). I’d like to be able to export a full backup inclusive of media, not just a partial backup of the GEDCOM file itself. I thought this was getting close when the testing done with Dallan above was successful, but didn’t make the shortlist to be completed last year. Can only hope/wait at the moment.
I could have sworn that was the reason I chose RootsFinder program! well, that & the DNA integration. Now that Find My Past took over, I hope they can fix this. Otherwise…I have no idea what to do 
I can’t imagine having to input all sources & media into another tree program! that would take probably a year! *no seriously…It would almost make me want to cry, quit & give up forever.
Yes, to rely on a program means being confident you can export all your material in a sensible format if things take a ‘wrong turn’. We were so close to getting the media export working but it didn’t get finished. I share the frustration
The issue is that GEDCOM files don’t include media. It’s not part of the GEDCOM specification, which hasn’t be significantly updated in 20 years unfortunately. They include “paths” to media files on your local hard disk, but that’s pretty useless when you’re trying to export an online tree.
Having said that, I will work to come up with a way to export media. It won’t be standard, but I will make it work for at least RootsMagic. What other programs do people use?
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Just a reminder that we did some preliminary testing on this last June that worked on at least 2 platforms - and I imagine would work on most with a little tweaking by the user (eg pointing to the directory). Fingers crossed this will be available in coming months.
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I have an old version of Family Tree Maker (2012) I picked up at a thrift store…its real old & I never even tried it. I do know that I NEED to be able to carry media & sources in Gedcoms or some way to make the process EASY.
For what it’s worth, I’m currently serving on a GEDCOM advisory board and I’m hoping that we will be able to come up with a standard for exporting GEDCOM media.
Sounds like it could be worth quite a lot. But I’m wondering, given how close you were earlier, is there any possibility of a transitional solution 