Bob3 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2008 I recently imported from FTW. TMG assigned random ID numbers to the data set. These ID numbers were not logically assigned, i.e., me=1, father=2, mother=3, etc. Can these randomly assigned ID numbers be changed? Can ID numbers be not printed in reports? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Byram 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2008 I recently imported from FTW. TMG assigned random ID numbers to the data set. These ID numbers were not logically assigned, i.e., me=1, father=2, mother=3, etc. The ID number order is a direct reflection of the person order in the FTM database. Import is a sequential process and the TMG ID numbers follow the order of the records in the FTW database (which determines the order in which people are imported) so they are not random. Can these randomly assigned ID numbers be changed? Sure. Tools menu / Renumber People Be sure to read the help topic. Can ID numbers be not printed in reports? Sure. For narrative reports, for example... Report Definition screen / Options / Names tab / Identifier options Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bob3 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2008 I recently imported from FTW. TMG assigned random ID numbers to the data set. These ID numbers were not logically assigned, i.e., me=1, father=2, mother=3, etc. The ID number order is a direct reflection of the person order in the FTM database. Import is a sequential process and the TMG ID numbers follow the order of the records in the FTW database (which determines the order in which people are imported) so they are not random. ***Thanks. Can these randomly assigned ID numbers be changed? Sure. Tools menu / Renumber People Be sure to read the help topic. ***It appears I cannot renumber as I'd like, i.e., me=1, father=2, mother=3, etc., or something like it, unless I use unused ID numbers which would only coincidentally be close, or start from scratch. Right now, me=1, father=321, mother=332, one sister=2,other siblings all over the map, a cousin=3. This does not appear logical. Any fix? Can ID numbers be not printed in reports? Sure. For narrative reports, for example... Report Definition screen / Options / Names tab / Identifier options ***Thanks, this will help. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Byram 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2008 ***It appears I cannot renumber as I'd like, i.e., me=1, father=2, mother=3, etc., or something like it, unless I use unused ID numbers which would only coincidentally be close, or start from scratch. Right now, me=1, father=321, mother=332, one sister=2,other siblings all over the map, a cousin=3. This does not appear logical. Any fix? You need to renumber the individuals with the ID numbers that you wish to use for other people. Frankly, there is not much point to trying to control the ID numbers of individuals. If you need a unique number for each person, use the Reference field for that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Terry Reigel 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2008 Bob, The problem is you quickly run out of "logical" numbers. For example, what numbers would you assign to your neices and nephews? Their children? Their spouses? Your great-grandfather's second wife? Her parents? Her sisters and brothers? As Jim suggests, the reference field is designed for any number or code you might want to use. Since it's alphanumeric, unlike the ID#, you can create codes that deal with the situations I described above. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Talbot 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2008 I recently imported from FTW. TMG assigned random ID numbers to the data set. These ID numbers were not logically assigned, i.e., me=1, father=2, mother=3, etc. Can these randomly assigned ID numbers be changed? Can ID numbers be not printed in reports? Once you become familiar with TMG, you will find that you never, ever need to know an ID Number. Think of it as auxilliary computerese showing the lat/long of where the data resides. When an ID Number could be used in TMG, you will see a camera icon next to that field. Click on the camera icon to bring up the Picklist window (an alphabetical index of all people in your dataset). Start typing the person's name (usually, last name first, unless you redifine the picklist) and the picklist will reposition itself with each letter typed. Double click on the desired person's name in the Picklist and you're done. The values of the desired numbers that you indicate will be automatically generated and appear in an Ahnentafel Report of yourself, but will not be saved into your database. Best wishes and welcome to TMG, Mike Talbot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
retsof 0 Report post Posted March 27, 2008 (edited) Frankly, there is not much point to trying to control the ID numbers of individuals.If you need a unique number for each person, use the Reference field for that. I prefer to use ID = reference for the first hundred or so direct ancestor ahnentafel numbers to reduce confusion, since those are heavily used reference points. I will renumber single individuals to get to that point if I can. Naturally, ahnentafels double with each generation, so that only goes so far. I only go as far as the highest existing ID number for that scheme. By that point, it doesn't matter that much. My reference number is an ahnentafel-Sosa-Stradenitz system, so everyone connected in any way by ancestry, marriage, descendancy, or ancestors and descendants of spouses can have a unique reference number, leaving room for logical additions of more. Edited March 27, 2008 by retsof Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bob3 0 Report post Posted March 31, 2008 Thanks, everyone, for your input. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
