Legacy - Creating a GEDCOM for a partial Tree

From the Family Tree Forum Reference Library


Is there a way of exporting gedcoms of selected information or is it "all or nothing" ?

I can, and have sent reports to contacts in the form of "Descendants of Joe Bloggs" etc but cannot find an option to do this for sending gedcoms. So, for example, if I wanted to upload my family to the FTF database which is being created, but not my husband's family, can I do that via Legacy?

To send a partial Tree as a Gedcom File:

  • Go to 'File' and 'export to Gedcom'.
  • In the Gedcom Export screen, choose 'produce file for Gedcom 5.5 only'.
  • At the bottom of this screen, it says 'Record Selection'. Click on this and you will have a choice 'all records', 'selected records' etc.
  • Choose 'Selected records contained in the focus group', then 'View/select Focus Group'.
  • You will get a 'Focus group' screen. Click on 'edit'.
  • You now have a 'Descendant options' screen', which allows you to either choose all descendants of the selected individual or entire descendant line, with number of generations you wish to include. If the individual name that appears is not the one you wish to commence your gedcom with, click on 'change'.
  • This will bring up your Name list. Click on the name you want to use. (You will notice that if you highlight the name in the list, his/her details will appear to the right of the list, so you can check you have the right person. Double click on the correct name.
  • You will return to the 'Descendant options' screen. Click 'OK'. Back at the 'Focus group' screen, click 'OK'. Back at the Gedcom Record selection screen click 'close'.
  • Back at the 'Gedcom export ' screen click 'Select File name and start export.'
  • Choose where to save (I usually choose 'desktop') and name your file. Save.
  • A message box will appear telling you your export is complete, how many individuals and families are present. Click 'OK'.
  • The gedcom icon will be present on your desktop, or wherever else you saved it, and is then ready to send to another file elsewhere for down loading.


It is simpler if you choose the individual in your tree, opening in family view first, as you will then not need to go through searching the name list for the correct individual.

I know this looks elaborate, but if followed step-by-step will do what you want.



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