Copying card information to CD-R

[Naomi M]

Am new to this forum and have Reunion 8 installed on 3 Mac computers, which have Airport connection. I have 2 questions:

Is there is a way to copy the information I've entered into the Reunion family cards onto a CD-R?

Is there a way I can transfer this information to all my computers, so that I can work on anyone of them and update all of them?

At present, I am keeping paper versions of all the "cards" and have Reunion on a weekly back-up, but that isn't really what I'm after. If anyone out there can help me, I'd be soooooo glad.

[David G. Kanter]

Is there is a way to copy the information I've entered into the Reunion family cards onto a CD-R?Yes, but just what you do depends on how you wish to use that information. While you mention keeping back-ups—and just the next paragraph covers that if that's all you need—the rest of this long answer addresses other uses of having your family information on a CD which may apply. Note: If the CD needs to be read from other than a Mac, make sure you burn it in a cross-platform-compatible format. I use Roxio's "Toast" program to ensure it's in the ISO 9660 format which is cross-platform compatible. I'll defer to others to advise which ways of burning a CD using the native Mac OS ensure cross-platform compatibility.

If you just want to have a CD back-up of your Reunion Family File and any Multimedia Files (those with the pictures, movies, and sounds that have been linked to the persons and/or families in your Family File) or share the family information with others who own Reunion, just burn those files to the CD.

If you want to use a CD to distribute your family information to others without Reunion and have them be able to browse through it in a graphical fashion, then Create->Web Family Cards. That will produce a folder with all the coded files needed to read your family information with any Web browser. (You control what information goes in those Web Family Cards—whether just a limited Family Card, or also a Person Sheet, or also all the Multimedia items.) Simply burn that folder to the CD and provide instructions to start the process by clicking on the Contents Page file (whose default name is WC_TOC.HTM or .HTML, your choice; but you can change that name in Options->Web). (Note: Although they will be using their Web browser, there is no need to be connect to the Internet to read your family information. Everything (other than the browser) that's needed will be on the CD.)

If you want to use a CD to distribute your family information to others without Reunion for the purpose of them being able to import the information into another genealogy program, then use File->Import/Export->Export GEDCOM and burn the resulting GEDCOM file to the CD.

Is there a way I can transfer this information to all my computers, so that I can work on anyone of them and update all of them?While Reunion allows you to open multiple Family Files, you don't want to try to have multiple computers open the same Family File at the same time. So at least two of your options would seem to be:

•(1) Initially, put the same Family File (and any Multimedia Files) on each computer and then be absolutely diligent that after having used any of those computers to update any information, you then copy that latest-changed Family File and Multimedia Files to the other computers so as to overwrite what had been on those other computers. Do insure, however, that you have regular back-ups in case you goof and overwrite something you still need! As you say they are networked, that should not be a big task. (Caution: Don't rely on a Family File's later date/time to indicate it has the most-recent information. The date/time on a Family File is revised every time the file is opened—whether or not any of the family information is changed.)

•(2) (Note: I haven't tried this, nor would I want to work this way routinely, even if it works; but would hope that another reader will comment on whether this is a practical way to address multiple computers.) As long as all the computer are networked, I would expect you could put the Family File and the Multimedia Files on just one of them in a Public Folder (OS X), with the proper sharing preferences enabled, and open those file(s) from whichever one computer you wish to be working. As Reunion is constantly reading and writing the Family File, the speed and reliability of your network connection would seem to be absolutely crucial to this being a safe and practical way to work.

At present, I am keeping paper versions of all the "cards" and have Reunion on a weekly back-up, but that isn't really what I'm after.While paper back-up may provide the best protection again technology changes making electronic back-ups, one day, unreadable, I'm satisfied with electronic back-ups—but for me, that means no less often than a daily back-up to a media other than my computer's internal hard drive (e.g., an external hard drive, a CD or DVD, a remote server, etc.)

[Naomi M]

Thank you so much for your help. I will sort through and see what I can do. Naomi M