Multimedia links

[Kathy C]

I recently renamed all my genealogy photos for Reunion to make my files more consistent. Reunion, of course, is able to find the files just fine without any relinking on my part. I noticed that in the information pane of the multimedia window, the new photo names shows in the path. So, all is well, I thought. But ..... I exported a gedcom to make sure the path and name came across. They do not! The OLD photo name is the one that is in the gedcom. Why is that and is there anything I can do in Reunion to fix that so the NEW photo name is exported in the gedcom?

[ttl]

Re: Multimedia links

When you link to a photo in Reunion, the software automatically puts the filename in the description field, and both are visible in the multimedia edit pane. The description is what is displayed in the multimedia sidebar. If you change the filename in the Finder, Reunion sees that and changes the filename, but the description remains the same. The description must be edited separately, which makes sense when you consider you might have a filename of IMG1234 but want Reunion to show Aunt Jane and Uncle John.

When you export the multimedia links to a GEDCOM file, Reunion includes both the filename and the title (description), and if you import the GEDCOM back into a Reunion family file, the title (description) and filename should be imported and displayed as in the original family file (worked for me in a quick test). Don't know how another application would treat the FILE and TITL GEDCOM tags.

[Kathy C]

Re: Multimedia links

When you link to a photo in Reunion, the software automatically puts the filename in the description field, and both are visible in the multimedia edit pane. The description is what is displayed in the multimedia sidebar. If you change the filename in the Finder, Reunion sees that and changes the filename, but the description remains the same. The description must be edited separately, which makes sense when you consider you might have a filename of IMG1234 but want Reunion to show Aunt Jane and Uncle John.

I get that. These are existing photos .... already linked in Reunion. This is an example of what I did:

1) had photo: Cardoza, John & Tony -Army.jpg
2) changed name: Cardoza, John, Tony_c1945_Army.jpg
3) In Reunion info panel: file name reflects the changed name so is shown as 2 above.
4) In Reunion sidebar: Description is what I put there as expected
5) I exported a gedcom and discovered the multimedia links to the NEW photo names are not preserved so that in another program, the links are broken. Those links indicate the file name is the OLD name, before I changed it. So, I viewed the gedcom in TextEdit, and this is what I see regarding this photo:

2 FILE ~/Documents/Family History Files/Genealogy Photos/Cardoza, John & Tony -Army.jpg
2 TITL John Cardoza with son, Tony in his Army uniform

Notice the File name is showing the OLD photo name before the change! The TITL displays the description I had and that displays in the Reunion sidebar.

So, despite the correct (new) photo name displaying in Reunion correctly, Reunion is exporting a gedcom with the OLD photo name/path! It makes no sense to me.

I hope I have explained this well enough. I'm wondering (hoping) that there is some magical reset in Reunion that will fix this!

[ttl]

Re: Multimedia links

I guess I don't have anything else to offer. Reunion retains the new file name for me upon export, so something's clearly not working right for you.

If rebuilding cache files doesn't help, I'd contact the help desk directly.

[Frank]

Re: Multimedia links

Kathy,

Choose Reunion > Preferences > Multimedia, and click the Repair Multimedia Links button.

I think what's happening here is that Reunion doesn't actually know about the path changing (when you changed the image file names in the Finder) until you either open a picture in the Media window or do the Repair Multimedia Links.

Try the Repair... and then export the GEDCOM file again.

[Kathy C]

Re: Multimedia links

Actually, Frank, I just rebuilt the cache files and did the export gedcom again. Everything seems to be correct now.

Thank you and Tim both for your help!

Kathy