Conversion of Unicode GEDCOM Files on a Mac

If you happen to need to convert a GEDCOM file from a Unicode (RTF-8 or RTF-16) format to a non-Unicode GEDCOM, what’s the solution?

Solution #1 – Convert with a text editor
Not the most elegant of solutions, but it’ll do in a pinch. Open the GEDCOM file in a text editor such as Apple’s TextEdit that comes with Mac OS X, and then save as a plain-text file. If you have problems with this method, highlight everything in the GEDCOM file after you open it up, then open a new TextEdit window, paste everything into it, then save it. Make sure and save with a .ged or .GED extension.

Solution #2 – GedScape GEDCOM Viewer/Website Publisher
GedScape is not a genealogy application, it’s more of a genealogy utility that allows you to view, manipulate, and convert GEDCOM files, including Unicode, and can also generate stand-alone websites.

Note: When you convert it from a unicode to a plain-text ASCII file, the file size will shrink drastically.

More on this issue:
Mac Genealogy Software – Unicode, UTF-8, and GEDCOMs
Unicode, UTF-8, GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOMs, and Macs