FTDNA VCF file uploads to YFull.

[JMcB]

Is anyone having a problem trying to upload their VCF files to YFull. I’ve tried it a few times and keep getting this notice in red: you have not uploaded your VCF file. I’ve gotten the VCF file by going to my FTDNA account and hitting the download VCF button. Which is giving me a ZIP file of the VCF.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Mixed]

Is anyone having a problem trying to upload their VCF files to YFull. I’ve tried it a few times and keep getting this notice in red: you have not uploaded your VCF file. I’ve gotten the VCF file by going to my FTDNA account and hitting the download VCF button. Which is giving me a ZIP file of the VCF.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Did you ever get this to work?

[JMcB]

Did you ever get this to work?

Yes, soon thereafter. If I remember correctly, it actually took on the first try but for some reason, I was getting that notice.

[Jatt1]

Is anyone having a problem trying to upload their VCF files to YFull. I’ve tried it a few times and keep getting this notice in red: you have not uploaded your VCF file. I’ve gotten the VCF file by going to my FTDNA account and hitting the download VCF button. Which is giving me a ZIP file of the VCF.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

How were the results from VCF file compared to the BAM file?

[JMcB]

How were the results from VCF file compared to the BAM file?

In our case, they were fine. My sample was analyzed using a Y700 Bam file. The VCF files were for two of my surname matches, who didn’t want to pay the extra cost for the Bam file tax. So we went with the VCFs because we were primarily interested in the age estimations and YFull says there’s very little difference between the two files, in that regard. Plus, we’re pretty close to the end of the line, so we weren’t all that worried about any overlooked Novel Variants. They both ended up with the same amount as I have (3) and my results were the same at both companies.


Edit: It should also be noted, that if you change your mind later on and want to use your Bam file, YFull will redo the analysis for free.

[TigerMW]

In our case, they were fine. My sample was analyzed using a Y700 Bam file. The VCF files were for two of my surname matches, who didn’t want to pay the extra cost for the Bam file tax. So we went with the VCFs because we were primarily interested in the age estimations and YFull says there’s very little difference between the two files, in that regard. Plus, we’re pretty close to the end of the line, so we weren’t all that worried about any overlooked Novel Variants. They both ended up with the same amount as I have (3) and my results were the same at both companies.


Edit: It should also be noted, that if you change your mind later on and want to use your Bam file, YFull will redo the analysis for free.

In my case there were no differences between my own analysis of the old Big Y VCF, Big Tree's analysis of it and YFull's analysis of the BAM file.

Today's Big Y700 VCF files are vastly improved over the old Big Y's. If you are interested in YFull I recommend giving them them your VCF first and then if there are matches showing up there or other specific issues (differences) with their tree versus the others consider the BAM file. Chances are there won't be as many matches since the YFull tree has much resolution and less testers than the FTDNA tree.

Keep in mind that anybody with old Big Y or Big Y500 has rights (no charge) to their Big Y700 BAM file if they upgrade to Big Y700 so there is no reason not to give YFull the BAM file in that case.

[TigerMW]

How were the results from VCF file compared to the BAM file?

Doug McDonald is the leader of the perhaps the largest surname, project - Clan McDonald. He is very knowledgable and very much "do it yourself" capable. On July 28th in the Big Y thread he addressed this:

I am now quite satisfied with FTDNA's BigY700 BED/VCF files. Only perhaps 5% of the time do I need to look
at FTDNA's online "reads". I've never needed a BAM for purposes of putting a person on my trees,
with the Y700 VCFs.

That's because the Y700 VCFs are full of very useful extra data! The have things like number of reads,
number of reads with bad alignment calls, etc, etc. What they don't have is what is elsewhere on the read.

[JMcB]

Doug McDonald is the leader of the perhaps the largest surname, project - Clan McDonald. He is very knowledgable and very much "do it yourself" capable. On July 28th in the Big Y thread he addressed this:

Tiger, for the last year I’ve been following what’s been going on at the U106 forum. Primarily to hear what Iain has to say on a variety of subjects. Recently, he mentioned that he was very pleased with how FT was approaching the issue of age estimations. Which he thought was on track to be a very beneficial tool for their customers. Have you heard anything about when they may be rolling this out? Perhaps, from Goran?

[TigerMW]

Tiger, for the last year I’ve been following what’s been going on at the U106 forum. Primarily to hear what Iain has to say on a variety of subjects. Recently, he mentioned that he was very pleased with how FT was approaching the issue of age estimations. Which he thought was on track to be a very beneficial tool for their customers. Have you heard anything about when they may be rolling this out? Perhaps, from Goran?

Both Iain and FTDNA say Iain is helping them so I expect his name to be credited.
I have been told it would be this year multiple times, I specifically asked the right people to make this the highest priority. That doesn’t guarantee anything though. They are historically slow. I have seen the display for my subclade.

[JMcB]

Both Iain and FTDNA say Iain is helping them so I expect his name to be credited.
I have been told it would be this year multiple times, I specifically asked the right people to make this the highest priority. That doesn’t guarantee anything though. They are historically slow. I have seen the display for my subclade.

Yes, he has mentioned that he’s been collaborating with them but for obvious reasons, he couldn’t go into any details about what’s gone on between them. Hopefully, they’ll be able to unveil it in the near future but if need be, it’s better to wait and get it right. At any rate, I’m looking forward to seeing what their efforts bring because I suspect it’s going to be good. Keeping in mind that you may not be able too reveal to much, how did you like what you saw in your subclade?