Bucketing

Filter a file of segments using other files

To use this tool you'll need:

  • A set of segments for a DNA tester
  • A set of segments or matches for one or more other DNA testers

Example:

  • Upload your segment list and those of one or more maternal cousins
  • This tool will compile segments for matches that appear in one or more cousin lists
  • Import this file into your chromosome map for further examination

The instructions differ for each testing company. In all cases you will need to save the file to your computer as opposed to opening it.

  • Family Tree DNA

    The file is available via the button 'Download All Segments' in the ftDNA chromosome browser. The button is at the top right of the page above the list of matches. Please note that if you transferred to ftDNA, you'll need to unlock their chromosome browser before you can download your data.

  • 23andme

    To download the file, follow these steps:

    • After logging in, go to the DNA Relatives page under Family and Friends (https://you.23andme.com/family/relatives/).
    • Scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see a blue button, 'Request DNA Relatives Data Download'. Click this button.
    • The button will turn grey for a few moments while it generates the file. It will then turn blue again and say ‘Download DNA Relatives Data’.
    • When you click this button, a zipped file will download to your computer. Once you unzip this file, you’ll see a CSV file which you can import into DNA Painter

  • MyHeritage

    The file is available on the DNA Matches page by clicking the 'three vertical dots' icon at the top right of the list of matches to expand the menu. Click on 'Export shared DNA segment info for DNA Matches' and the file will be emailed to you (this might take several minutes). Please unzip the file before uploading.

  • Geneanet

    The file is available via the link 'Export this data into CSV file format' at the bottom left at the bottom of the match list.

  • Gedmatch

    Gedmatch now provides a downloadable file of all segments via their 'Segment Search' report (please note: this is available to Gedmatch Tier 1 subscribers only).

    genesis screenshot showing csv download

    This CSV can be imported directly into DNA Painter.

    Or alternatively you can copy and paste the table of segments provided into a CSV format. To do this:

    • Log into Gedmatch and run the Tier 1 matching segment search on the relevant kit.
    • Once the results have loaded, copy and paste the entire page (CTRL/⌘-A to select, CTRL/⌘-C to copy, CTRL/⌘-V to paste) into a spreadsheet (or Google sheet)
    • Delete the top 20 or so lines of the file, leaving the line with 'Kit, Chr, Start Position, End Position, cM, SNPs, Name, Sex, Email' as the header row
    • Save this as a comma-separated-values (CSV) file and DNA Painter will recognise the format.
    • Please note: the content of the 'Kit', 'Sex' and 'Email' fields will be appended to the notes on imported segments

    Tip: if you have a parent tested and uploaded to Gedmatch, you can run the 'Phasing' tool to create separate kits of your maternal and paternal DNA. And if you then run the segment search using these phased kit numbers, you'll be able to import your maternal and paternal DNA separately and assign the matches to the correct chromosomes by editing the imported groups!

Importing a DNA painter map To download a CSV file from a DNA Painter map, visit 'All segment data' (click the settings cog icon above chromosome 1 and you'll find it under 'Reports') and click the '.csv file' link at the top left.

Please log in or register for a free account in order to use the bucketing tool

1. Select Main File

Select a CSV file of segments to work with. This can be from 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA, Gedmatch, Geneanet or MyHeritage

This does not appear to be a segment CSV file. Please check and try again.

Please review 'Where can I download...' above. If the file seems fine to you, please email it to info@dnapainter.com and I'll investigate!

Click below to select your segments CSV file

Selected file:

Now go to step 2 and select other files that you want to use for bucketing

◀ Go back and choose a different file

You have selected an FTDNA Chromosome Painter file. Since this doesn't have any match identifiers in it, it can't be used in this tool, sorry.

2. Select Other Files

For example, you could select segment or match lists from other testers on specific sides or branches of your family

Click below to select other CSV files

3. Filtering


Bucketing FAQ (read more in blog post)

What is this tool for?
It can help autosomal DNA testers to group matches into maternal and paternal, or link them to a common ancestor. It does this by filtering a list of segments using other lists of segments or matches from known relatives.
If I use this tool to bucket my matches using the match lists for paternal cousins, does this mean the segments in the output file are definitely all paternal?
It means that this person appears on your match list and on the list of one or more of your paternal cousins. It certainly suggests that the match may be on your paternal side, but depending on your own ancestral background, your degree of certainty will vary. And it's always possible that someone you see on a shared match list is related to the match in question in a completely different way to how you are related to them.
What kinds of file can I use?
  • The main file needs to be a CSV file of DNA segments. You should leave this in the same format as when you get it from the testing platform (MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, 23andMe, Geneanet or Gedmatch, or a DNA Painter map download).
  • The other files you use should be from the same testing platform so that the bucketer can match the IDs. These files can be segments files or match list files (available from FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage). You can also upload any CSV file with the match IDs in the first column (if you do this, please use a header 'BucketMatchID' so that the tool can recognise it).
How many files can I use, and how big can they be?
There is no in-built limit, but your computer may start to struggle if more than say 5 or 10 CSV files are used.
What if I don't have any close relatives tested?
Ideally, you will have access to DNA tests so that you can download the match lists of some known relatives. If you don't:
  • You could email any identified matches in your match list and ask them to send you their file
  • If you use Gedmatch, you can subscribe to their Tier 1 tools, which enables you to download a 'Segment search' report (essentially a segment list) for any DNA kit
What can I do with the output file?
The output file is a CSV file in the same format as the main uploaded file. You can import this into a DNA Painter chromosome map, or examine it using any spreadsheet software (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets)
Are there any other tools that do this kind of thing?
Yes! The DNA Painter Bucketing tool has been designed to be simple, flexible and accessible to anyone with a web browser, but there are other ways of achieving similar and also more detailed results:
  • Louis Kessler's excellent Double Match Triangulator software for Windows goes further and this tool by triangulating segments. It can also output a file ready to be imported into DNA Painter. You can find out more on his website at https://www.doublematchtriangulator.com/
  • Kent Jaffa was a fellow finalist in the DNA Innovation competition at RootsTech 2018 with MatchCompare, an Excel macro that does something similar to the Bucketing tool, but using match lists rather than segment lists
  • Many genealogists will use a 'home-brewed' technique Excel or other spreadsheet software

Testing platform notes