The Migrate Custom Settings Tool

With the Migrate Custom Settings utility, you can migrate your custom Advance Steel settings and files from a previous release.

The migration interface organizes Advance Steel customization settings into groups and categories from which you can generate a migration summary report.

This migration utility transfers settings from an older version you specify to the version you chose to run the migration for. The utility for migrating settings in Advance Steel is located under:

Start All Programs Autodesk Advance Steel 20xx Migrate Custom Settings Migrate From a Previous Release

Note: After you install Advance Steel and launch it for the first time, the migration utility runs automatically. This only happens the first time you run Advance Steel. Otherwise, you can run the utility from the Windows Start menu.

The versions of Advance Steel that you can migrate your custom settings from are available in the tool dialog combo-box.	Note: The available versions in the combo-box depend on the version of Advance Steel you have installed on your computer. For Advance Steel 2019, you will have Advance Steel 2017 and 2018 to migrate from.
When migrating from Advance Steel 2018, because of the existence of language packs, the migration tool will work as described on the right.	The migration tool expects the 2019 version to have a current content and language (set in the switch content dialog for the English and French installations or by launching the product using the dedicated icon for the other language packs). Note: When you start multi-content languages, the migration tool launches after the content dialog, after the language is set. Once the content and language for the 2019 version are identified, the migration tool searches for the corresponding content and language in the 2018 version. The migration is performed using the same language and content source from the 2018 version as the one in the 2019 version. Note: The 2019 corresponding language and content do not need to be the active ones in the 2018 version, when the migration is performed.
Author migration is part of each item that performs a database migration: User Defined Section (AstorProfiles) Compound Profiles (AstorProfiles) Bolts/Anchors/Shear Studs (AstorBase) Gratings (AstorGratings) AstorAddIn Defaults (AstorSettings) Connection Library (AstorRules) Connection Interface (AstorRules) AstorBase attributes (AstorBase) Advanced detailing (AstorDetailsBase and AstorBase)	If all the items are checked for migration, the Author migration will be performed 8 times; but because the first one migrates all the Owners from the source table, the other 7 will do nothing (Author migration is done using the Key to compare the entries). This mechanism ensures that the Author is migrated for any users - the ones that migrate everything and the ones that want to migrate only a few items. Also, being embedded directly into the main migration item, no action is required for the Author migration. The customization migration is already set to migrate the owner, so if the owner entry is also migrated, the result of the migration will show the expected author in the Owner column.

Note: Any database replaced in the current version of Advance Steel will be backed up in its containing folder, in a Backup subfolder that also contains the date and time of the backup.

Note: The migration from .mdb files to the new .mdf format is automatically handled by the tool. The .mdf files are automatically deleted after the migration process.

Migrated Custom Settings, Files, Tables and Databases:

User Defined Sections (AstorProfiles)	These are sections that you can define either directly in the AstorProfiles database or by using the User Section command. The AstorProfiles database contains all the profiles (sections) in Advance Steel and it is located in the Steel\Data folder. The tool compares keys between new and old tables and adds them from the old to the new if the key is not found. When finding identical keys in the AstorProfiles database, the migration tool prefers the value found in the version of Advance Steel to which the migration is done. When choosing the User Defined Sections migration, a merge of the AstorProfiles database is done from one version to another (profile tables, ProfileMasterTable entries and Shape table entries). User sections are handled in an identical way as the standard shape tables. User sections are automatically created from a profile definition table (USR_) and an entry in the ProfileMasterTable after using the User Section command. The ProfileMasterTable holds a list of tables containing section classes that will be used by the software. The ProfileTypeClassDefinition table associates the table name with the profile type (e.g. I section).
Compound Profiles (AstorProfiles)	These are compound profile tables (including tapered beams) saved in Advance Steel. The migration tool prefers the newer entries from the AstorProfiles database, found in the version of Advance Steel to which the migration is done, when identifying duplicates. The table migration is handled the same way as for user defined sections. COMPOUND_* tables contain compound profiles. The CompoundMasterTable contains a list of tables with compound types which will be used by the software. Compound_tapered* tables contain data about tapered beams. Note: All used language columns must be filled for the section to be visible to the software.
Bolts/Anchors/Shear Studs (AstorBase)	These are all the tables that define connectors, located in the AstorBase database. Similar to profiles, all relevant tables for bolt, anchor and shear stud definitions are migrated, the migration tool preferring the AstorBase entries from the version to which the migration is done, when identifying duplicates. Relevant tables: Bolts: Screw, ScrewNew, SetBolts, SetNutsBolts, SetOfBolts, Sets, Sources, Standard, StandardNuts, StrengthClass, Tools, BoltsCoating, BoltsDiameters, BoltsDistances. Shear studs: ConnectorStandard, ConnectorRelations, ConnectorDiameters, ConnectorDistances, ConnectorMaterial. Anchors: AnchorsStandard, AnchorsName, AnchorsDefinition, AnchorsHoleDefinition.
Gratings (AstorGratings)	These are all the standard gratings, variable gratings and bar gratings that you define in the AstorGratings database tables (GratingStandardMaster, GratingVariableMaster and BarGrating) and are migrated similarly to profiles.
The AstorAddIn Database	The AstorAddIn database (containing user defined drawing styles, drawing processes, Bill of Materials templates, preferred sizes and materials and some tool palette settings) is copied to the newer Advance Steel version. Note: When migrating from a different language than the one installed on the current version, the category names for Preferred Sizes in the Management Tools application will be migrated, and, due to translation, only the preferred classes (beam, plate, bolt, etc) that have the same name on both languages will be available in the list.
Defaults (AstorSettings)	These are defaults and default profiles set in the Management Tools application and stored in the AstorSettings database, located in the Steel\Data folder. There are three important tables: DefaultInt, DefaultStr, DefaultDBL. These tables are available for each profile saved using the Management Tools application.
Connection Library (AstorRules)	These are all the connection settings saved in the library, stored in the AstorRules database (located in the Steel\Data folder). When finding identical keys in the AstorRules database, the migration tool prefers the value found in the version of Advance Steel to which the migration is done.
Connections Interface - Allowed Sections (AstorRules)	These are sections that are relevant for different types of connections. The JointsGUIAllowSection table from the AstorRules database is merged, ignoring the keys and using a full content comparison of the values in the JointName and JointControl columns. If new values are identified, new keys are added.
Support Files	These are all the BOM templates, prototypes, symbols (including the ones mentioned in the C40_SymbolPath default), templates, transformations, connection and standard part templates and they are located in C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Advance Steel 20XX\[LANG]\Shared\Support. The older files are copied if the creation date is different from the modified date. In case of conflicts, the migration tool prefers the filles from the older version of Advance Steel.
User Interface Customization	These are all the settings you make, related to the tool palettes, such as the palette content, preview images, category images, colors, etc. These settings are stored in xml files ( AstBuildingGenerator, AstDetailsData, AstPaletteData, AstTemplatesData, ConnectionVaultData, AstProcessesData) located in C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Advance Steel 20XX\[LANG]\Steel\Support\Toolbars. The configuration xml is copied if the creation date is different from the modified date. The xml is merged for new and/or deleted commands and in case of conflicts, the settings from the current version are preserved. Note: You cannot only choose to migrate the User Interface Customization category without also checking the AstorAddin database category, because the User Interface Customization migration depends on the AstorAddin, needing the following tables from the database: DetailMasterTable for preview images and detail styles. DetBaseCategories for category images and category names. DetailProcessDefinition for preview images and process styles. DetailProcessCategories for category images and category names. ReportTypes for category images and category names. ReportTemplates for preview images and BOM names. Note: In order to migrate user defined category icons (such as images used in the Drawing processes tool palette, for example), they must be defined in the XML file, using absolute paths (e.g. C:\Example\Pictures\Picture.png). The migration tool only migrates the XML nodes defining the palettes (the pictures are not migrated).
Advanced detailing (AstorDetailsBase and AstorBase)	DetAcadSettings: Compare Method: [Key] is compared. Scope: This table stores color configuration options that can be used for custom object presentations. Here is where you make modifications if you need a specific color. This is often requested on very specific output configurations or when the color is mapped to the line weight printing options.
	DetObjQualifier: Compare Method: [Key] is compared. Scope: This table stores the combination between the detail role (attached part, main part, etc.) and model type (beam, plate, grating) used to define a model object. Because the out-of-the-box configuration does not include all possible combinations, you can use this table to create custom configurations.
	Scale: Compare Method: [Key] is compared. Scope: This table contains the detailing scales. This is the only table containing these scales and if you would need to define custom scales, you would do it in this table.
	CameraTypes: Compare Method: [Key] is compared (Key is a string). Scope: The table contains custom camera types that can be associated to camera elements in the model, and further to various detailing filtering for processes and styles. You would modify this table if you need custom cameras.
	Symbols: Compare Method: [Key] is compared (Key is a string). Scope: This table contains the detailing symbols. This is the only table containing these configurations and if you would need to define custom configurations, you would do it in this table.
AstorBase attributes (AstorBase)	ApprovalComment: Compare Method: [Key] is compared (Key is a string). Scope: This table exists in both Base and AddIn. You would usually make custom settings in the AstorAddIn database. The reason why the AstorBase database is also migrated is to accommodate users that need to make and migrate custom settings for sharing purposes. The table stores custom approval comments for Advance Steel elements.
	ApprovalStatus: Compare Method: [Id] is compared. Scope: This table exists in both Base and AddIn. You would usually make custom settings in the AstorAddIn database. The reason why the AstorBase database is also migrated is to accommodate users that need to make and migrate custom settings for sharing purposes. The table stores custom approval statuses for Advance Steel elements.
	Coating: Compare Method: [Key] is compared (Key is a string). Scope: This table exists in both Base and AddIn. You would usually make custom settings in the AstorAddIn database. The reason why the AstorBase database is also migrated is to accommodate users that need to make and migrate custom settings for sharing purposes. The table stores custom coating attributes for Advance Steel elements.
	MapInternToExtern: Compare Method: [Internal] string is compared. (The Key cannot be used in this case because the table is auto-numbered, and you cannot choose a custom key range). Scope: This table exists in both Base and AddIn. You would usually make custom settings in the AstorAddIn database. The reason why the AstorBase database is also migrated is to accommodate users that need to make and migrate custom settings for sharing purposes. The table stores custom mapping rules.
	Material: Compare Method: [Key] is compared (Key is a string). Scope: This table exists in both Base and AddIn. You would usually make custom settings in the AstorAddIn database. The reason why the AstorBase database is also migrated is to accommodate users that need to make and migrate custom settings for sharing purposes. The table stores custom material attributes for Advance Steel elements.
	ModelRole: Compare Method: [Key] is compared (Key is a string). Scope: This table exists in both Base and AddIn. You would usually make custom settings in the AstorAddIn database. The reason why the AstorBase database is also migrated is to accommodate users that need to make and migrate custom settings for sharing purposes. The table stores custom model role attributes for Advance Steel elements.
	Notes: Compare Method: [Key] is compared (Key is a string). Scope: This table exists in both Base and AddIn. You would usually make custom settings in the AstorAddIn database. The reason why the AstorBase database is also migrated is to accommodate users that need to make and migrate custom settings for sharing purposes. The table stores custom denotation attributes for Advance Steel elements.
	Text: Compare Method: [Key] is compared (Key is a string). Scope: This table exists in both Base and AddIn. You would usually make custom settings in the AstorAddIn database. The reason why the AstorBase database is also migrated is to accommodate users that need to make and migrate custom settings for sharing purposes. The table stores custom weld additional data attributes for Advance Steel welds.
	WeldShape: Compare Method: [RunName] is compared. Scope: The table stores weld shape configurations that map shape combo-box values to weld symbol layer setups.
	WeldType: Compare Method: [RunName] is compared. Scope: The table stores weld shape configurations that map shape combo-box values to weld symbol layer setups.