About Migrating from Previous Releases

The Migration Utility migrates settings and files from a previous AutoCAD Electrical toolset release to the current release. Many files within AutoCAD Electrical toolset are customizable. The Migration Utility migrates these custom changes to the current release. You select which files to migrate and which migration option to use. There are three migration workflows:

Note:
  • The Merge Utility, which was previously used to merge database files and panel content, has been integrated into the Migration Utility. It is no longer a separate utility.
  • To use the AEMIGRATION command, install the latest 64-bit version of Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016.

Files types for migration

The Migration Utility supports many files types. Various default folders are searched for these file types. The following default paths are searched by the Migration Utility. You can have the Migration Utility look in other folders.

Note: Files are migrated to the current folder structure.

There are two migration options depending on the file type.

Use this table to see which files the Migration Utility supports, the default search paths, and the available migration options for each file type.

File Type

Default Folder

File

Migration Options

Environment File

Data

wd.env

Copy or Merge

Symbol menu

User Support

*.dat

Copy or Merge

Library menu images

User Support

*.dll and *.slb

Copy

Miscellaneous slide images

User Support

*.sld and *.png

Copy

Style images

PLC and Install\acade

*.bmp

Copy

Catalog database

Catalogs

default_cat.mdb

Copy or Merge

Footprint lookup database

Catalogs

footprint_lookup.mdb

Copy or Merge

Schematic lookup database

Catalogs

schematic_lookup.mdb

Copy

PLC database

PLC

ace_plc.mdb

Copy or Merge

Pick list database

Catalogs

wd_picklist.mdb

Copy

Dinrail

Catalogs

wddinrl.xls

Copy

Language conversion database

Catalogs

wd_lang1.mdb

Copy

Library symbols

Library

all folders

Copy

User circuits

User

*.dwg

Copy

Drawing templates

Registry template path

*.dwt

Copy

Table styles

Program support

tablestyle.dwg

Copy or Merge

Line types

User Support

Acade.lin

Copy or Merge

Recent project list

User Support

lastproj.fil

Copy

Installation, Location code

User

*.inst, *.loc

Copy

Description list

User Support

*.wdd

Copy

Rating defaults

User Support

*.wdr

Copy

External component tag list

User

*.wdx

Copy

Spreadsheet to PLC setup

User

*.wdi

Copy

Equipment list setup

User

*.wde

Copy

Wire color/gauge label

User

*.wdw

Copy

Terminal number filter

Project

*.wdn

Copy

Terminal strip table setup

User

*.tsl

Copy

Conduit setup

Program Support

*.wwl

Copy

Plot paper size

Program Support

Generic paper size.txt

Copy

Title block mapping

Project

*.wdt

Copy

Title block line label mapping

User

*.wdl

Copy

Family tag mapping

User

wd_fam.dat

Copy

PLC mapping

User Support

wdmbblks.bsf

Copy

RSlogix code mapping

Program Support

*.wdf

Copy

Unity Pro symbol mapping

User

*.map

Copy

User-defined attributes

User

*.uda

Copy

Report settings

User

*.set

Copy

Report groups

User

*.rgf

Copy

Table mapping file for catalog merges

You can choose to impose an input mapping file to direct where to place the data inside the catalog destination database. The mapping file (named ACEDBMergeUtil.map) is located in the same directory as the main executable program.

Note: There are additional mappings for vendors, catalog numbers, and fields. See the mapping file for information about these mappings. The default file location is C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD {version}\AcadE\.

To consolidate all the timer relay (TD) tables into one table, use the mapping file. It controls which tables to take from the source database and place into the destination database under a single table.

[Table map]

; <SRC_TABLE>=<DEST_TABLE>

TD1N=TD

TD1NT=TD

TD1NF=TD

TD1FT=TD

Wildcard mapping for catalog database tables is allowed on the source (left) database side of the mapping file. For example, TD*=TD. When the table or wildcard mapping is used and the source database table is component-specific, the merge utility places the table name into the WDBLKNAM field of the destination database. It provides the symbol name for the initial filter used in the catalog lookup window.

Table mapping files for footprint lookup database merges

A mapping file for the footprint lookup database (ACEDBMergeUtil_footprint_lookup.map) is provided. This file follows the same rules as the mapping file for catalog merges (ACEDBMergeUtil.map). No rules are predefined in this mapping file. The file ia a framework that needs to be modified to provide customized merges.

Note: The default file location is C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD {version}\AcadE\. See the file for further instructions on how to format and construct the mapping strings.

PLC Database

The Spreadsheet to PLC/IO utility uses the module category to calculate the insertion point of a module.

Before 2009, the Spreadsheet to PLC/IO utility determined the module category based on the value in the DESCRIPTION field or the PLC database table name. For example, if the DESCRIPTION field contained the string “*IN*”, it was considered an input module. In 2009 or later, the PLC database contains a CATEGORY field. If the PLC database file is migrated, the Migration Utility automatically runs the PLC Database Migration utility using the following default settings.

Input

DI*,AI*,*INP*,*IN *,*IN,*IN/*

Output

DO*,AO*,D0*,A0*,*OUT*

Combination

*OTHER*,IO*,I0*

The PLC Database Migration utility compares the values in the DESCRIPTION field of the PLC database to default values for input, output, or combination. If a match is not made, the database table name is compared. If a match is made to the DESCRIPTION field or table name, the correct CATEGORY value is entered for that module.

The PLC Database Migration utility updates all tables in the PLC database based on these values.

Note: Blank spaces within the text are included as part of the search string. For example, “IN{space}*” matches “IN module” but does not match “INPUT”.

wd.env merge

The wd.env file can contain settings that direct AutoCAD Electrical toolset where to locate certain files. These files can include the catalog and lookup databases, slide libraries, and user circuits. The paths from the migrated wd.env file are used when these dependent files are migrated.

For example:

Migration Option

Previous version wd.env

Current version wd.env

Final wd.env

Merge - Overwrite

WD_CAT=n:\shared\

WD_CAT={default path}

WD_CAT=n:\shared\

Merge

WD_CAT=n:\shared\

WD_CAT={default path}

WD_CAT={default path}

If you also select the catalog database for migration, the data from the source catalog database is migrated to the destination catalog database based on the selected migration options, for example merge - overwrite. The suggested destination folder for the migrated catalog database is the path in the migrated wd.env.

If you change the migration status of the wd.env file, you are prompted to update these dependent files to make sure that the location of each file matches the wd.env settings.

Log file

Each time you run the Migration Utility, the migration information is written to the file acemigration.log. This log file contains the date of the migration, the user name, and information about the files migrated. The log file is stored in the User folder. The default location is C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\AutoCAD Electrical {version}\{release number}\{language code}\Support\User\.

Back-up copies

A back-up copy of each migrated file is made. The back-up file is created in the same directory as the original file and its name is the same as the original, but with the extension ".bak."

Note: Backup copies are not created for library symbol drawing files and slide images.