Vectorworks Migration Manager

Command

Path

Migration Manager

Tools

The Vectorworks Migration Manager helps with the transition to a new version of the software. Use the Migration Manager to quickly and easily migrate data from your user folder to the new version. User data that can be migrated includes custom workspaces, template files, library files, Vectorworks preferences, some kinds of mapping data, saved sets for some tools and commands, and more, as listed below.

The first time the Vectorworks program launches after installation, it automatically checks for previous versions of Vectorworks installed on your machine. If it finds any instances of Vectorworks from the five previous versions, you have the option of launching the Vectorworks Migration Manager. In addition, you can open the Migration Manager at any time after installation.

To open the Vectorworks Migration Manager:

If launching a new version of Vectorworks for the first time, click Yes if you are prompted to migrate your user data. Otherwise, select the command at any time.

The Migration Manager can migrate user data from the previous five versions of Vectorworks; data from older versions can't be migrated. 

The Vectorworks Migration Manager dialog box opens.

Read about the Migration Manager process, and then click Next.

Select the location of the user data to be migrated, and the location where it will be migrated. By default, the most recent previous version of the Vectorworks user data is set as the migration source, and the output is set to that of the version that launched the Migration Manager. Click Next.

The migratable user data in the source folder are listed for selection. Only migratable data types for which you have user data are listed for potential migration. For example, workspaces are listed for migration only if there are custom workspaces in the source folder. 

Select All Migratable User Data to migrate all data, or select specific items to migrate. Click Next.

If third-party products were installed using the Install Partner Products command, they can also be migrated, if they are available for the new Vectorworks version (see Access to third-party products).

If workspaces are to be migrated, select the migration options and click Next.

Customized keyboard shortcuts and snapping keys can be preserved with the workspace; if these options are deselected, the keyboard shortcuts and snapping keys from the new version are used.

Commands and tools introduced in Vectorworks since the source version can be automatically added to your custom workspace’s menus and tool sets; this option is recommended. The migrated workspace may not contain the needed location for new items; in that case, new tools are placed in a New Tools tool set, and commands are placed in a New menu. You can verify the proper location for the new items by looking at the default workspaces or by referring to the online help system. If this option is deselected, you will need to use the Workspace Editor to manually add new commands and tools to the migrated workspaces.

Tools and commands that are considered legacy in the new version can be automatically removed from the migrated workspaces; this option is recommended.

To review or change any migration settings, click Back. When ready, return to the final pane and click Migrate.

For preferences and settings that are unique in the software, the migrated files replace the originals, but the original files are preserved and appended with the suffix -Original in case they need to be restored. For other data types that can have multiple functional versions, such as workspaces and plant catalogs, the migrated files are appended with the suffix -Migrated to help distinguish among versions. The suffixes are automatically incremented if necessary.

Tool preferences and dialog box sizes and locations are not migrated.

Template files, favorite files, and library files are automatically converted to the new version.

When the migration is complete, the results display. Click View Report to view a detailed migration report. The report is saved as a .txt file in the migration output folder.

Click Finish.

Migratable user data

Migratable user data, and their locations in the Vectorworks structure and the Migration Manager, include:

Preferences

Vectorworks Preferences.xml

SavedSettings.xml (Line end markers only)

Select Similar tool settings files

Lighting Device Parameters set file

Plant database

DXF/DWG/DWF setting files

Door Hardware Library.txt

Data Manager mapping sets

Eyedropper tool setting files

Spell Checking dictionary

Libraries

VWX files

Color palettes

Notes

Story support

Energy analysis

Workspaces

VWW files

Templates

STA files

Favorites

VWX files

Plug-in Data

Plug-in defined data

Title block border data

Concept: Product workspaces

Vectorworks preferences: User Folders pane

User data and preferences folder

 

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