The abaqus upgrade utility will convert an input file or output database file from earlier releases of Abaqus to the current release. Input files based on the syntax of Abaqus 5.8 or later can be upgraded; output database files from Abaqus 6.1 or later can be upgraded. The abaqus upgrade utility will generate a log file (job-name.log) that contains error, warning, diagnostic, and informational messages. You should carefully review the conversion log file to ensure that changes made to the older release input file or output database file are appropriate. If no conversions are necessary, a message will be issued to the log file as well as to the screen.

Abaqus does not allow the use of dots (".") in set, surface, or rebar names in an input file except as delimiters between a part instance name and a set, surface, or rebar name. The abaqus upgrade utility will change dots to underscores ("_") for dots not used as delimiters. Manual conversion of dots to underscores will improve performance for very large input or include files.

The abaqus upgrade utility expects input files to be in free format; you can use the abaqus free utility to convert fixed format data to free format. See “Fixed format conversion utility,” Section 3.2.22.