The abaqus upgrade utility will convert an input file or output database file from earlier versions of ABAQUS to the current version. Input files based on the syntax of Version 5.8 of ABAQUS or later can be upgraded; output database files from Version 6.1 of ABAQUS 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 version input 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 “Execution procedure for fixed format conversion utility,” Section 3.2.16.