This FAQ is valid from 24.04.2023, from then on a new Allplan Exchange Online Service will be available to you.

Hello,
 

as announced in September 2022 we have revised and modernized the current Allplan Exchange Online service.
Now it's time to "move". In this email we explain what this means for you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The switch to the new Allplan Exchange Online service will take place all day on Monday, 24rd of April 2023.

The web address of Allplan Exchange remains unchanged: https://exchange.allplan.com

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IMPORTANT information:

• The existing Allplan Exchange Online service will be stopped on the day of the transition (no read access), your plan and project data, as well as all verified user data, will be migrated by us to the new Allplan Exchange Online service.
• Use of the new Allplan Exchange Online service will only be possible in conjunction with Allplan version 2023.
• We will send you a reminder email one week before the transition day so that you can make backups if necessary and plan the upgrade to Allplan version 2023.
• Older Allplan versions will no longer have a connection to the new Allplan Exchange Online service after the switch.
• After the transition, your Exchange account will have the same password as all our Allplan online services (e.g. Connect, Bimplus, Learn Now, etc. ).

What do you need to do actively?

• Please perform an Allplan upgrade to Allplan 2023 after the transition date.
• In the upgrade setup, please use the option " The program will be updated; all project data,
  office settings, and user settings will be transferred".
  This is the only way we can ensure the continuous history of your online planning data.

Further information:

• The product name "Allplan Exchange" will remain.
• For data protection reasons, we will only transfer the minimum amount of personal data to the new Allplan Exchange Online service.
• Only the data entered online will be considered during the transition.
• The Exchange offline function is not affected by this changeover.
• Only confirmed user accounts will be transferred to the new system.
• E-mails sent from the old Allplan Exchange Online service and the download links they contain will no longer work after the transition. Instead, the new Allplan Exchange Online service has the Inbox, which contains an overview of all delivered plan data.
• Even after the transition, the familiar workflows from the old Allplan Exchange Online service remain in place.
• The desktop Chrome browser is the preferred browser for an optimized experience using the new Allplan Exchange at this time, but the application is available through other browsers and on mobile devices (but not optimized just yet)

What you can do:

• You can manually back up your online data and plan distribution lists before the transition. (FAQ)
• Have you forgotten your password? You can assign your password again here. (FAQ)
• Get started quickly with the new Allplan Exchange Online service. (FAQ)

If you have any further questions, please contact support.de (please no spam) @ (please no spam) allplan.com

This transition is necessary to keep our systems up to date, secure and stable.

We apologize for any inconvenience during this time and thank you for your patience and understanding while we perform this necessary work.

Best regards,

Your Allplan Exchange Team

Question:

How can I check out a computer and continue to work as a normal CAD user with my usual settings and permissions?



Answer:

Install the "Microsoft Loopback Adapter" driver.
This driver is necessary so that network services are running on the computer all the time.
Go to Allplan Connect for a detailed description: https://connect.allplan.com/en/faqid/000162ae.html


Sign in as the Allplan administrator to the computer.


Step 1: add the computer to workgroup manager
You must add the computer to the workgroup so that you can store data (data server) on this computer. Do the following:

Create data folders:
Create a folder - for example, “Nemdata” - on the computer and share it (full control).
Create the “Allplan” subfolder in this folder. Create two subfolders - “usr” and “prj” - in the Allplan folder.
In this example: “...\Nemdata\Allplan\prj” and “...\Nemdata\Allplan\usr”

To share a folder for the Allplan file storage

1. Start File Explorer on the computer that you want to use for file storage and switch to the folder that you want to share (in this example, the “Nemdata” folder).
2. Right-click the folder that you want to share and select Give access to -> Specific peopleon the shortcut menu.
3. Select Everyoneand click Share.

Add computer:

1. Start the Services application as the workgroup administrator.
2. Click and select Manage computers and projects.
3. Click the Add any computer to Allplan workgroupicon and select the computer that you want to add.
4. Select the “Allplan” subfolder under the share and click “OK” to confirm. This computer is now listed under workgroup server.
   

Note:If you have problems adding the computer to workgroup manager, read the following instructions:
https://connect.allplan.com/en/faqid/20200317162849.html



Step 2: define project owner
A user can only move a project if the user is the owner of this project.
The ownership of a project can only be changed by an Allplan administrator (or the owner of the project).
Allplan -> File -> ProjectPilot ->
Go to the “Projects” node, right-click the required project and click Propertieson the shortcut menu.
Define the owner.


Step 3: move projects
Sign in as the user who wants to check out the computer.
Select the Services application -> Workgroup Manager -> Manage computers and projects.
Click the main server and select the project that you want to move.
Drag the projects one after the other to the computer to be checked out.

Important note: You can take projects with you in several ways.

1. You move the project to the computer.
Move project: Drag the project to the destination computer, or open the shortcut menu of the project and click “Cut”. After this, open the shortcut menu of the destination computer and click “Paste”.
After you have checked in the computer, move the project back to the server so that it is available to all and included in backups again.

2. You copy projects. Click a project, select and hold the Ctrl key and drag the project to the destination computer. Or: Open the shortcut menu of the project and click “Copy”. After this, open the shortcut menu of the destination computer and click “Paste”.

You can continue in two ways: Lock the original project on the server to protect it from changes. Consequently, nobody in the office can work on this project, but it is still on the server. When you check in the computer again, you unlock the project on the server, delete the project and copy your copy back to the server if you have changed the project.
Alternatively, both projects remain active. Consequently, both the project copied and the original on the server can be worked on. In this case, however, you must adjust the data manually when you are back in the office by copying the changed drawing files of the projects by using ProjectPilot.




Step 4: check out the computer
Select the Services application -> Workgroup Manager -> Manage computers and projects.
Click your computer and then click Check outin the lower-right area.
Confirm the message that tells you that there are still user folders on the computer to be checked out.
Enter a comment and click OK. Users in the office see this comment when they try to access a project that is on the computer that is checked out.
Specify the parts of the office standard you want to copy to the computer and click OK to confirm.
The first time you check out the computer, you must copy the office standard once so that the entire STD folder is on this computer. This is no longer necessary when you check out the computer afterward because the contents of the STD folder do not change very often.


Conclusion:

You can now remove the computer from the network and work on your projects when you are out of the office. To make sure that the projects are not changed in the office in the meantime, the projects that are on the computer checked out are locked for the CAD users on the network. These users see the comment you entered when you checked out the computer.



Notes:

• You can only check out a computer to which you are signed in. You cannot check out another computer over the network.
• Projects on this computer must be neither locked nor in use.
• For installations with license server: You must also borrow a license from the license server for the computer you want to check out.
  
  
  Description of the Nemetschek Softlock license server:
  https://connect.allplan.com/en/faqid/20120321113607.html
  
  Description of WiBu license server:
  Allplan 2016: https://connect.allplan.com/en/faqid/20150618134322.html
  Allplan 2017 and later: https://connect.allplan.com/en/faqid/20160523165423.html

Task:

You have installed Allplan locally on several workstations and now wish to change the installation to access a shared network drive with the data store.



Note:

Before you switch to a network installation, you must back up the data of all workstations.
We highly recommend that this work be carried out by a technician. Your sales partner will be happy to provide you with a quote for this.



Solution:

For cases where Allplan is installed locally and the project data is also stored locally on each computer, the following description shows how to change to workstations with a common network drive for common file storage.

1. Getting ready
Choose one of the workstations where you will install all the projects and the office standard (hereinafter referred to as the main workstation).
First, move all the projects to the main workstation.

1.a: copying resources into projects
To make sure that the projects in your office have a uniform appearance, change the path settings for the projects' resources to 'Project'.
Make the following setting for each project:
Allplan -> File -> ProjectPilot - Admin. -> Select projects individually -> right mouse button -> Properties -> Settings tab
Change the path settings for 'Pen and line definitions', 'Fonts', 'patterns, hatching styles, area styles', 'bar and mesh cross-section catalogs', 'layer structures, line styles, drawing types' and 'attributes proposed' from 'Office' to 'Project', if necessary.
The corresponding elements are copied from the office standard directly to the project. This ensures that the project settings stay the same even when you copy the project to the new server with the new office standard.

1.b: pen color ("Color stands for pen")
The pen color for the "Color stands for pen" setting is a user-specific setting that is not saved to the project but to the user folder (...\Usr).

2.a: Importing projects from individual workstations to the main workstation
The projects of the secondary workstations can now be imported at the main workstation via the tool "New Project, Open Project -> Import project". Here you can import one or more projects or zipped project backups from any path. You can select the projects in the “import project” dialog box and import them into the current version. The source version is displayed in the version column.

The main workstation contains the latest version of all the projects of the office.

3. merging project defaults
To do this, copy the elements to be transferred (symbols, smart symbols, lists, etc.) on the secondary workstations in ProjectPilot to the external path, which can of course be set to a shared network folder.
In a second step, copy the elements to be transferred to the office standard on the main workstation in ProjectPilot via the external path.

4. Transfer the central file storage folder from the main computer to the future server:

• Before the switch, create a folder on the server (e.g. Data) and share this folder with anyone with full access (e.g. as Data). Create a subfolderAllplanunder it. (e.g. \\server\Data\Allplan). Allplan works with UNC path. In the case of a network installation, there must therefore be a folder for the central file storage on which Allplan 2022 is to be installed that is shared by all computers.
  1.
• Exit Allplan on all Allplan workstations.
  1.
• Open the Allplan Diagnostic Tool on the first computer viaServices application - > Service - > Allplan Diagnostics. Switch to the "Settings" tab.
  1.
• Under the field "Workgroup settings” press "Search...". In the browser that appears, you can search for the new share by entering the UNC name of the new server at the top followed by the share or the complete path and confirm with Enter. Select your new central file storage folder and confirm with OK. Please note that the new path must conform to UNC only when using the Workgroup Manager. For example: \\server\Data\Allplan)
  1.
• To start the migration, please press "Apply". This will start the copying process and change the configuration. The data is not moved but copied and this workstation is now converted and accesses the new data store.

• You can now switch all the workstations to the future network installation via the same process. For the other workstations, the copying process of the project and STD folder is prevented with a corresponding note, because the routine already recognizes these folders on the new server. Only the configurations on the computer are changed.
  

5. Optional: Activate Workgroup Manager (if the licenses include it)

Please refer to the following FAQ to enable the Workgroup Manager on the workstations:

https://connect.allplan.com/en/faqid/20211001075702.html

6. Summary:
All the workstations access a common network drive with the same project pool and office standard.
Without the Workgroup Manager, only one user can access a project at the same time. Simultaneous work of multiple users in one project is only possible in an Allpan installation with the Workgroup Manager, if the license includes it. Please see section 5.

Task:

You have installed Allplan on several workstations in the network with a shared data storage and now additionally you want to work on this shared network drive with Workgroupmanager.



Notes:

Before making this change, it is essential to perform a complete data backup on the server and on all workstations.
We recommend to have this work done by an experienced technician!
The conversion may only be carried out within one version, i.e. if necessary, then the upgrade to the same version should be carried out first and only after the upgrade has been completed should the conversion described here be carried out.


Instructions:

For the network installation, the data is on the server.
However, the configuration files for the workgroup manager are missing. These are only installed during a new installation.
The new installation can be done - if the following steps are followed - in the existing 'central file storage folder'.

Preparation
Open the Allmenu/Services at all workstations and note the following paths, which are displayed in the Allmenu window:
User folder
Central file storage folder (this should be the same on all workstations)


First update your license on all workstations.

In order to be able to use the Workgroupmanager function, you must have purchased it additionally. You will then receive an update for your license(s).
Perform the update as follows: https://connect.allplan.com/de/faqid/20150618142528.html.



1. Uninstall Allplan
Uninstall (only) Allplan on one workstation.


2. New installation
Now perform a new installation of the same version on this workstation again.
Since your license now includes the Workgroupmanager option, this option should also be displayed in the setup.

During the installation, enter the following installation paths:
Workgroupmanager:
check
Program folder:
local (e.g. C:\Programs\Nemetschek\Allplan)
Central file storage folder:
Browse -> Network... select
Enter here again the central file storage folder which you have determined before in the Allmenu.

Afterwards the installation can take place.


3. Test start, create new users and restore backup
After successful installation, test the Allplan start once.´and close Allplan again.

Then, as administrator, create the new users who will work with Allplan via:

Allmenu -> Workgroupmanager -> Manage users -> Right click -> Create user.

Under "User name", a freely selectable Allplan user name with up to 8 characters in length can be assigned.
Under "Windows user name", the user name that the user uses when logging on to the computer must be specified.
Important: If the user logs on to the computer via a domain, this must also be specified under "Windows user name", e.g.: DOMAIN\User

Under "User group" the administration right can be granted:
Administrator" must be selected in the drop-down menu. Existing users can thus also be granted administration rights at a later date.

When setting up the user folder, always select the server here.

Then copy the contents of the previous local user folder (...\usr\local) from the local computer to the new user folder of the newly created user via the Explorer. The user folder is located on the server under ...\Nemdata\usr\<username>.


4. Update project management file
Rename the project.dat file in the server folder...\Nemdaten\Allplan\Net to project.alt. Then perform the following steps:
Allmenu -> Service -> Hotline Tools -> reorg -> Restore project administration file.


5. Set up user rights for the projects
Start Allplan as Allplan administrator and assign the access rights for the projects to the newly created users via

Allplan -> File -> ProjectPilot / Administration

Select the Projects node and mark the desired projects in the right-hand window, to which authorized users are to be added or removed (CTRL or Shift key).

Right-click on one of the selected projects and then click Add / Remove Authorized Persons... in the context menu.
The Add / Remove Authorized Users dialog box appears.

In the list, check all the users you want to add or remove as permissions to the selected projects.
Hint:
The displayed user list is for selection purposes only; it does not represent an overview of the permissions currently assigned to the projects.

Click Add or Remove.
The selected users are added to or removed from the project as authorized persons. It does not matter whether already assigned permissions are added again or unassigned users are removed.


Setting project owners for multiple projects
In the ProjectPilot, in the right window, select the desired projects for which you want to set the owner (CTRL or Shift key).

Right-click on one of the selected projects and then click Change Project Owner... in the context menu.
The Set owner dialog box appears.

In the list, select the user you want to set as the owner of the selected projects.
Note: The displayed list of users is for selection purposes; only one user can be set as the owner.

Click OK.


7. Add the remaining workstations to the workgroup
You can subsequently switch on the workgroup manager on the remaining workstations and do not have to reinstall Allplan on these computers.

Open the following key in the registry editor

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Nemetschek\Allplan\'Version number'\InstallTrace


Change the value NETMANAGER from off to on.
Restart the allmenu. If the user has been set up as described above, the allmenu now opens with the note Workgroupmanager: YES and the user path on the server.

This completes the changeover.

Question:


How can the "central file storage folder" of an existing Allplan installation be moved to a new server?

General:

Before the changeover, make sure that a current data backup of the central file storage is available.
The data is not moved but copied during the changeover.
To avoid duplicate data storage, all workstations of the existing network installation should be migrated in this way. These instructions apply equally to installations with and without workgroup manager.


Answer:

1. Before the changeover, create a folder on the new server (e.g. Data) and share this folder with everyone with full access (e.g. as Data). Create a subfolder Allplan under it. (e.g. \\Server\Daten\Allplan).Allplan works with UNC path. This means that for a network installation, a folder must exist for the central file storage on which Allplan 2022 is to be installed, which is shared by all computers.
2. Exit Allplan on all workstations.
3. Open the Allplan Diagnostic Tool via Allmenu->Service->Allplan Diagnostics. There you switch to the tab "Settings"
4. Under the "Workgroup Settings" field press "Browse". In the browser that appears, you can browse for the new share by entering the UNC name of the new server or the complete path at the top and confirming with Enter. Select your new central file storage folder and confirm with OK. Note that if you are using the Workgroup Manager, the new path must be entered in a UNC-compliant way only. (e.g.: \\Servername\ nemdata\2022)
5. To start the changeover, press the "Set" button. The copy process starts and the configuration is changed. The data is not moved but copied and this workstation is now converted and accesses the new data store.

Note:

To avoid duplicate data storage, all workstations of the existing network installation should now be converted via the same path. For the other workstations, the copying process of the project and STD folder is prevented with a corresponding note, since the routine already recognizes these folders on the new server. only the configurations on the computer are changed.

Important note when using Workgroupmanager if data has been copied in advance via Explorer:

If you have already copied the data from the old server to the new one, only the path will be adjusted in the Diagnostic Tool, because the path already contains the relevant folders "prj" and "std" and "net". I.e. the important files which are relevant for the workgroup manager are not adapted and must be edited afterwards absolutely by hand!

Changes on the server
Enter the new server name in the following files on the new server. You can find these files in the NET folder, which is a subfolder of the central file storage folder. You can open the files in an editor and edit them there.

data.cfg
· Enter the server name in CAPITAL LETTERS (also applies to user.cfg and project.dat!), for example, SERVER.
· Do not delete the blanks after the server name.
· If the share name or folder name has changed, you need to enter the new name after the blanks.

user.cfg
· Since Allplan 2014 this file is encrypted and is saved in ANSI format
· Open the files with editor. After the = change the server name to new name, use CAPITAL LETTERS (without any blanks).
· When finished click on file in the left top and chose save file as
· File name: user.cfg
· File type: text file (*.txt)
· Encyryption(Coding): ANSI
· Save

Note: if the server name is not shown in user.cfg please contact us again by sending your fuser.cfg and the new server name.

project.dat
· Rename the "project.dat.xml" file "project.alt.xml".
· Then go to step "2. Changes on the workstations". Complete the process for one workstation!
· When you have finished, do the following:
Services application -> Service -> Hotline Tools -> reorg -> Restore project management file -> OK

Question:

What does this error message mean and how can I fix it? How can I change the path and switch from server to local?


Response:

For the use of Allplan Share, a defined path for the "LocaldataPath" is used for the temporary storage of the project data to be edited. Since Allplan 2021, a default setting has been made that the LocaldataPath should always be in the Windows user. However, for customers who place their users on the server or in the cloud, the problem arises that 80 characters are exceeded. There is a possibility to change this path to local by creating a registry entry.

Notice:

The procedure described below is carried out at your own risk.
Questions about this should definitely be clarified before practical implementation.
Always make a copy of a file before making changes to it.
Before changing registry entries, create a backup of the registry key to be modified by exporting the key in the registry editor under File->export....
We recommend that this work be carried out by an experienced technician.


Proceed as follows:

Be sure to close Allplan before making the change so that no data loss or errors can occur.

1. Create a new folder on a local drive C: or D: of the computer used for Allplan with the name "Local data" and the subfolder "Allplan" (e.g. C:\Local data\Allplan) .
2. In Windows, as administrator, start the Windows Registry Editor (Start-> Run-> Regedit).
3. In the registry, open the key of your version in the left column:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Nemetschek\Allplan\2021.0\InstallRoot
or e.g. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Nemetschek\Allplan\2022.0\InstallRoot
...
4. In the right-hand window, click with the right mouse button and select New -> String.
Create a string with the name LocalDataDrive and a string with the name LocalDataPath.
5. In the right column of the registry editor, double-click the left mouse button to activate the edit mode for the "LocalDataDrive" key and enter the drive you have selected for the local file storage (e.g. C: ) and confirm the change with "OK". The change in the registry editor is then applied.
6. Then activate the editing mode for the key "LocalDataPath" in the right column of the registry editor by double-clicking the left mouse button and enter the additional path defined for the local file storage (e.g. \LocalDataPath ) and confirm the change with "OK". The change is then adopted in the registry editor. The result should look like this:

7. Close the Registration Editor. Allplan now uses the newly defined path for the Allplan Share cache.
Restart the Allmenu and you will see the local path displayed there.

Task:

You have installed Allplan on several workstations in the network and now additionally want to work on this shared network drive with Workgroupmanager.



Notes:

Before making this change, it is essential to make a complete data backup on the server and on all workstations.
The conversion may only be carried out within one version, i.e. if necessary, the upgrade to the same version should be carried out first and only after the upgrade has been completed should the conversion described here be carried out.
Please ensure in advance that your license contains the "Workgroup manager" option or has been updated accordingly. Otherwise Allplan cannot be started after the conversion.


Response:

1. Exit Allplan on all workstations. Start the changeover on any workstation in the network. Open the Allplan Diagnostic Tool via Allmenu->Service->Allplan Diagnostics. Switch to the "Settings" tab.
3. Under the field "Workgroup Settings" check the box "Workgroup Manager" and confirm with "Set". Confirm the two messages stating that STD and PRJ already exist and will not be copied with "Yes". The first workstation is now converted.
5. This window user has been created as Allplanuser in the workgroup manager environment as a user with administrator rights. Now all users should be added to the workgroup manager via:
   
   Allmenu -> Workgroupmanager -> Manage users -> Right click -> Create user.
   
   Under "User name", a freely selectable Allplan user name with a length of up to 8 characters can be assigned.
   
   Under "Windows user name", the user name that the user uses when logging on to the computer must be specified.
   
   Important: If the user logs on to the computer via a domain, this must also be specified under "Windows user name", e.g.: DOMAIN\User. Under "User group" the administration right can be granted: Administrator" must be selected in the drop-down menu. Existing users can also be given the administration right later.
7. If all users have been added you can ad the remaining workplaces by going on each workstation and adding Workgroup Manager under Allmenu->Service->Allplan Diagnostics->Settings the checkbox "Workgroup Manager" can be set and confirmed with "Set".

Important:

If the check mark at "Workgroup Settings" cannot be activated, it is because the central file storage folder "Net Path" is not entered UNC compliant. (e.g.: \\Servername\ nemdaten\2022). Change this if necessary. Under "Browse" the UNC name of the new server (e.g.: \Servername) or the complete path (e.g.: \Servername) can be entered in the browser above.
(e.g.: \\Servername\ nemdaten\2022) and confirm with Enter. Select your central file storage folder and confirm with "OK".

Question:

Reinforcement views are no longer available as of Allplan 2023. How can I continue to use the data from the reinforcement views module from Allplan 2023?


Answer:

As of Allplan 2023, there are important changes regarding the old reinforcement views, these are no longer available as of this version.

Your data that you have drawn with the reinforcement views will then be automatically converted into 2D elements.

Therefore we recommend to wait with the installation of the 2023 until you have finished these projects, or to make a mandatory backup of your projects, offices and user data in the older version before installing the "upgrade".

Please consider carefully for your further project handling whether a project that is still being processed should be processed in the Allplan 2023 version or higher, or whether this should be completed in Allplan 2022 for the aforementioned reasons.


Conversion of the data in version 2023 and higher.

The data with reinforcement views from versions up to 2022 are automatically converted the first time the project is opened or when *.ndw files are opened for the first time.

The plan layout of the formwork or reinforcement plans is retained!
The 3D model of the reinforcement is retained!
The reinforcement views (and also the reinforcement shown in them) are converted into 2D constructions and texts.

Further processing of the data:

Since the reinforcement remains as a 3D model, it is possible to derive new views and sections from this model data again after the drawing file has been converted.

The reinforcement can be further placed, modified and labelled. Schemas, legends or reports are generated as before.
 

Information:

This document provides additional information on installing Allplan 2021.

Data backup/archiving:

We strongly recommend that you perform a complete data backup and archive this data before you upgrade to Allplan 2021!


Installation Instructions:


Detailed installation instructions can be found in the following places:

- If you have downloaded and unpacked Allplan 2021, you will find the file install.chm in the folder C:\Users\Public\Documents\Allplan 2021\HelpFiles\English


Please read these before installing Allplan 2021.

System requirements Allplan 2021

https://connect.allplan.com/de/faqid/20200930085615.html

Licenses when upgrading to Allplan 2021

https://connect.allplan.com/en/faqid/20200821110044.html


Extract from the installation instructions (see above)

If you want to switch from Allplan 2018/2019/2020 to Allplan 2021, you have three basic installation options.

1. New installation

Allplan 2021 is installed in a new folder. Any existing installations of Allplan (2020 or older) are not affected. No data and settings are transferred to the new installation.

The following options are available for transferring data later:

Uninstall Allplan 2021 and then upgrade Allplan 2018/2019/2020.
Integrating the data by hand (administrator knowledge required).

2. New installation with data copy from version

Allplan 2021 is installed in a new folder. Any existing installations of Allplan (2020 or older) are not affected. The office standard (\std), projects (\prj) and user data (\usr) can be automatically copied from an existing version 2018/2019/2020 to the new installation folder.
In this way, you can create a duplicate dataset if necessary: all projects, standards and resources can be used in both Allplan 2021 and 2018/2019/2020. This allows you to test the transition to the new version in real life, while the existing Allplan installation remains fully functional.
Note, however, that this method of working should avoid parallel processing of data in both installations, as the subsequent merging is time-consuming.

2a. Continuation of new installation with data copy from version

This option is available if a new installation with data copy has already been performed on another computer accessing the same data server and therefore the data has already been transferred.

3. Upgrade with data transfer from version 2018/2019/2020

Allplan 2021 is installed in an existing folder. The existing installation of Allplan 2018/2019/2020 is converted to Allplan 2021 and all important settings are transferred (see also Limitations for Data Transfer). Allplan 2018/2019/2020 is then no longer available.
Any existing installations older than Allplan 2018 are not affected.


Network Installations:

For network installations (shared 'central file storage folder'), only one main release version can be used - all workstations must be brought to Allplan 2021. Before starting the installation, make sure that all workstations have upgrade authorization. A mixed installation of different main versions is not technically approved. Complications that may arise are not covered by the maintenance contracts.

During the upgrade, no workstation may be running any version 2020, 2019 or 2018.

In case of an installation with Workgroupmanager all workstations must be checked in during the upgrade.




Data Conversion:

Data from older Allplan versions must be converted to version 2021. This happens automatically for projects opened in Allplan 2021. For instructions on how to convert all projects at once, click here:

https://connect.allplan.com/de/faqid/20090408124904.html

Question:

How can I redirect the Allplan user folder to any other folder?


Hint:

The procedure described below is at your own risk.
Questions about this should definitely be clarified before practical implementation.
Always make a copy before making changes to a file.
Before you change registry entries, create a backup of the registry key to be modified by exporting the key in the registry editor under File->Export...



Answer:

Create the folder to be used for the Allplan user directory on your computer's data storage medium.

Open the registry editor and go to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Nemetschek\Allplan\<Version>\InstallRoot.
Create a new key “CustomizedPaths” here (please note that it is case sensitive!).
In this new key, you now create a new key of the "string" type with the name USR for the Allplan user folder:
Double-click on the newly created key and enter the path to the corresponding folder as the value:
e.g.​​​​​​​
USR -> C:\Nemdaten\Allplan\Usr\Local

Task:

You have installed Allplan on several local workstations. Now you want to change the installation so that you can access a common network drive.



Note:

Before you switch to a network installation, it is essential that you back up all the data of all the workstations.
We strongly recommend that you take advantage of the expertise of Nemetschek’s technical support staff. We are happy to help you!



Solution:

The following description shows how to change several workstations where Allplan is installed locally and the project data is also stored locally on each computer to workstations with a common network drive without Workgroup Manager.

1st - getting ready
Choose one of the workstations where you will install all the projects and the office standard (hereinafter referred to as the main workstation).
First, move all the projects to the main workstation.

1.a: copying resources into projects
To make sure that the projects in your office have a uniform appearance, change the path settings for the projects' resources to 'Project'.
Make the following setting for each project:
Allplan -> File menu -> ProjectPilot - Admin -> select the individual projects one after the other -> right mouse button -> Properties -> Settings tab
Set the path settings for 'Pen and line definitions', 'Fonts', 'Patterns, hatching styles, area styles', 'Bar and mesh cross-section catalogs', 'Layer structures, line styles, drawing types' and 'Attributes proposed' from 'Office' to 'Project', if necessary.
The corresponding elements are copied from the office standard directly to the project. This ensures that the project settings stay the same even when you copy the project to the new server with the new office standard.

1.b: same folder name as project name
Open the 'General' tab and select the 'Same folder name as project name' setting if you want to proceed as described in 2b.

1.c: pen color ("Color stands for pen")
The pen color for the "Color stands for pen" setting is a user-specific setting that is not saved in the project but in the user folder (...\Usr).

2.a: backing up projects of the individual workstations and importing them to the main workstation (recommended method):
Back up the individual projects. To do this, open the Services application and select Data Backup -> Create -> Entire folders -> Projects.
You can back up several projects in a single operation.
Before you start, specify the backup folder on the network or on the local hard disk: Services application -> Configuration -> Backup path ->Browse for Folder.

The next step is to import the saved projects to the main workstation.To do this, open theServices application -> Data Backup -> Import -> Projects Before you import the individual projects, you can create new Allplan projects at the main computer. As an alternative, you can also create a new project during the import.

2.b: backing up projects of the individual workstations and importing them to the main workstation (special approach):
This approach should only be used with good reason for exceptional cases as it requires in-depth knowledge of Windows.
With this method, Windows Explorer is used to import the projects to the main workstation.
If some project names exist twice, you need to rename these projects before you back them up.

You can then rename the existing 'project.dat' file in the Prj folder of the main workstation.
Next, select the Services application -> Service -> Hotline Tools -> reorg -> Restore project management file.
The system creates a new project administration file (project.dat), which should list all projects with names.

Now the main workstation contains the latest version of all the projects of the office.

3rd - merging project defaults
Open ProjectPilot at the individual workstations and copy the elements you want to transfer (symbols, smart symbols, lists, schedules, and so on) to the external path. Of course, you can set the external path to a common network folder that can be accessed by all workstations.
Next, open ProjectPilot at the main workstation and copy the contents of the external path to the office standard.

4th - data backup

• Back up the projects, office standard and user settings at the main workstation:
  You can also copy the ..\prj (projects), ..\std (office standard) and ..\usr (user folder) paths to a backup folder (Nemsic, for example) on the hard disk.
• In addition, you need to back up the ..\usr\local folder at every stand-alone computer.
• Export the user interface setting of each user to a file: Allplan -> Tools - > Customize .... -> Export...

5th - uninstalling
Remove Allplan from all workstations.

6th - reinstalling
Before you install the same version again, create and share a folder (Nemdata, for example) on the future data server. Create a subfolder - Allplan - in this folder.

The next step is to reinstall the same version on all the workstations.

Specify the following installation paths:
Program folder:
local (C:\Programs\Nemetschek\Allplan, for example)
Central file storage folder:
Browse -> Network...
Find the sharedNemdata folder and select the Allplan folder.

After this, start installing.

7th - testing the start and restoring the backup
After the installation (check whether Allplan starts), copy the ..\prj and ..\std folders you backed up from the main workstation to the new ...\Nemdata\Allplan server folder.

Next, use Windows Explorer to copy the contents of the former user folder (…\usr\local) of the stand-alone workstation to the new user folder of the computer you just installed.

8th - updating the project administration file
Go to the project.datfile in the ...\Nemdata\Allplan\Prjfolder and rename itproject.alt.After this, do the following:
Services application -> Service -> Hotline Tools -> reorg -> Restore project management file.

9th - summary
Now all the workstations access a common network drive with the same project pool and office standard.
With this type of installation, only one user can access a project at any one time. If several users are to work on a project at the same time, you need to install Workgroup Manager.

Question:

How can I import data from an earlier version?



Answer:

You can import data from the last three Allplan versions.
Consequently, the following import operations are possible:

Target version <- import possible from version

2017 <- 2014
2016 <- 2013
2015 <- 2012
2014 <- 2011
2013 <- 2009
2012 <- 2008
2011 <- 2006
2009 <- 2005
2008 <- 2004
2006 <- 2003
2005 <- 17
2004 <- 16

We cannot guarantee that data created in older versions can be imported and edited. The conversion of older data may be incomplete, which may affect intelligent components in particular.


1. Archived data from an earlier version (not older than three previous versions):

There are two ways to convert the data to the current version:

• Import the project backups created and archived using the
  Services application -> Data Backup -> Import -> Projects.
  After importing the projects, convert them by opening each project once.
• Import the backups archived using the
  Services application -> File -> Restore documents of any version to '...\Extern'.
  The data are written to the external path.
  You can now process the converted data in ProjectPilot.

2. Archived data from an older Allplan version (older than three previous versions):

• See whether you can use the approach described in step 1 to import the old projects.
• If available, it is a good idea to install an old Allplan version. Import the backups created and archived into this old version and convert the projects using the Services application. If you have imported a complete project backup, convert the data by opening each project once. When finished, repeat this process with a newer version (up to three versions later) until the data are up-to-date.
• If an old Allplan version is not available, you can also have the data converted by Allplan. Please note that this service is not free of charge. Please contact Technical Support -> support.de@allplan.com.

Notes:

• You can convert the data of all projects at once. Read the following FAQ in Allplan Connect: https://connect.allplan.com/en/faqid/20090408124904.html
• If enough hard disk space is available, you are advised to keep and maintain the projects so that Allplan automatically converts them to the current version whenever you upgrade.
• If there are project-specific smart symbol catalogs, you should open the smart symbol catalog once to convert the data.

Task:

You want to transfer a project with all its settings to a partner office for further editing.

Note:

The following description works only if both partners use the same version of Allplan (Allplan 2018-1 or later).

1. Backing up the project:

Before you back up the project, make sure that “office” or “project” is selected for the path settings of the project.
To do this, open ProjectPilot and select the project: right mouse button -> Properties-> Settings. Here, you can select the path settings.
For exchanging projects with partner offices, we recommend that you switch all project settings to “project”.
This ensures that all pen definitions and line definitions, user-defined fonts, patterns and hatching styles, bar and mesh cross-section catalogs, and layer definitions will be copied to the project and backed up together with the project.

Note:
After the backup, switch the path settings back to “office”. But do not change the paths that already had the “project” setting.

Start Allplan and select the “File” menu -> “New Project, Open Project...”.
Right-click the project that you want to back up and select "Create project backup".
(Allplan 2018: Select “Compress and export project”: )
Select the folder where you want to save the project.

2. Importing the project:

To add a compressed project to the "New Project, Open Project" dialog box

Start Allplan and select the “File” menu -> “New Project, Open Project...”.

• Drag a compressed project (*.zip) from the desktop or from File Explorer into the "New Project, Open Project" dialog box.
• Specify the folder and enter a name for the project; then, click OK.
• Allplan unzips the project, adding it to the project list.

Question:

What effects do Windows 8.1 updates have on Allplan versions?


Answer:

Allplan versions 2014-0-2 and later are running on Windows 8.1.
To make sure that Allplan runs smoothly after you have updated to Windows 8.1, you need to do the following:

1st step: backing up and restoring Allplan user settings

Prior to installing the Windows update, select
Services application -> Data Backup -> Create -> Entire folders -> Private settings -> Full
to back up your own Allplan user settings.

If you find out that some settings are missing after you have updated to Windows 8.1, you can select
Services application -> Data Backup -> Import -> Entire folders -> Private settings -> Full
to restore these settings.

In addition, you are strongly advised to back up and archive all the data before you update the operating system!



2nd step: restoring Allplan licensing

Depending on the licensing system you use, there are different issues to bear in mind.

NemSLock
After the Windows update you need to fix Nemetschek Softlock License Manager as described in the following document:
https://connect.allplan.com/de/faqid/20131024085525.html


Hardlock
Uninstall the hardlock driver (Sentinel runtime driver) during the update to Windows 8.1 as described below:
http://connect.allplan.com/de/support/loesungen.html?tx_nemsolution_pi1%5BdokID%5D=20131113103830.htmlhttps://connect.allplan.com/de/faqid/20131028131634.html

Install the latest hardlock driver after the Windows update. You can find the driver and the instructions using the following link:
https://connect.allplan.com/de/faqid/20131028125253.html

Question:

How can I restore a lost building structure or layout structure?



Answer:

To restore a lost or corrupt building structure or layout structure, you can do the following:

• Close Allplan.
  
• Open Windows Explorer, go to the central file storage folder of Allplan and open the "Prj"folder. Open the corresponding project folder and the "BIM" subfolder.
  
  Note:
  If the "Same folder name as project name" option is not selected for the project, a number is used for the folder name in the "Prj"folder. In this case, open the Services applicationand select the woprohotline tool (Services application -> Service -> Hotline Tools -> wopro). Select the corresponding project by double-clicking its name. An information dialog box shows the folder and file name of the project.
  
• You can find an XML file for each structure in the BIM subfolder.

Building structure:
Allplan_BIM_BuildingStructure.xml

Objects derived from building structure:
Allplan_BIM_Views.xml

Plane model:
Allplan_BIM_LevMo_"name of model".xml

Layout structure:
Allplan_BIM_LayoutStructure.xml

• To restore the building structure from a backup, rename the existing file "Allplan_BIM_BuildingStructure.xml" "Allplan_BIM_BuildingStructure.xml.old", for example.
  
• Switch to the "Backup"folder, which you can also find in the"BIM"folder.
  
• Select the most recent file that had been created beforethe building structure was deleted, for example, "Allplan_BIM_BuildingStructure.xml.27.5.2008--10-32-21.bak". The characters in bold indicate the date and time of the backup. Copy this file to the "BIM"folder.
  
• Rename this file by deleting the characters after ".xml". Now the file name is "Allplan_BIM_BuildingStructure.xml".
  
• Restart Allplan. The last version of the building structure is displayed in the "Open on a project-specific basis"dialog box again.

Note:

Using Allplan 2009-2 and later, you can restore the layout structure from a *.bak file straight from the "Open on a project-specific basis: layouts"dialog box.

• Right-click the topmost structural level in the layout structure (project name) and select Load layout structure favoriteon the shortcut menu.
  
• Open the last version of the Allplan_BIM_LayoutStructure.xml file in the backup folder mentioned above.

If the *.bak files are not displayed, please follow the steps described above.

Question :

How do I recover corrupted/damaged files? How do I resolve the error messages ‘The loaded data is corrupt!’ and ‘Unable to read layer no???!’?


Answer :

It seems that your tb...XXX.ndw file or your pb...YYY.npl layout has been corrupted; this may have occurred as a result of an unexpected shutdown of allplan, a micro-cut in the network or the presence of corrupted 3D elements which cause an error when saving the current file.

The Allplan files concerned are :

• Drawing file                      tb...XXX.ndw
• Layout                              pb...YYY.npl

To access the folder containing these files, launch ALLMENU then click on ‘Maintenance’ then ‘Windows Explorer’ then on ‘Custom CAD Projects (PRJ)’.



Step 1 : You can check for the presence of a tb...XXX.ndw.bak or pb...YYY.npl.bak file; if it exists and is not too old, you can use it to start from this version: simply rename your tb...XXX.ndw file to tb...XXX.ndw.broken and then delete .bak from the file you want to use.


Note that ‘.bak’ files are not always present and are created randomly.

Step 2 : If you don't have one or it's too old, you can try recovering a backup of the tb...XXX.ndw or pb...YYY.npl file from your server or NAS: servers (or NAS) use different backup technologies; by opening the properties of the XXX or YYY file, and accessing the property tab, you can recover earlier versions:



Alternatively, you can contact your company's IT department to find out if you can recover a backup of your file. If you work on a server, it is not uncommon to be able to access daily or half-day backups.

Hint : The technical department is sometimes able to recover part of the file if you send it to us, but we cannot guarantee the status/success of this recovery.

Question:

Does Allplan create backup files (*.bak)?
How can I use these files?



Answer:

Allplan creates backup files when you do the following:

1. Copy, Move Elements between Documents …
   Allplan creates a backup file of the destination drawing file or layout.
3. Deleting drawing files and layoutsin the "Open on a project-specific basis" dialog box
   If you have selected "Create backup copies of drawing files", Allplan creates a backup file of the drawing file or layout.
5. Importing data to drawing files
   If you have selected "Create backup copies of drawing files", Allplan creates a backup file of the drawing file.

Note on points 2 and 3:

To select the "Create backup copies of drawing files" option, click
Tools -> Options -> Desktop environment -> Save/load area (until V2009 Global Options -> Miscellaneous -> Autosave, Backup)->Create backup copies of drawing files.


Restoring:

If need be, you can restore the original drawing file or layout.
Make a note of the drawing file number or layout number and determine the corresponding project folder as follows:
Services application -> Service -> Hotline Tools -> wopro

Open this folder in Windows Explorer.

Rename the corresponding drawing file "tb000001.ndw" "tb000001.ndw.old" or the corresponding layout "pb000001.000" "pb000001.000.old.", for example.
Delete the bak extension from the corresponding bak file.

Example 1:

You have inadvertently copied the wrong elements to drawing file 4711.
1st step: exit the project in Allplan.
2nd step: delete file tb004711.ndw or rename it tb004711.ndw.old.
3rd step: find file tb004711.ndw.bak and rename it tb004711.ndw.

Example 2:

You have inadvertently copied the wrong elements to layout 815.
1st step: exit the project in Allplan.
2nd step: delete file pb000815.000 or rename it pb000815.000.old.
3rd step: find file pb000815.000.bak and rename it pb000815.000.



Note:

These backup files can considerably increase the volume of data to be backed up. So it is a good idea to delete the .bak files you no longer require before you start backing up data. To delete the .bak files, you can select the Services application and click Utilities -> Delete temporary files.

You can also find this information in the help for Allplan. Please refer to the topic "Using bak files".

This FAQ is valid until 24.04.2023, after which a new Allplan Exchange Online Service will be available.

Question:

How do you back up your online data from Allplan Exchange?

Answer:

Do you want to create a local backup of the current plan files from your online data on Allplan Exchange?

Prerequisite:
Check if you have the project access rights "manage" or "distribute" in the desired project.

Now you can use these options for your backup:

• A) On the one hand you can create a plan dispatch list in PDF and EXEL format, so you have an overview of all plan files and their dispatch, as well as their sender and recipient per project.
• B) And you can download the current plan data online yourself with a few clicks.

Prerequisite:
Please log in to Allplan Exchange in both cases: https://allplan-exchange.com

A) Generate plan dispatch list:

 

• 1) Select project
• 2) Select "All documents
• 3) Select the "Print/Export" function, set the desired options here.
• 4) Then execute function 
• 5) Save file 

B) Save plan files: 

• 1) Select the project
• 2) Select "All documents
• 3) Select all entries in the table 
• 4) Download plan files as a ZIP file

Hint:

In the case of plan data, not all plan versions are saved in the ZIP but only the last plan status sent.