Notes on converting projects

What does converting scenario management projects mean?

When opening a scenario management project in a new release version, the project database must be converted to the new format. If the project database has been converted, you can no longer open the scenario management project with earlier release versions.

Scenario management project objects such as the base version, modifications, procedure parameters etc. are represented by files. These files remain unchanged when the release version is changed. From Visum 2025, these files can also be converted.

Why do we recommend converting files?

Files are available in the current format after conversion. This allows you to benefit from improvements to the software and avoid unexpected changes that can occur when using older formats. Older file formats are usually still supported for several years. However, in order to maintain and service the software, we reserve the right to discontinue old formats that can no longer be imported.

Text files that are not English will also no longer be supported in the foreseeable future. This applies in particular to model transfer files that are used to describe modifications in a scenario management project. You can continue to use these files by converting them.

How does the conversion of files work?

The files are imported in the current version and then saved.

Modifications are recreated on the base of version files that have been temporarily saved in the current release. In the simplest case, this means between a base version saved in the current release and a version saved in the current release that results from the base version and the application of the modification(s). The prerequisite for converting modifications is that the load order, dependencies, and exclusions are defined correctly, as this information is taken into account during conversion.

Text files are only saved in English during conversion.

The results file of a scenario is saved in the respective release version.

Notes: Regardless of the conversion, a recalculation of the scenarios in the current release usually leads to changed results. The calculated versions are saved in the current format.

If errors occur when converting a file type, you can restore the file in the old format. However, we recommend analyzing error messages and eliminating the cause.

You can also perform the conversion manually by selecting and editing an object (base version, modification, procedure parameter set, global layout, or comparison pattern) and clicking Finish in the notification bar without having made any further changes. When converting manually, it is not possible to restore the file in the old format. The (model transfer file/procedure parameter file/global layout file/version comparison layout file) version number attribute shows you which files are not in the current format.

What changes since Visum 16 cause the behavior to change when converting the files?

The most important changes that can lead to changes in behavior during conversion are listed below.

Visum 16

Saving binary procedure parameters (*.par) is no longer supported. The procedure parameters can only be saved in XML format. Binary procedure parameters (.par) can still be imported up to and including Visum 2025. It is essential to convert binary procedure parameter files if you want to use them beyond Visum 2025.

Visum 2021

From Visum 2021, modifications that change independent sections of the course of a public transport supply can be combined with each other. The combination of such modifications had previously resulted in only the change to the last modification read being applied. This improvement was made possible by a change in the model transfer file, i.e. you must convert modifications if you want to benefit from this improvement. If no conversion is carried out, only the change to the last modification read is applied. Modifications that change overlapping sections of the course of a public transport supply remain unchanged, i.e. the last modification read determines the changes in the scenarios.

Visum 2022

The signal data model in Visum has been unified and converted to the Vissig data model. This has eliminated the use of external *.sig files. By integrating the data from the *.sig files into the Visum data model, modifications with changes to signal controllers can be made, which was not possible with the external files. The changeover also means that previously internally defined controls of the signaling type signal group-based or stage-based are converted into Vissig controls with a corresponding signal program. Modifications created in scenario management with changes to signal controllers have a different effect depending on whether they are converted or not. In converted modifications, the signal controller changes in the model transfer file are mapped by the string of the Signal program data attribute so that modifications that change the same signal controller cannot be combined with each other. The last modification read determines the change to the signal controller. Modifications that are not converted change individual properties of a signal controller and are always applied to the current signal program.

Visum 2024

Text-based Visum files (network files, attribute files, demand files, model transfer files, interval files, and multi-row survey data) can now only be saved in English. Files in other languages will no longer be supported in the foreseeable future and can therefore no longer be opened or processed. We recommend converting non-English files.

Note: Please note that other changes to the software marked as significant in the release notes can also lead to changes in behavior, regardless of the conversion of the files.