Forge to APS Migration Guide

Complete step-by-step guide for migrating from legacy Autodesk Forge APIs to modern Autodesk Platform Services (APS)

⚠️ Important: Forge APIs are being phased out. New applications should use APS APIs. Existing Forge applications must migrate by December 31, 2026.

Migration Overview

What’s Changing

What Stays the Same

✅ OAuth 2.0 flow - Same authentication mechanism
✅ Core API functionality - Same capabilities
✅ File formats - Same supported formats
✅ Data structure - Same JSON responses
✅ Rate limits - Same throttling rules

API Endpoint Migration

Authentication API

Migration Steps:

1. Update endpoint URLs to use /v2/ instead of /v1/
2. Update scope format (see OAuth Scopes section)
3. Handle new response structure

RAPS Migration:

# Old Forge authentication
curl -X POST "https://developer.api.autodesk.com/authentication/v1/authenticate" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -d "client_id=$CLIENT_ID&client_secret=$CLIENT_SECRET&grant_type=client_credentials&scope=data:read"

# With RAPS (handles APS v2 automatically)
raps auth login --scopes data:read

Data Management API

Migration Steps:

• ✅ No changes required for Data Management API endpoints
• Update authentication to use v2 tokens

Model Derivative API

Migration Steps:

• ✅ No changes required for Model Derivative API endpoints
• Update authentication to use v2 tokens

Object Storage Service (OSS)

Migration Steps:

• ✅ No changes required for OSS API endpoints
• Update authentication to use v2 tokens

Design Automation API

Migration Steps:

1. Update endpoint URLs to use /v3/ instead of /v2/
2. Review breaking changes in v3 API
3. Update WorkItem and Activity definitions

RAPS Migration:

# Check current DA API version
raps da engines --version

# RAPS automatically uses DA v3
raps da create-activity MyActivity --engine Autodesk.AutoCAD+24

OAuth Scopes Migration

Scope Format Changes

Good News: OAuth scopes are identical between Forge and APS! No changes needed.

Token Structure

SDK Migration

JavaScript/Node.js

Code Changes:

// Old Forge SDK
const ForgeSDK = require('forge-apis');
const forgeApi = new ForgeSDK.AuthClientTwoLegged(clientId, clientSecret, scopes);

// New APS SDK
const APS = require('autodesk-aps-sdk');
const apsApi = new APS.AuthenticationClient(clientId, clientSecret, scopes);

// With RAPS (no SDK needed for prototyping)
// raps auth login && raps dm projects

.NET

Python

Java

Documentation Migration

URL Changes

Postman Collections

Migration Checklist

Phase 1: Assessment (Week 1)

• Audit current Forge usage
  • List all APIs currently used
  • Identify authentication flows
  • Document current scopes
  • List SDK dependencies
• Check compatibility
  • Review API version requirements
  • Verify scope requirements unchanged
  • Test current tokens with APS endpoints
• Plan migration timeline
  • Prioritize critical applications
  • Schedule testing phases
  • Plan rollback strategy

RAPS Assessment:

# Test current setup compatibility
raps auth migrate-assessment --forge-credentials

# Generate migration report
raps migrate plan --current-apis forge --target-apis aps

Phase 2: Development Environment (Week 2)

• Update development environment
  • Install new APS SDKs
  • Update base URLs to use APS endpoints
  • Update authentication to v2
  • Test with development credentials
• Code changes
  • Update package dependencies
  • Replace Forge SDK calls with APS equivalents
  • Update error handling for new responses
  • Update logging and monitoring

RAPS Development Testing:

# Set up APS development profile
raps config create-profile dev-aps
raps auth login --profile dev-aps --scopes data:read,data:write,viewables:read

# Test common workflows
raps dm projects --profile dev-aps
raps translate <test-urn> --profile dev-aps --formats svf2

Phase 3: Testing (Week 3)

• Functional testing
  • Test all API operations
  • Verify authentication flows
  • Test error handling
  • Performance benchmarking
• Integration testing
  • End-to-end workflow testing
  • Third-party integration validation
  • User acceptance testing

Phase 4: Production Migration (Week 4)

• Production deployment
  • Update production environment
  • Switch API endpoints
  • Monitor application health
  • Validate data integrity
• Post-migration
  • Remove Forge SDK dependencies
  • Update documentation
  • Train support team
  • Monitor for issues

Common Migration Issues

1. Authentication Token Issues

Problem: Forge v1 tokens not working with APS
Solution: Update to Authentication API v2

# Check current token compatibility
raps auth diagnose --check-aps-compatibility

# Migrate authentication
raps auth migrate-from-forge --update-endpoints

2. SDK Breaking Changes

Problem: Method names changed in new SDKs
Solution: Update method calls according to new SDK documentation

// Old Forge method
forgeApi.authenticate().then(token => { ... });

// New APS method  
apsApi.getAccessToken().then(token => { ... });

// Or skip SDKs entirely
// raps auth login && raps <command>

3. Design Automation v3 Changes

Problem: DA v2 Activities not compatible with v3
Solution: Recreate Activities using v3 format

# List existing DA v2 activities
raps da list-legacy-activities

# Migrate to v3 format
raps da migrate-activity <activity-name> --from-v2 --to-v3

4. URL Reference Updates

Problem: Hardcoded Forge URLs in application
Solution: Update to APS URLs

// Update base URLs
const OLD_BASE = 'https://forge.autodesk.com';
const NEW_BASE = 'https://aps.autodesk.com';

// Better: Use configurable base URL
const baseUrl = process.env.APS_BASE_URL || 'https://aps.autodesk.com';

Performance Considerations

API Rate Limits

No performance impact expected from Forge to APS migration.

Caching Strategy

• ✅ Authentication tokens: Same caching strategy
• ✅ API responses: Same response format, no caching changes
• ✅ Rate limiting: Same rate limiting logic

Testing Your Migration

Compatibility Testing

# Test APS authentication
raps auth login --scopes data:read,viewables:read

# Test core operations
raps dm projects --limit 1
raps bucket list --limit 1
raps translate status <test-urn>

# Compare Forge vs APS responses
raps compare-apis --forge-token <old-token> --aps-token <new-token> --endpoint /oss/v2/buckets

Regression Testing

1. API Response Validation
   • Compare JSON structure between Forge and APS
   • Verify all fields present
   • Test error responses
2. Workflow Testing
   • Upload → Translate → View pipeline
   • Authentication → API call chains
   • Webhook event handling
3. Performance Testing
   • Compare response times
   • Test under load
   • Monitor memory usage

Post-Migration Cleanup

Remove Legacy Dependencies

# JavaScript/Node.js
npm uninstall forge-apis
npm uninstall forge-data-management

# Python
pip uninstall forge-python-wrapper

# .NET
dotnet remove package Autodesk.Forge

Update Documentation

• Update API documentation references
• Change Forge → APS in user-facing text
• Update code examples
• Update support documentation

Monitor Migration Success

# Check migration status
raps migration status --report

# Monitor API usage
raps logs --api-calls --since-migration

# Validate all systems operational
raps health check --comprehensive

Migration Timeline Examples

Simple Application (1-2 APIs)

Complex Application (Multiple APIs)

Enterprise Application

Getting Help

Migration Support Resources

1. Official Documentation
   • APS Migration Guide
   • API Breaking Changes
2. Community Support
   • APS Developer Forum
   • RAPS Discord
   • Stack Overflow: autodesk-platform-services
3. Migration Tools

   # RAPS migration utilities
   raps migrate --help
   raps auth migrate-from-forge
   raps compare-apis --forge-vs-aps
   

Professional Migration Services

For complex enterprise migrations, consider:

• Autodesk Professional Services
• Certified Autodesk Partners
• Independent APS consultants

FAQ

Q: Do I have to migrate immediately?
A: No, but Forge APIs will be sunset December 31, 2026. Plan your migration well in advance.

Q: Will my existing Forge tokens work with APS?
A: Forge v1 tokens will not work with APS v2 endpoints. You need to update to v2 authentication.

Q: Are there any breaking changes in API responses?
A: Most API responses are identical. The main change is authentication (v1 → v2).

Q: Can I use both Forge and APS during migration?
A: Yes, you can run both in parallel during your migration period.

Q: Does RAPS work with both Forge and APS?
A: RAPS uses APS APIs by default, but can be configured for backward compatibility during migration.

Q: What happens if I don’t migrate by the deadline?
A: Forge APIs will be shut down, breaking your application. Migration is mandatory.

💡 Pro Tip: Use RAPS CLI to simplify your migration. Instead of updating complex SDK code, many operations can be replaced with simple raps commands, reducing migration effort significantly.

Last updated: January 2026 | Migration deadline: December 31, 2026
This guide covers the most common migration scenarios. For complex cases, consult the official APS migration documentation.