Extract text from Archicad backup projects (BPN)
To convert BPN backup projects to another format, you need Archicad or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "BIM/CAD Backup File" file type, you need software like Archicad or a similar tool.
The .BPN file format is an automatic backup file created by Archicad, a popular Building Information Modeling (BIM) software developed by Graphisoft. Whenever a user saves an Archicad project (PLN), the software simultaneously generates a .BPN file. This file stores the previous state of the project, acting as a critical failsafe against file corruption, unexpected system crashes, or accidental overwrites.
While highly useful for local data recovery, the .BPN format comes with significant disadvantages for general sharing and collaboration. It is a strictly closed, proprietary format. Files can easily exceed hundreds of megabytes depending on the complexity of the BIM model. Furthermore, you cannot natively open a .BPN file in web browsers, standard image viewers, or even competing CAD software like AutoCAD. Accessing the 3D building models and 2D floor plans locked inside requires an expensive, active Archicad license.
Because of these restrictions, sharing a .BPN file directly is highly impractical. Users must first restore it as a PLN file using the original software. From there, the data should be exported to more accessible target formats like DWG or DXF for 2D CAD workflows, IFC for universal 3D BIM coordination, or PDF for client reviews and printing.
This file format is difficult to open or convert because only the original Graphisoft engine can correctly read the complex architectural data. Standard online converters almost always fail to process .BPN files. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your BPN file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PLN, BNP, PBN, BMP, ZIP, LCK, SAV, DWG, XMCD, DOCX, PLA, RPL and IFC files.
If you want to convert BPN file to DWG, PDF, BAK, BACKUP, OLD, TMP, TEMP, ARC, ZIP, TAR, GZ or 7Z, you can use Archicad or similar software from the "Archicad Project Backup" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SNAPSHOT, OLD, IMG, RESTORE, ISO, COPY, VMDK, TMP, VHD, BAK, ARCHIVE or BACKUP files to BPN, try Archicad or another comparable tool in the "Archicad Project Backup" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our BPN converter.