Extract text from Allplan material catalogs (CMDB)
To convert CMDB catalogs to another format, you need Allplan or other Database software.
To convert other file formats to the "BIM Data Catalog" file type, you need software like Allplan or a similar tool.
The .CMDB file extension is primarily associated with the Material Catalog Database used by Allplan, a BIM/CAD solution from the Nemetschek Group. Internally, these files are often standard SQLite databases that store definitions for building materials, including density, hatching patterns, and thermal properties.
The primary problem for users is that while the data is structured, it is locked inside the .CMDB container, making it inaccessible to standard spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel or cost-estimation tools without specific drivers. Users typically need to convert these files to export material lists for reporting or to migrate database entries to other BIM platforms. For data analysis and reporting, converting to CSV or XLSX is the most practical solution. For archiving or database migration, converting to a standard SQL dump is recommended.
*Note: A small minority of .CMDB files may be Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) mesh files generated by Ansys. These are entirely different binary formats used for simulation and cannot be opened with database tools.*
Convert.Guru analyzes your CMDB file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted CM0012 files.
If you want to convert CMDB file to OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB, C4D, STL, PLY or WRL, you can use Allplan or similar software from the "BIM Material Database" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, STEP or FBX files to CMDB, try Allplan or another comparable tool in the "BIM Material Database" 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 CMDB converter.