Extract text from MATLAB and material files (MAT)
To convert MAT files to another format, you need MATLAB or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Workspace & Material File" file type, you need software like MATLAB or a similar tool.
The .MAT extension is heavily fragmented across different industries. The vast majority of the time, it functions as a proprietary data container for MATLAB by The MathWorks. These files store multidimensional arrays, workspace variables, and mathematical models. Alternatively, in the game development and 3D rendering space, .MAT files store material definitions - dictating how textures and light interact on 3D surfaces - for software like Unity, Unreal Engine, and Autodesk 3ds Max.
The primary disadvantage of the .MAT format is its proprietary nature and poor interoperability. Sharing a MATLAB data file with a data scientist who uses Python or R creates immediate workflow friction, requiring specialized libraries just to read the data. Furthermore, these files can easily exceed gigabytes in size if saving uncompressed matrices. For 3D artists, engine-specific .MAT files (like a Unity shader) are virtually useless in competing engines or modeling software like Blender, locking your assets into one ecosystem.
To break out of these software silos, conversion is essential. For MATLAB data, convert 2D structures to CSV or XLSX for spreadsheet use. Convert complex or nested variables to JSON, or use H5 (HDF5) for massive scientific datasets. If you are dealing with 3D materials, you usually cannot convert a shader script directly; you must bake the textures and export the parent model to FBX or GLTF. Just drag and drop your file here to analyze and convert it securely right in your browser.
Convert.Guru analyzes your MAT file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted M, ZIP, MLX, FIG, TXT, PKL, NPY, META, PDF, MATZ, CSV, CRDOWNLOAD and SLX files.
If you want to convert MAT file to CSV, PNG, TXT, XLSX, OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA or MB, you can use MATLAB or similar software from the "Workspace Data & 3D Materials" 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 MAT, try MATLAB or another comparable tool in the "Workspace Data & 3D Materials" 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 MAT converter.