Extract text from SpaceClaim documents (SCDOC)
To convert SCDOC documents to another format, you need Ansys SpaceClaim or other 3D software.
To convert other file formats to the "SpaceClaim 3D Model" file type, you need software like Ansys SpaceClaim or a similar tool.
A .SCDOC file is a proprietary 3D CAD model document natively created by Ansys SpaceClaim. These files store 3D direct modeling data, assemblies, external component references, and 2D drawing sheets used in mechanical engineering and simulation workflows. To open, edit, or reliably export a .SCDOC file, you generally need a commercial license for Ansys SpaceClaim or the newer Ansys Discovery software.
The biggest disadvantage of the .SCDOC format is its closed, proprietary nature. It creates a strict software dependency lock-in. You cannot open these files in standard web viewers, nor can you natively import them into competing CAD platforms like SolidWorks or AutoCAD without an expensive translation plugin. Furthermore, Ansys intentionally limits export capabilities in the free student version of SpaceClaim, preventing users from exporting geometries to standard formats like STL for tools like OpenFOAM. This leaves many users stuck with a file they cannot use outside the Ansys ecosystem.
If you need to share your 3D models with manufacturers or load them into different rendering software, the best conversion targets are STEP, IGES, or STL. Converting to STEP provides the best result, as it preserves accurate solid body geometry and NURBS surfaces. Converting to STL will discard the solid math and create a faceted mesh, which is ideal for 3D printing but makes reverse engineering difficult.
Converting this format is notoriously difficult. Under the hood, a .SCDOC file complies with the Microsoft Open Packaging Convention - meaning it is essentially a ZIP archive containing proprietary XML data and internal references. Because the parametric direct modeling logic is locked behind Ansys's proprietary code, standard online converters fail to process the 3D geometry correctly. However, drag and drop your file to see what it is and convert it if supported. convert.guru can parse the internal ZIP container, identify the file version, and extract embedded preview images or text metadata. If our analysis detects unencrypted embedded formats, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SCDOC file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SCDOCX, DSCO, WBPJ, AGDB, SDOC, STEP, RSDOCX, STP, SDOCX, DXF, DWG, ZIP and SAB files.
If you want to convert SCDOC file to STEP, STL, DWG, DXF, DGN, RVT, RFA, SKP, 3DM, IGES, SAT or X_T, you can use Ansys SpaceClaim or similar software from the "3D CAD Direct Modeling" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SLDASM, DGN, PRT, IAM, X_B, CATPRODUCT, SLDPRT, RVT, ASM, DWG, CATPART or DXF files to SCDOC, try Ansys SpaceClaim or another comparable tool in the "3D CAD Direct Modeling" 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 SCDOC converter.