Extract text from SDB files
To convert your SDB file to another format, you need SAP2000 or other Database software.
To convert other file formats to the "Structural Model / SQL Database" file type, you need software like SAP2000 or a similar tool.
The .sdb extension is a shared filename used by several distinct, high-value applications, most notably SAP2000 for structural engineering and various database engines like SQLite and Microsoft's Application Compatibility Toolkit.
For engineers, an .sdb file often contains a structural analysis model created in SAP2000. These files store complex geometry, load definitions, and analysis results. The primary challenge is the proprietary nature of the format; opening it requires a licensed installation of SAP2000, which can be cost-prohibitive for clients or stakeholders who simply need to view the design. To overcome this, users frequently convert these models to DXF or DWG for use in AutoCAD, IFC for BIM interoperability, or PDF for static reporting and archiving.
Alternatively, many .sdb files are standard databases (often SQLite version 3 or Microsoft Jet). These are found in software ranging from OpenOffice Base to system tools like the Windows Application Compatibility database (Shim database). Users often encounter these files when trying to access raw data or configure legacy applications. The binary nature of these databases makes them unreadable in standard text editors. The best solution is converting the database tables to CSV or XLSX for analysis in Microsoft Excel, or exporting to a standard SQL dump for migration to other database systems.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SDB file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SBD, $2K, SAP, SDP, SDB3, RAR, AC, SDF, SBB, ICO, DB, MDB and PDF files.
If you want to convert SDB file to PDF, CSV, OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB, C4D or STL, you can use SAP2000 or similar software from the "Structural Analysis & Database Storage" 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 SDB, try SAP2000 or another comparable tool in the "Structural Analysis & Database Storage" 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 SDB converter.