Convert SDF to PNG (Free)
Also converts STL, OBJ, GLB, PLY, USDZ, 3MF from the same file.
Runs in your browser. No upload, no signup, nothing to install.
Also from Innerscene: Circadian Lab, a free lighting calculator for room illuminance, melanopic EML, and glare.
How to convert SDF to PNG
- 1
Open your .sdf file
Drag it onto the viewer above, or click "Open an SDF File". Files up to 200 MB open directly; the parse runs in a worker so the page stays responsive.
- 2
Click Download PNG
Once the file is open, the Download PNG button sits at the bottom right of the viewer. The Export menu in the toolbar has every other format.
- 3
Download
The .png is written in the browser and saved straight to your downloads folder. No queue, no email, no watermark.
What survives the conversion
A file conversion is a translation, and formats do not carry the same things. Here is exactly what moves from SDF into PNG, and what does not.
| Geometry | Dropped | The output is an image of the view, not geometry. Nothing in it can be measured or edited afterwards. |
|---|---|---|
| Colors and materials | Kept | PNG carries full color, which is at least what SDF stores, so the colors come across. |
| Layers and structure | Dropped | The export is flat: one image, one set of pixels. Layers you switched off in the Layers panel are simply not drawn, so the output matches what you see. |
What the PNG writer emits: The current view, captured at whatever resolution you set in the export dialog. For a picture the dialog opens at the source image’s own pixel size, so a 1x export is a faithful re-save; for a model or a drawing it opens at twice the on-screen size, up to 8192 pixels wide.
The source: MDL molfile / SD file (SDF, MOL) (.sdf, .sd, .mol)
An MDL molfile or SD file (V2000 or V3000) in ångströms: each molecule as ball and stick with its double, triple and aromatic bonds drawn as parallel cylinders, every atom coloured by element, a space-filling layer, and one layer per molecule of a multi-record file.
The target: PNG Image (.png)
A lossless image of the view, at the resolution you choose, with an optional transparent background.
Opens in: Anything.
Your file never leaves your computer
Both the SDF parser and the PNG writer are JavaScript and WebAssembly running in your own browser tab. There is no upload step, no server-side conversion queue, and no copy of your file anywhere but your machine. That matters for drawings under NDA, for client work, and for anything you would not email to a stranger.
Free to Use, No Signup
There are no accounts and no watermarks on this converter. If it saved you time, the one thing we ask is a mention: a post, a link from your blog or course page, or a reply to someone asking how to open a file.
Share it
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Hear about new formats
Occasional emails when the viewer learns a new format or gets a new tool.
Frequently asked questions
▶Is this SDF to PNG converter free?
Yes. No signup, no watermark, no per-file limit and no paid tier. Innerscene.
▶Is my SDF file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read with the browser file API and converted in the same tab. Nothing is sent to a server unless you explicitly click Share, which is a separate, opt-in feature.
▶Will my colors and materials survive the PNG export?
PNG carries full color, which is at least what SDF stores, so the colors come across.
▶Do layers and named parts carry into the PNG file?
The export is flat: one image, one set of pixels. Layers you switched off in the Layers panel are simply not drawn, so the output matches what you see.
▶How large an SDF file can I convert?
Up to 200 MB, and the ceiling adapts to how much memory your device reports. The conversion runs on your own hardware, so a desktop with plenty of RAM will handle more than a phone.
▶Can I convert PNG back to SDF?
Not here. We read SDF and write PNG, but not the reverse. the universal 3D viewer
▶Which browsers does it work in?
Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. No plugin and no extension.
Convert SDF to something else
Convert something else to PNG
Or start from the universal 3D viewer.