All about BDF Files

The BDF file type is primarily associated with Nastran.

BDF	File extension: BDF
	File type:	bulk data input file

What is a BDF file?

BDF files mostly belong to Nastran by MSC Software. BDF file extension is developed by Adobe for storing bitmap screen fonts in a user-readable form. BDF files are used by various other software as well.

Main Use: BDF is an acronym for Bitmap Distribution Format. BDF files store bitmap font-related information in an ASCII-based text form so that it can be interpreted by the user and the computer. A BDF font file consists of three sections; the global section that is applicable to all glyphs in a font, the second section has a separate entry for each glyph, and the last section has the ENDFONT statement. BDF files are used by the program when accessing system fonts. For this purpose, the BDF files need to be present in the system Fonts folder.
Other Uses: BDF files can refer to Binary Data Format files that are used by forensic data analysis programs such as E-mail Detective in recognizing raw data retrieved from unallocated hard drive storage space. BDF files are used as BSDiff Patch File format for updating video game ROMs to enable altered gameplay. The bsdiff/bspatch tools are capable of creating and applying these BDF patch files in Ubuntu environment. ESO-MIDAS (European Southern Observatory-Munich Image Data Analysis System) application also uses BDF Disk Image files for saving astronomical data such as surface photometric of galaxies.

How to open BDF files

You need a suitable software like Nastran to open a BDF file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your BDF file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a BDF file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

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Programs that open and convert BDF files:

Nastran by MSC Software
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. BDF files are often referred to as Nastran data files because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
Backup To CD/DVD (backup definition file) by Willow Creek
Backup To DVD/CD and Backup Made Simple are data backup applications developed by Willow Creek. The file with extension BDF consists of the settings of the backup data created by the programs. This file format is classified as Settings. Related links: BDF files info
BES-100E (design data file) by Brother Industries
The file extension BDF is associated with BES-100E, an embroidery software used to design, create, and digitize embroidery patterns. The software has been discontinued by the developers. The file stores the design data related to the program. This file format is classified as Raster Image. Related links: BES-100E info
Binary diff/patch utility
The extension BDF is of the patch file created by bsdiff/bspatch tools. The patch files can be used to update video game memory and also to create patches for binary files. This file format is classified as Game. Related links: BSF patch file info
Birthday Reminder (birthday reminder file) by Christian Weiske
Birthday Reminder runs at windows startup and shows you the next events in an owner-defined time span. The extension BDF is that of a birthday reminder file associated with this program. This file format is classified as Data. Related links: Birthday Reminder download link
Bridge Designer
The extension BDF is associated with Bridge Designer, a civil engineering software used to design steel bridges. The file stores data related to the design created by the program. This file format is classified as Data.
Creative Suite (screen font file) by Adobe
This file with extension BDF is the ASCII version of files with extension ABF. The file stores screen fonts of Adobe products in an ASCII based font and goes by the name Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format. Files of this kind are obsolete but can be opened using Creative Suite, an Adobe product used for graphic design and video editing. This file format is classified as Font. Related links: Archived page of Glyph format file
E-Mail Detective (fragment file) by Hot Pepper Technology
E-Mail Detective is a forensic software tool developed for use with AOL mail files. It is used by forensic programs to tag raw data recovered from unallocated space on a hard drive. The extension BDF is the file containing binary data fragments used by the program. This file format is classified as Data. Related links: E-Mail Detective Chrome extension
Egret Data File
Linux (bitmap image format file) by Linux
The file extension BDF is that of the X11 distribution format. This program can read fonts in different formats including BDF (Bitmap Distribution Format). The file defines the bitmap patterns of the characters in a particular font. Files associated with X11 can be opened using Linux. This file format is classified as Raster Image. Related links: X Window system Wikipedia page
Midas (astronomy image file) by European Southern Observatory
The extension BDF is that of a disk image file created by MIDAS (Munich Image Data Analysis System), a software used for storing astronomy related data. This file format is classified as Disk Image. Related links: Midas info
NuGraf (transfer file) by Okino
File extension BDF is associated with NuGraf, a 3D rendering and scene composition program. The file is a transfer file meant for data transfer between various 3D platforms. Related links: BDF file format info
Quartus II (block design file) by Altera
Quartus II is a design software that is a comprehensive environment available for system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) design. The file extension BDF is associated with Quartus II and contains the block design data of the program. This file format is classified as Raster Image. Related links: Quartus Wikipedia page
TXRDWIN (x-ray diffraction pattern file) by Omni Scientific Instruments
The file extension BDF is associated with TXRDWIN, an obsolete software that is used to control and analyse X-ray diffractometers. The file contains an x-ray diffraction pattern with analysis. This file format is classified as Data. Related links: TXRDWIN alternate download page
UNIX (operating system font file) by Open Group
Font files used by UNIX operating systems use the extension BDF. These types of files can be manipulated using mkfontdir. This file format is classified as Font. Related links: UNIX font file format

BDF file format:

To view or edit BDF files you need to know the file format, because it determines how the data in this file is stored. A file format is determined by the file extension and signature, so JPEG images have the extension .jpg and the first bytes in the file are ÿØÿ. If the file extension or signature does not match the file format, errors will occur when opening or editing the file. So a detailed analysis of a file is vital in order to determine the format and the associated program. Our evaluation of the BDF files is as follows:

Files with the BDF extension are quite widely used. This file type is used by many programs, each with its own file format. However, the following two file formats are common:

20% of all BDF files use the same file format, which can be identified by the letters "ÿBIOSEMI" at the beginning. They consist of unreadable binary data. The files are on average 47 MB in size and range from 2 MB to 490 MB. The file type was developed only in the last few years. Certain words are almost always found in the files, such as BIOSEMI. A common filename is eeg_recording_1.bdf or s01.bdf. Files like these have the following tags: emotion, trial, recording, task, testdata, rest and study.
15% of all BDF files are associated with Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format font. These files contain text and words, not binary data. Most of these files are 20 KB to 970 KB in size. Several words can almost always be found in the files, e.g. STARTFONT 2.1, COMMENT, Normal, SIZE, FONTBOUNDINGBOX, Medium and http.

The remaining 65% of all BDF files are different files with different signatures, the following 13 formats can be found: Quartus Block Design File, Brother Embroidery File, bCAD Drawing, HEADER, FEA, MFDB and MSC. They are often associated with tpic, contact, nopic, frontend, achsmod or promega. Just click the "Choose your .bdf file to analyze" button on this page to find out what your BDF file is.

Technical Data for BDF File Extension

File classification:

Data

Related files:

dbf, f06, idf, qpf, pdf, rc1, vwf, ldf, ct, zip, edf, bsf, eeg, dat, btf, rar, lpf, docx, xml, qsf, wm3

Related links:

Nastran Wikipedia page

Mime type:

application/x-font-bdf

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: Quartus.BlockSchematic
EXEFile: C:/quartus/bin/quartus.exe %1

ProgramID: Quartus.BlockSchematic
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%/Altera/quartus/bin/quartus.exe

a bdf bulk data input file is a special file format by MSC Software and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with BDF files

Associate the BDF file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open bulk data input files. Because only the current version supports the latest BDF file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the MSC Software manufacturer website after an available Nastran update.
To make sure that your BDF file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .BDF file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.