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What Is an SZN File?

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on January 10, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email File Types File Types Apps Windows MS Office Linux Google Drive Backup & Utilities Design Cryptocurrency

What to Know

An SZN file is a HiCAD 3D CAD file.Open one with HiCAD or HiCAD Viewer from ISD Group.Convert to a different format with those same programs. This article explains what an SZN file is used for and how to open one or convert one to a different format.

What Is an SZN File

A file with the SZN file extension is a HiCAD 3D CAD file. It's used by the computer-aided design software called HiCAD to store 2D or 3D drawings.

How to Open an SZN File

SZN files can be opened with ISD Group's HiCAD. The program isn't free to use, but there is a demo you can download that should also provide the same support for these files.
This is no longer the format used by new versions of the program, which default to using SZA and SZX files. The free HiCAD Viewer, also from ISD Group, can open SZN files too, but only if they contain shaded 3D models. This means 2D models or glass models that are saved in the SZN format can't be opened with the viewer.
On the HiCAD Viewer download page are several versions of the program. The latest release only works with 64-bit versions of Windows, while older editions are offered in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Your choice depends on the type of computer you have. See How to Tell If You Have Windows 64-Bit or 32-Bit for help. If you're also working with some other file types used with HiCAD, you should know that this free viewer program can open 2D drawing files in the ZTL format, plus SZA, SZX, and RPA files, as well as HiCAD Parts and Assemblies files in the KRP, KRA, and FIG format. If you suspect your file has nothing at all to do with HiCAD or CAD drawings in general, try opening it with a free text editor. If the file is full of just text, then your SZN file is just a text file that can be used normally with any text editor. If most of the text is illegible, see if you can pick out something identifiable from the mess that can help you research the program that created your file; it's usually also the same program that can open it.

How to Convert an SZN File

HiCAD Viewer can save open files to a different format. It's likely that you can use that program to convert the SZN file to some other similar CAD-related format. The same goes for the full HiCAD software. There's most likely an option for conversions in the File or Export menu. Most common file formats can be converted using a free file converter, but if you follow through with this link, you'll find that none of the online services or converter programs support this particular format.

Still Can' t Open It

If your file doesn't open as described above, there's a good possibility that you're just misreading the file extension and confusing a different file for one with the SZN file extension. For example, this extension is very similar to SZ used by the Winamp music playing software as a custom interface, or "skin." The two formats have nothing to do with each other, even though it's easy to mix up their file extensions. Here are some other examples: ISZ: Zipped ISO Disk Image file SZS: Video game data file SZ4: E-triloquist Phrase Library Format file If you discover that your file is in none of these formats, research the real file extension to see which programs can be used to open or convert it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire DDL File (What It Is & How to Open One) DRF File (What It Is & How to Open One) BBS File (What It Is & How to Open One) DMA File (What It Is & How to Open One) RVT File (What It Is and How to Open One) M4V File (What It Is and How to Open One) EPRT File (What It Is and How to Open One) IGS File (What It Is and How to Open One) PCT File (What It Is & How to Open One) EPC File (What It Is & How to Open One) XVO File (What It Is & How to Open One) ALP File (What It Is and How to Open One) ACCDE File (What It Is and How to Open One) PPS File (What It Is & How to Open One) ARD File (What It Is & How to Open One) XLR File (What It Is & How to Open One) Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies