Convert PMD to XLS

A receiving system may require .xls when a PlanMaker workbook must be edited, shared with users of older Microsoft Excel versions, or imported into legacy accounting software. The correct method depends on the application that created the .pmd file, because the extension is shared by unrelated formats.

What the PMD format is

.pmd is not one standardized document format. Common meanings include:

• SoftMaker PlanMaker spreadsheet: an older workbook containing cells, formulas, formatting, charts, and possibly multiple worksheets.
• Adobe PageMaker publication: a page-layout file containing text frames, images, tables, and positioned objects rather than a spreadsheet grid. PageMaker is obsolete and may require a compatible legacy installation to open the file.
• MikuMikuDance model: a 3D character file containing mesh, bones, materials, textures, and morph data. Animation files are generally stored separately.

A cell grid identifies a PlanMaker workbook; pages with positioned text and graphics indicate PageMaker; a 3D model or unreadable binary data may indicate the MikuMikuDance format. The original application, file location, and operating-system association can also identify the subtype.

What the XLS format is

.xls is Microsoft Excel's binary workbook format used through Excel 2003. It supports worksheets, formulas, cell formatting, charts, and VBA macros, and remains necessary for some older applications that cannot import .xlsx.

XLS is suitable for tabular PlanMaker data that must be calculated, sorted, filtered, or imported into legacy software. It cannot preserve the page layout of a PageMaker publication or represent a 3D model; those files require data extraction or a different target format.

Convert a PlanMaker PMD workbook

1. Open the file in SoftMaker PlanMaker, preferably a version compatible with the software that created it. Use File → Open and select the .pmd file.
2. Confirm that the workbook opens as a spreadsheet. Check formulas, dates, merged cells, charts, hidden sheets, and worksheet count.
3. Use File → Save As, select Microsoft Excel 97–2003 (*.xls), and save a new file. Keep the PMD original unchanged.
4. Open the XLS in Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc and review any compatibility warning. Recalculate important formulas and compare row, column, and worksheet counts.

PlanMaker is preferable to a generic extension-conversion service because it can interpret the workbook structure. LibreOffice Calc may serve as a verification tool, but it is not a dependable direct reader for every historical PlanMaker PMD file.

For confidential files, use desktop software. Online services such as Zamzar or CloudConvert should be considered only when their current format selector explicitly lists the exact SoftMaker PMD subtype and the file is non-sensitive; support for ambiguous PMD files varies and a service may reject the upload or interpret it as another format. Never rename .pmd to .xls; changing the extension does not convert the internal format.

Extract data from an Adobe PageMaker PMD

PageMaker does not provide a structure-preserving PMD-to-XLS conversion. Open the publication in a compatible PageMaker environment, select a table or text block, and copy it into Excel or LibreOffice Calc. For larger text tables, save or copy the content to a delimited text file, then import it with Data → From Text/CSV and choose the correct delimiter, encoding, and column types.

If the table is an image or scanned page, use table-capable OCR such as Adobe Acrobat or ABBYY FineReader, export the result to XLS or XLSX, and manually verify every row, column, decimal separator, date, and numeric value. OCR cannot reliably reproduce complex layout, merged cells, or handwritten content.

Handle a MikuMikuDance PMD

A MikuMikuDance model has no meaningful spreadsheet equivalent and cannot be converted into an XLS workbook without losing its 3D structure. Use a compatible model editor or converter to export it to a format such as PMX, FBX, or OBJ. Create an XLS separately only when an inventory of model names, materials, bones, or other metadata is required.

Compatibility limits

Legacy XLS supports a maximum of 65,536 rows and 256 columns per worksheet. A larger PlanMaker sheet must be reduced, split, or saved as .xlsx instead.

Conversion can alter formulas, unsupported functions, conditional formatting, charts, fonts, external links, macros, dates, and locale-sensitive numbers. Check formula results, print areas, column widths, chart appearance, and links after export. CSV is suitable only for simple single-sheet values because it removes formulas, formatting, charts, additional worksheets, and most workbook metadata.