Sql-server – How to extract a SQL database design into Visio in a manageable format

I can't believe I didn't actually google the exact error message. There's a lesson to be learned there. Upon doing so, I learned that similar errors occur in other applications. The cause is non-ASCII codes. I was exporting from SQL in Unicode.

Here is the full solution: In SQL:

1. Right-click on the desired db, choose Tasks > Generate Scripts
2. Select the desired database, next
3. Leave the default options (I've tried a few things, none worked), next
4. Select Tables only (I don't need anything except the tables, their fields, keys, and relationships)
5. Select all tables (or 4 tables, it doesn't matter)
6. Choose "Script to file", enter a file name
7. Under Save as: choose ANSI text (Unicode breaks the crap out of ER/Studio)
8. Finish

Then import into ER/Studio. My import has been running for 2 hours so far.

Next up, trying to figure out how to make an ordered list on this site. I'm so full of fail. :)

AFAIK - there is no way to do it in SSMS, use other tools for that, such as Microsoft Visio, ERWin etc. - there are a lot of them.

You may create a dummy database and draw you diagrams there, thinking of underlying creating objects as about a part of diagram itself. 8-)