Convert BW files online for free
The converter easily converts your BW file to various formats - free and online. No UCSC Genome Browser or or other Data software needed.
The converter also works in reverse, so you can convert other "Bioinformatics Binary Data" formats to BW without using software like UCSC Genome Browser or a similar tool.
The .bw extension serves multiple distinct technical purposes, most notably as the BigWig genomic data format. Developed for the UCSC Genome Browser, this is a binary-compressed, indexed version of the text-based WIG (Wiggle) format. Its primary utility lies in efficiently storing dense, continuous data like GC content or probability scores, allowing researchers to query specific genomic regions without loading the entire dataset into memory. However, because .bw files are binary, they are not human-readable and cannot be opened in standard text editors like Notepad, creating a barrier for researchers needing raw data access. To extract readable values, users must convert these files to .BEDGraph or WIG formats using command-line tools like bigWigToBedGraph.
In the realm of graphics, .bw refers to legacy SGI Black and White images. These historically significant raster files store grayscale data but are largely obsolete and unsupported by modern image viewers (e.g., Windows Photos, Preview). To view or edit these images today, converting them to universally compatible formats like PNG or JPG is essential. Additionally, the extension is utilized by Browzwear for VStitcher 3D garment designs and by Bricsys for BricsCAD sheet sets. These proprietary CAD formats often require the original licensed software to open, making conversion to exchange formats like DXF or OBJ necessary for collaboration with users who do not own the specific software suite.
Use Convert.Guru to open and convert your BW file.
Users also converted PNG!BW700, JPG!BW700, JPG, JPG!BWR800, PNG, JPEG, GZ, TXT, BWD, BTW, EXE, ZIP and AAE files.
If you want to convert BW file to COLOR, COLOUR, WEBP or CUR, you can use UCSC Genome Browser or similar software from the "Genomic Signal Data Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SVG files to BW, try UCSC Genome Browser or another comparable tool in the "Genomic Signal Data Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our BW converter.