Extract text from Terminal recordings (CAST)
To convert CAST Recordings to another format, you need asciinema or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "Terminal Log" file type, you need software like asciinema or a similar tool.
The .CAST file extension represents two completely different formats depending on its origin.
1. Asciinema Terminal Recording (Most Common):
These are lightweight, text-based logs generated by asciinema. Unlike standard video files (MP4, AVI), a .CAST file contains a stream of text data (formatted as newline-delimited JSON) that captures exactly what was printed to a terminal window, including timing and color codes. Because they are text files, they are incredibly small compared to video, but they cannot be opened in standard media players like VLC. They require the asciinema player or a web embed to view. Users frequently convert these to GIF or MP4 to share them on platforms like GitHub, Twitter, or YouTube that don't support the format natively.
2. Apex Legends Model/Animation:
In the gaming and modding community, .CAST files are binary assets associated with Apex Legends. These files are typically generated by extraction tools like Legion (built on PorterLib) or the Cast plugin for Blender. They contain 3D geometry, animations, or skeletal data used to import game assets into Blender for rendering fan art or animations. These files are strictly proprietary and cannot be opened with text editors.
3. Prezi Asset:
A smaller subset of files may be internal components from Prezi presentation software, often related to their "Prezi Cast" or broadcasting features. These are typically internal cache or data files and are not meant to be manually opened or converted.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CAST file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted AS, XFL and ANA files.
If you want to convert CAST file to TXT, RTF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, PAGES, TEX, LATEX, MD, MARKDOWN, LOG or NFO, you can use asciinema or similar software from the "Terminal Session Recording" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert PDF, DOC, ASC, TODO, NFO, MEMO, README, DOCX, JPG, TXT, NOTE or RTF files to CAST, try asciinema or another comparable tool in the "Terminal Session Recording" 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 CAST converter.