Extract text from CIMsteel data files (CIS)
To convert CIS data files to another format, you need Tekla Structures or other Cad software.
To convert other file formats to the "Engineering Data Exchange" file type, you need software like Tekla Structures or a similar tool.
A .CIS file primarily functions as a CIMsteel Integration Standards (CIS/2) file, acting as the industry standard for exchanging structural steel data between CAD and analysis programs like Tekla Structures and Autodesk Advance Steel. Alternatively, it can be a compressed InstallShield file managed by Revenera InstallShield, used to bundle software components for Windows installers.
The current formats have distinct disadvantages. The CIS/2 standard relies on a complex, plain-text STEP-based structure containing semantic metadata - such as material grades, beam profiles, and fabrication logic. Because it is highly specialized, most standard 3D viewers cannot render it, leaving users with an empty viewport or a massive wall of unreadable text. InstallShield .CIS files are closed, proprietary archives; attempting to extract their payload without the original installer executable often results in a corrupted directory or error messages.
To make this data usable, conversion is necessary. For structural engineering data, converting .CIS to standard CAD formats like IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) or STP (STEP) allows architects and clients to view the 3D model without needing expensive BIM licenses. For installer files, extracting the archive to a standard ZIP format lets you safely inspect the payload, though the automated installer logic will be lost.
Why are these files difficult to open or convert? Standard online converters fail because they lack the specific parsing engines required for either CIMsteel geometry or proprietary InstallShield compression. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. Just drag and drop your file to see what it is and convert it if supported. convert.guru can still identify the file format, inspect the file, and show text or internal content. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CIS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted CSI, ICS and TRANS files.
If you want to convert CIS file to TRANS, JPG, PDF, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, TIF, WEBP, ICO, CUR or PSD, you can use Tekla Structures or similar software from the "Structural Steel Data Exchange" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert RAW, PNG, AI, NEF, PSB, DNG, SVG, GIF, EPS, JPG, ARW or PDF files to CIS, try Tekla Structures or another comparable tool in the "Structural Steel Data Exchange" 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 CIS converter.