Extract text from Canvas and CTD files (CNV)
To convert CNV files to another format, you need Seasave or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Oceanographic Data / Graphics" file type, you need software like Seasave or a similar tool.
The .CNV file extension typically represents a Sea-Bird CTD oceanographic data file. These files hold scientific measurements for Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) and are processed using Sea-Bird Electronics software like Seasave. The second most common use is the Canvas Drawing file, a legacy proprietary vector and raster graphics format created by Deneba Canvas (now managed by ACD Systems). Less commonly, .CNV files serve as internal Microsoft Word text converters, Cadence DXF layer maps, or retro game dialogue files for titles like Fallout 2.
Working with .CNV files presents immediate challenges. The formats are highly proprietary or rely on discontinued, expensive software. You cannot natively preview Sea-Bird data tables or Canvas graphics in standard web browsers. Canvas graphics are notoriously incompatible with modern design pipelines like Adobe Illustrator. Additionally, Microsoft Office .CNV files are system-level plugins that function similarly to executables; attempting to open them will not reveal user-editable text.
You must convert your .CNV files to utilize their contents in modern workflows. For scientific oceanographic data, convert to CSV or TXT to correctly parse the measurements for analysis in Excel or Python. For legacy graphics, convert to SVG for scalable web editing, PDF for reliable document archiving, or PNG for instant sharing.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CNV file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted CSV, CVX, TXT, JPG, MP4, PDF, SPV, ACSM, SDOCX and THM files.
If you want to convert CNV file to SVG, AI, EPS, PDF, JPG, CDR, WMF, EMF, SWF, FLA, XFL or SKETCH, you can use Seasave or similar software from the "Scientific Data or Vector Drawing" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert AFPUB, EPS, FIG, VSD, SKETCH, VDX, AFPHOTO, PDF, AFDESIGN, SVG, VSDX or AI files to CNV, try Seasave or another comparable tool in the "Scientific Data or Vector Drawing" 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 CNV converter.