Extract text from CALS control files (CTL)
To convert CTL control files to another format, you need Bentley MicroStation or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "Software Control File" file type, you need software like Bentley MicroStation or a similar tool.
A .CTL file typically acts as a control document, dictating settings, batch jobs, or parameters for a parent application. However, this extension is highly fragmented. The most common variation (roughly a third of all files) is a CALS raster image used for CAD plotting. Other prevalent uses include CNC post-processor definitions for manufacturing, map image tiles, and data loading scripts for Oracle Database.
Depending on the specific use case, CALS image variations are handled by Bentley MicroStation, CNC configurations are read by Mastercam or Autodesk Fusion 360, and database control files are executed via Oracle SQL*Loader.
The primary disadvantage of the .CTL format is this extreme fragmentation. Windows and macOS cannot reliably assign a default program. Opening an image-based .CTL in a text editor yields frozen software and binary gibberish, while Oracle control files will look corrupted if forced into an image viewer. You cannot universally edit a .CTL file because its internal encoding varies wildly based on the software that originally created it.
To make the contents usable, you must convert the file based on its underlying data. If it is a CAD plot or map tile, convert .CTL to PNG or JPG for web viewing, or PDF for archiving. If it is a database or CNC script, convert it to TXT or CSV to ensure cross-platform readability.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CTL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted LNG, TXT, STL, JPG, TCL, PRN, ZIP, IBD, CSV, DAT, XML, FIG and SPV files.
If you want to convert CTL file to JS, TS, PY, JAVA, CPP, C, CS, PHP, RB, GO, RS or SWIFT, you can use Bentley MicroStation or similar software from the "Configuration or Raster Image" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SH, PY, KT, PS1, SWIFT, LUA, PL, JAVA, SCALA, JS, VBS or TS files to CTL, try Bentley MicroStation or another comparable tool in the "Configuration or Raster Image" 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 CTL converter.