Convert ChemWindow drawings (CWG) online for free
The converter easily converts your CWG drawings to various formats - free and online. No ChemWindow or other Data software needed.
To convert other file formats to the "Chemical Informatics File" file type, you need software like ChemWindow or a similar tool.
The .CWG file format is primarily used to store chemical structure drawings. These files contain 2D and 3D molecular diagrams, annotations, and chemical properties designed for academic research and laboratory documentation. A secondary, unrelated use case involves saved game data for classic video games, including Chrono Cross for the PlayStation and older Castle Wolfenstein titles.
Chemical structures in this format are natively created and managed by legacy ChemWindow software, which is associated with Bio-Rad. Users may also attempt to open or import these files using industry-standard alternatives like ChemDraw.
Users frequently need to convert .CWG files because the format is highly proprietary and tightly locked to specific applications. Files require expensive, specialized informatics software to open. Standard web browsers, image viewers, and document editors cannot read the complex vector mathematics used to draw the chemical bonds. This creates a severe bottleneck when sharing research or diagrams with colleagues who do not own a valid software license.
The best target formats for visual sharing are PDF, SVG, or PNG. For raw data sharing within chemistry environments, converting to a standard MOL or CDX file is recommended. Note that converting to a raster image like PNG will permanently strip the underlying chemical metadata, turning an editable molecule into a flat, static graphic.
This file format is exceptionally difficult to open or convert via generic tools. Because it is a closed, proprietary format, standard online converters fail to parse the molecular coordinates. Often, only the original chemical drawing software can properly read or export the data. However, 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. Just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible.
Use Convert.Guru to open and convert your CWG file.
Users also converted DWG, JDX, CDXML and RXN files.
If you want to convert CWG file to , you can use ChemWindow or similar software from the "Chemical Structure Drawing Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to CWG, try ChemWindow or another comparable tool in the "Chemical Structure Drawing 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 CWG converter.