Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your DFR file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.
Convert DFR to another file type
To convert your DFR file to another format, you need Allplan or other Cad software.
Convert a file to DFR
To convert other file formats to the "BIM Drawing Container" file type, you need software like Allplan or a similar tool.
About DFR files
The .dfr extension represents a collision of three distinct professional formats, creating significant confusion for users.
Allplan Drawing Foil: The most common use is a proprietary drawing container used by Allplan, a major BIM/CAD platform for architects and civil engineers. These files act as intelligent layers (similar to XREFs in AutoCAD) containing 2D lines, 3D objects, or reinforcement data. The problem: You cannot open these files in AutoCAD, Revit, or standard image viewers. They are locked to the Allplan project structure. The Solution: If you need to share this design, the file must be exported from within Allplan to DWG (for CAD users), IFC (for BIM exchange), or PDF (for client review).
Digital Fault Recorder (DFR) Oscillogram: In electrical engineering, these files contain high-frequency waveform data captured by grid monitoring systems (like WinDFR). They record voltage and current spikes during power grid faults. The Constraint: These are raw binary data files that require specialized engineering analysis software to interpret. The Solution: For analysis in Excel or MATLAB, these should be converted to CSV or the industry-standard .COMTRADE format.
Legacy Report Definitions: Older systems like SmartWare or specific setups of DataFlex use .dfr files to define report layouts. These are often obsolete and best converted to PDF for archiving.
Convert.Guru analyzes your DFR file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert DFR file to , you can use Allplan or similar software from the "CAD Drawing & Engineering Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to DFR, try Allplan or another comparable tool in the "CAD Drawing & Engineering Data" category.
The DFR Converter Story
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 DFR converter.