Extract text from DT1 files
To convert your DT1 file to another format, you need Global Mapper or other GIS software.
To convert other file formats to the "Elevation Model" file type, you need software like Global Mapper or a similar tool.
The .dt1 extension is primarily associated with Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) Level 1, a standard geospatial format developed by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for military and high-end GIS applications. These files contain a matrix of terrain elevation values with a resolution of approximately 90 meters (3 arc-seconds) between post points.
Users often need to convert .dt1 files because they are raw binary data grids, not standard images. You cannot simply double-click them to view the terrain; they require specialized software like ArcGIS Pro or Global Mapper to interpret the elevation values. Furthermore, .dt1 files use big-endian signed integers and specific 'no data' values (often -32767) that cause rendering errors in standard image viewers (displaying as solid black or noise).
For broader compatibility, the best practice is to convert .dt1 to GeoTIFF or DEM for use in general mapping software, or to XYZ text files for data analysis.
A secondary but significant use (approx. 15%) is for Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data, specifically from equipment like the DT-1200 by Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc (GSSI) or systems by Sensors & Software. These are proprietary binary logs of radar reflections used in geophysical surveys. They are completely incompatible with GIS readers and must be converted to CSV or SEG-Y format for analysis in tools like MATLAB or Excel.
Convert.Guru analyzes your DT1 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DT3, DT, TIN, LDK, LRF and DT2 files.
If you want to convert DT1 file to SHP, KML, KMZ, GPX, GEOJSON, TOPOJSON, TIF, TIFF, ECW, SID, IMG or DEM, you can use Global Mapper or similar software from the "Digital Terrain Elevation Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert LAZ, KMZ, DTM, CSV, DEM, PRJ, LAS, GPX, DSM, SHP, DBF or KML files to DT1, try Global Mapper or another comparable tool in the "Digital Terrain Elevation Data" 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 DT1 converter.