Extract text from OpenGL shaders (GLSL)
To convert GLSL shaders to another format, you need OpenGL or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "Shader Source Code" file type, you need software like OpenGL or a similar tool.
A .glsl file contains source code written in the OpenGL Shading Language. Developers use these files to write vertex, fragment, and compute shaders that execute directly on a GPU to control graphics rendering and visual effects. You can open and edit them in text editors like Visual Studio Code or Notepad++.
Despite being standard in the OpenGL ecosystem, .glsl files present significant cross-platform challenges. They are heavily tied to the OpenGL API. If you are developing a game or application for Microsoft platforms using DirectX, .glsl files will not compile and are effectively useless. Furthermore, because these are raw source code files containing mathematical instructions, non-developers cannot "view" them as images or 3D objects without a rendering engine.
To port your graphics pipelines or share your code, you must convert these files. For DirectX compatibility, convert .glsl to HLSL (High-Level Shader Language). For modern Vulkan APIs, you should compile the code into SPV (SPIR-V binaries). If you just need to share the code for documentation, convert to TXT or PDF. Drag and drop your file here to analyze and convert it - free, online, and without installing software.
Convert.Guru analyzes your GLSL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted GLSLP, HLSL, VSH, SHADER, TXT, FSH, FRAG, JSON, BIN, ZIP and OSL files.
If you want to convert GLSL file to HLSL, OSL, OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB, C4D or STL, you can use OpenGL or similar software from the "Graphics Shader Source Code" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, STEP or FBX files to GLSL, try OpenGL or another comparable tool in the "Graphics Shader Source Code" 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 GLSL converter.