GML Converter

Extract text from GML files

Select File
Drop or upload your .GML file

Online File Converter

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How to extract text from your GML file

Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your GML file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert GML to another file type

To convert your GML file to another format, you need FME Desktop or other GIS software.

Convert a file to GML

To convert other file formats to the "Geographic Data Exchange" file type, you need software like FME Desktop or a similar tool.

About GML files

The .GML extension is shared by two distinct but technical file formats: Geography Markup Language (dominant use) and Graph Modelling Language.

1. Geography Markup Language (GML)

This is the industry standard for exchanging geographic data, developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). It uses XML to describe geographical features like points, lines, and polygons for GIS software like ArcGIS Pro and QGIS.

Common Challenges:

Verbosity & Size: Because GML is text-based XML, files can become enormous compared to binary formats, making them slow to transfer and render.
Browser Incompatibility: Web browsers and libraries (like Leaflet or Google Maps API) generally do not support GML natively; they require GeoJSON.
Software Lock-in: While an 'open' standard, complex GML schemas often require expensive enterprise tools like FME Desktop to interpret correctly.

Best Conversion Targets:

For Google Earth: Convert to KML or KMZ.
For Web Apps: Convert to lightweight GeoJSON.
For Legacy GIS: Convert to SHP (Shapefile).

2. Graph Modelling Language

A text-based format used to describe graphs (nodes and edges) for data visualization tools like Gephi and yFiles.

Common Challenges:

Obsolescence: This is an older ASCII format that lacks the rich metadata capabilities of modern XML-based graph formats.
Visual Fidelity: Sharing these files often results in lost layout settings if the recipient uses different software.

Best Conversion Targets:

For Analysis: Convert to GraphML or JSON.
For Presentation: Convert visualizations to SVG or PDF.

*Note: Rarely, a .gml file may be a GameMaker Language script. These are simple code files that can be opened as TXT.*

Convert.Guru analyzes your GML file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted GLM, ZIP, XML, YY, GMI, XSD, SIG, TXT, GRAPHML, PDF, PNG, DWG and GFS files.

FAQ

If you want to convert GML file to KML, GEOJSON, DWG, CSV, PDF, JSON, OBJ, SHP, KMZ, GPX, TOPOJSON or TIF, you can use FME Desktop or similar software from the "Geospatial Vector Data Exchange" 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 GML, try FME Desktop or another comparable tool in the "Geospatial Vector Data Exchange" category.

The GML 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 GML converter.