Extract text from GSB files
To convert your GSB file to another format, you need ArcGIS Pro or other GIS software.
To convert other file formats to the "Geodetic Data Grid" file type, you need software like ArcGIS Pro or a similar tool.
The .gsb extension primarily represents the NTv2 Grid Shift Binary file, a standard format used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to model the difference between two geodetic reference systems (datums). Originally developed by Natural Resources Canada to convert data between NAD27 and NAD83, these binary files contain a regular grid of coordinate shifts (latitude and longitude differences). While the binary structure ensures fast processing and smaller file sizes compared to its ASCII counterpart (GSA), it presents significant friction for users who need to audit the data or use it in non-specialized software. You cannot simply open a .gsb file in a text editor to inspect the shift values; doing so renders unintelligible characters. Furthermore, proprietary lock-in often requires heavy, expensive software like ArcGIS Pro or strict adherence to the NTv2 standard in open-source tools like QGIS.
For users needing human-readable data or interoperability with legacy systems, converting .gsb to GSA (Grid Shift ASCII) is the standard workflow. For analytical purposes, converting the grid into a GeoTIFF or CSV allows for easier visualization of the distortion fields in standard image viewers or spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel.
A secondary but significant use of the .gsb extension is for Grisbi project files. Grisbi is a personal accounting application that saves financial data in an XML-based structure with a .gsb extension. While these are technically text files, the specific XML schema is often incompatible with other finance tools. Users migrating away from Grisbi typically need to convert these files to QIF (Quicken Interchange Format) or CSV to import their transaction history into Gnucash or Quicken.
Convert.Guru analyzes your GSB file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted GSP, CPG, OVR and LPK files.
If you want to convert GSB file to SHP, KML, KMZ, GPX, GEOJSON, TOPOJSON, TIF, TIFF, ECW, SID, IMG or DEM, you can use ArcGIS Pro or similar software from the "Coordinate Transformation Grid" 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 GSB, try ArcGIS Pro or another comparable tool in the "Coordinate Transformation Grid" 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 GSB converter.