Extract text from Compiled Lua scripts (LU)
To convert LU scripts to another format, you need Lua or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "Compiled Script / Source Code" file type, you need software like Lua or a similar tool.
The .lu file extension has two distinct primary uses. Most commonly, it is a Compiled Lua Script utilized by game engines (such as the Infernal Engine, Traveller's Tales games, Left 4 Dead 2, and LittleBigPlanet) to execute game logic. Alternatively, it is a Language Understanding source file used by Microsoft LUIS (Language Understanding Intelligent Service) to define conversational AI models and intents.
When used as a compiled Lua script, the file contains binary bytecode rather than human-readable text. This is a major disadvantage for developers and modders because the original logic is obfuscated and cannot be opened in a standard text editor. Decompiling Lua bytecode back to a LUA file requires specific decompilation tools (like luadec) that must match the exact Lua interpreter version used by the game developers. Standard online converters fail entirely because the compilation process strips out comments and variable names, and many game studios use heavily modified, proprietary Lua architectures.
Conversely, a Microsoft LUIS .lu file uses a Markdown-like, plain-text format. While it is easy to open, its highly specific syntax is strictly designed for ingestion into Microsoft's proprietary AI ecosystem. For LUIS files, the most practical conversion targets are JSON or TXT, which map well to structured AI training data pipelines.
Because compiled .lu files are binary and often tied to closed-source game engine architectures, they are exceptionally difficult to convert directly. You cannot simply convert a compiled PS3 game asset into a universal document format. Our analyzer can identify if the file contains plain text LUIS definitions, raw Lua code, or a recognized compiled byte structure, offering the best possible extraction path.
Convert.Guru analyzes your LU file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted JS, LUA and BAS files.
If you want to convert LU file to , you can use Lua or similar software from the "Game Logic & Language Models" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to LU, try Lua or another comparable tool in the "Game Logic & Language Models" 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 LU converter.