Extract text from routing files (ROU)
To convert ROU files to another format, you need SAi EnRoute or other Cad software.
To convert other file formats to the "CAD/CAM Project File" file type, you need software like SAi EnRoute or a similar tool.
The .ROU file extension usually contains a CNC router design created by SAi EnRoute software. It stores 2D or 3D vector geometries, toolpath configurations, and material dimensions used to control CNC machines for woodworking, metal fabrication, and sign making. Alternatively, .ROU files are used in electronics design as PCB (Printed Circuit Board) routing tool paths, often in the Excellon format or generated by Altium Designer and Cadence Allegro.
The main disadvantage of the .ROU format is its proprietary and highly specialized nature. An EnRoute project file is locked into the SAi ecosystem and requires an expensive commercial license to open, edit, or export. It cannot be viewed in web browsers, standard image viewers, or even other standard CAD tools without prior exporting. PCB routing files are similarly specialized machine instructions that require dedicated EDA (Electronic Design Automation) software to interpret.
To share these designs with other manufacturing systems or engineers, you must convert them. CNC files are best converted to DXF or DWG for universal 2D/3D CAD editing, or to standard G-code (NC, TAP) for direct machine operation. PCB routing files are usually exported to standard GBR (Gerber) or DRL (Excellon drill) formats for board fabrication.
Because .ROU is a complex, closed format, standard online converters fail to process it. Only the original software can properly read the specific tool parameters or complex EDA data. However, just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible using convert.guru. Our system will inspect the file structure, determine whether it is a CNC project or a PCB drill file, and show any internal plain text or embedded paths. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ROU file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted JPG, ROZ, ZIP, WFP, RLD and HPRJ files.
If you want to convert ROU file to CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI, CFG, CONF, DAT, DB or SQL, you can use SAi EnRoute or similar software from the "CNC Routing & PCB Design" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to ROU, try SAi EnRoute or another comparable tool in the "CNC Routing & PCB Design" 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 ROU converter.