Extract text from EnergyPlus variable lists (RVI)
To convert RVI variable lists to another format, you need EnergyPlus or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "Simulation Configuration" file type, you need software like EnergyPlus or a similar tool.
An .rvi file is primarily a text-based configuration file used by the EnergyPlus simulation engine. Its specific function is to act as a filter list for the ReadVarsESO post-processing tool. When you run an energy simulation, the engine produces a massive raw data file (.eso); the .rvi file tells the system exactly which variables to extract and convert into a readable CSV spreadsheet.
The Common Problem: Because .rvi is a specialized extension, Windows and macOS do not recognize it. Users often double-click it only to be met with an "Open With" dialog, or they attempt to import it directly into Microsoft Excel, which may fail if the file formatting isn't standard. Additionally, users often confuse this format with proprietary video sidecar files from Smart TVs (like Samsung PVR metadata), leading to frustration when they try to convert it to MP4.
The Solution: For EnergyPlus users, the file is plain text. The best workflow is to convert (or simply rename) the file to TXT to edit the variable list in Notepad++. If you need to archive the parameters used for a specific simulation run, converting it to PDF ensures the configuration remains unalterable.
Convert.Guru analyzes your RVI file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SQW and PKPAK files.
If you want to convert RVI file to , you can use EnergyPlus or similar software from the "Simulation Variable List" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to RVI, try EnergyPlus or another comparable tool in the "Simulation Variable List" 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 RVI converter.