Extract text from ZDS files
To convert your ZDS file to another format, you need Zelio Soft 2 or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "PLC Automation Project" file type, you need software like Zelio Soft 2 or a similar tool.
The .ZDS file extension primarily identifies a project file created by Zelio Soft 2, the programming environment for Schneider Electric smart relays. These files contain the automation logic - written in Ladder Diagram (LD) or Function Block Diagram (FBD) - used to control industrial machinery. A major limitation with .ZDS files is their strict proprietary lock-in; they cannot be opened by standard text editors or generic CAD viewers. Engineers often struggle to share these logic flows with stakeholders who lack the installed software. While the file structure is internally a ZIP container, extracting it usually yields raw XML or binary data rather than a viewable diagram. For documentation and archiving, the best approach is converting the logic view to PDF.
However, a significant number of .ZDS files found in the wild are actually mislabeled images. The ZSNES emulator generates .ZDS files as screenshots of save states. In this context, the file is technically just a PNG image with a confusing extension. If your file is related to retro gaming, converting it is often as simple as renaming the extension to PNG or converting it to JPG for web use.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ZDS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert ZDS file to EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP, SAV or DAT, you can use Zelio Soft 2 or similar software from the "Smart Relay Logic Project" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to ZDS, try Zelio Soft 2 or another comparable tool in the "Smart Relay Logic Project" 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 ZDS converter.