FTS to RGF Converter

Transform FTS data into RGF — fast and online

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No Install Needed

The converter runs entirely in your browser — no desktop software required. Works on all major platforms and devices alike.

Effortless Conversion

Upload your FTS, pick RGF, and click Convert — the entire process takes just a few clicks with no technical expertise required.

Format Flexibility

FTS to RGF conversion opens new possibilities. Use your astronomical images in contexts where RGF is the expected or required format.

How to convert FTS to RGF

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose rgf or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your rgf file right afterwards

About formats

FTS is a file extension for the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS), the standard data format used in astronomy since 1981 when it was defined by Don Wells, Eric Greisen, and R.H. Harten at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and subsequently endorsed by the International Astronomical Union in 1982. FITS was designed from the outset as a self-describing archival format: each file begins with one or more 2880-byte header blocks containing ASCII keyword-value pairs that describe the data's dimensions, coordinate system, observation parameters, and provenance, followed by data blocks in a variety of numeric types — 8/16/32/64-bit integers and 32/64-bit IEEE floating-point values. FITS supports multi-dimensional arrays (images, data cubes, hypercubes), binary tables for catalog data, and ASCII tables, with multiple Header/Data Units (HDUs) that can coexist in a single file. The format handles specialized astronomical data: spectral cubes, radio interferometry visibilities, multi-extension mosaic images from CCD arrays, and time-series photometry. One advantage is scientific rigor: FITS mandates that all metadata needed to interpret the data physically — coordinate transformations (WCS), photometric calibration, telescope and instrument parameters — travels with the file, eliminating the metadata-loss problem that plagues general-purpose image formats in scientific contexts. The format's longevity and institutional backing is another strength — virtually every observatory, space telescope (Hubble, James Webb, Chandra), and astronomical software package (DS9, IRAF, Astropy) uses FITS as its primary data format.
Developer: NASA / IAU
Initial release: 1981
RGF (Robot Graphics Format) is a simple monochrome bitmap image format used by LEGO Mindstorms EV3 programmable robotics kits, introduced with the EV3 system on September 1, 2013. RGF files store 1-bit (black and white) images designed for display on the EV3 Intelligent Brick's 178x128 pixel monochrome LCD screen. The format uses a minimal structure: a header containing the image width and height as binary values, followed by the pixel data where each bit represents one pixel (1 for black, 0 for white), packed eight per byte in row-major order. RGF images are used as custom display graphics in EV3 programs — students and hobbyists create them for robot status displays, user interfaces, splash screens, and animation frames shown on the brick's screen during program execution. The images are typically designed using LEGO's EV3 software (which includes a built-in image editor) or converted from other formats using community tools. RGF fits within LEGO's broader educational robotics platform, where the Mindstorms system teaches programming, engineering, and computational thinking to students worldwide. One advantage is the format's role in educational technology: RGF provides a simple, concrete example of how digital images are represented as binary data — a concept that students working with Mindstorms can directly observe by examining the file contents and seeing the corresponding image on the brick's screen. The format's simplicity makes it accessible for young programmers learning about file formats and binary data. RGF files can be created and converted using ImageMagick, the EV3 development environment, and community tools like ev3dev.
Developer: The LEGO Group
Initial release: 2013

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert FTS to RGF?

FTS requires niche software to open. Converting to RGF lets you share and view your astronomical images on virtually any platform.

What programs open RGF?

Most image viewers and editors handle RGF — Photoshop, GIMP, IrfanView, and built-in viewers on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Is the conversion instant?

Near-instant for typical images — the cloud-based processing handles FTS to RGF conversion quickly. Very large data may take a moment.

Is batch FTS to RGF conversion supported?

Absolutely — queue multiple FTS images and convert them all to RGF in a single session. No need to process one at a time.

Do I need FTS software installed?

No — the converter processes FTS entirely in the cloud. You do not need any astronomy and scientific research software on your device to convert.

Will my image lose quality?

Quality depends on the target format. RGF monochrome output preserves data within its format constraints — no unnecessary degradation occurs.