XV to XBM Converter

Online XV to XBM — instant image conversion

Drop files here. 1 GB maximum file size or Sign Up
to
Facebook Amazon Microsoft Tesla Nestle Walmart L'Oreal

Quality Output

Get excellent XBM output from your XV source. The conversion engine maximizes X11 bitmap quality.

Fast Conversion

The XV to XBM conversion pipeline is optimized for speed. Most files process in a matter of seconds.

Cloud-Powered Processing

All the heavy lifting runs on Convertio infrastructure. Your device just sends the XV and receives the XBM result.

How to convert XV to XBM

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

XV is an alternate file extension for the VIFF (Visualization Image File Format) developed by Khoral Research as part of the Khoros scientific image processing environment, which originated at the University of New Mexico around 1990. The .xv extension and the .viff extension refer to the same underlying format — a container with a 1024-byte header encoding image dimensions, data type (from single-bit to double-precision float and complex numbers), color space, band count, and optional spatial location metadata, followed by color map data and pixel values. The XV extension became common on systems where Khoros was installed alongside other X Window System tools, and in some research communities .xv was preferred over .viff as a shorter alternative. Khoros itself was a pioneering visual programming system where scientists assembled image processing pipelines by wiring together processing nodes in a graphical canvas — an approach that predated and influenced similar environments in MATLAB, LabVIEW, and commercial remote sensing packages. One advantage of the VIFF/XV format is its ability to store data at scientific precision levels — floating-point and complex number pixel values preserve measurement accuracy that would be lost in photographic formats limited to 8-bit or 16-bit integers, making it valuable for spectral analysis, computational physics output, and satellite imagery. The multi-band architecture provides another strength, allowing a single file to hold dozens of spectral channels from multispectral or hyperspectral sensors without splitting data across multiple files. XV files are supported by ImageMagick and can be converted to modern image formats for visualization or publication.
Developer: Khoral Research
Initial release: 1990
XBM (X BitMap) is a monochrome (1-bit) image format defined as part of the X Window System, originating at MIT around 1987. XBM files are unique among image formats in being valid C source code: each file defines the image as a static array of unsigned char values containing the packed pixel data, preceded by #define statements specifying the image width, height, and optional hot-spot coordinates (for cursor images). The pixel data is stored in hexadecimal byte values within curly braces, with each bit representing one pixel (1 = foreground, 0 = background) and bits ordered LSB-first within each byte. This design was intentional — XBM images could be #included directly into X Window application source code and compiled into the binary, eliminating the need for external file loading and runtime format parsing. The format was used throughout the X11 ecosystem for cursor shapes, window icons, toolbar buttons, and other small UI elements. One advantage is the source-code nature of the format: XBM files can be edited with a text editor, diff'd and merged in version control, generated by shell scripts, and compiled directly into C programs without any image loading library — a level of toolchain integration that no binary image format can match. The format's role as part of the X Window standard ensures it is understood by every X11-aware toolkit and application. While limited to monochrome and no compression, XBM's simplicity makes it an excellent teaching format for understanding bitmap representations. XBM files are supported by all X11 applications, ImageMagick, GIMP, web browsers (as a legacy web format), and programming environments.
Developer: MIT X Consortium
Initial release: 1987

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert XV to XBM?

XV is a scientific visualization format used in research and data analysis workflows. Converting to XBM makes the content accessible to anyone.

How do I open XBM files?

You can open XBM with X Window apps, GIMP, text editors (C source). No specialized software is needed on most modern systems.

What platforms support this conversion?

Any device with a web browser can run this conversion. Desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone — all supported equally.

Is XV to XBM conversion accurate?

Yes — the conversion engine renders XV content precisely into XBM format, retaining visual accuracy throughout.

Is my XV data kept private?

Your files stay private. Source XV data is removed post-conversion, and XBM output is cleared within 24 hours.

What quality can I expect from XBM output?

Expect solid results — XBM delivers monochrome X11 icon stored as C code, and the converter maximizes output fidelity.