XBM to VIFF Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
X BitMap and Khoros Visualization Image exist for different jobs: XBM is a bitmap stored as C source code — literally an array of hex bytes that a C compiler includes. It was the original X11 icon format, and it still compiles. Convert legacy VIFF datasets to PNG for modern viewing and notebooks.
Because the whole conversion happens on your device, it is instant, unlimited and genuinely private — no accounts, no watermarks, no files on anyone's server. Multiple files are converted in one go.
How to convert XBM to VIFF
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your XBM files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to VIFF". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted VIFF file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the XBM format
XBM is the most honest image format ever shipped: the "file" is a C source array of hex bytes, compiled straight into X11 applications as cursor and icon bitmaps. Rendered, it is 1-bit black and white — the ancestors of every pixel-art cursor you still use.
Because it compiles, XBM never died: firmware UIs, embedded icons and retro Unix tooling still want it. Converting a PNG down to XBM gives embeddable, compilable art; the other direction previews what the C array actually draws.
+Strengths
- ✓Compiles directly into C/C++ programs
- ✓Zero-payload format — text only
- ✓Still required by embedded and Unix tooling
!Limitations
- −1-bit black & white only
- −Human-hostile representation
- −X11 bit order trips up hand-rolled decoders
About the VIFF format
VIFF is the image format of the Khoros software system, a visual-programming environment built for scientific image processing in the late 1980s and 1990s. Its files carry raster data plus optional attribute lists, and it survives today mostly in older academic datasets and image-processing course material.
Modern software rarely opens VIFF without help. Converting VIFF to PNG puts legacy research imagery into a format every viewer, notebook and browser understands — useful when reviving old datasets or coursework.
+Strengths
- ✓Holds multi-band scientific raster data
- ✓Attribute lists travel with the image
- ✓Simple, fully documented binary layout
!Limitations
- −Tied to discontinued Khoros tooling
- −No browser or OS support
Why convert XBM to VIFF?
There is a concrete reason this conversion exists: 1-bit black & white only VIFF sidesteps that — Holds multi-band scientific raster data If that is your situation, the tool above settles it in seconds, entirely on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this XBM to VIFF converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will I lose quality converting XBM to VIFF?
No — VIFF is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original XBM file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
Can I convert several XBM files at once?
Yes — drop as many files as you like into the tool and they are converted in one batch. When more than one file comes out, everything is bundled into a ZIP for a single download.
Will transparent areas survive the conversion to VIFF?
Transparency is kept whenever VIFF actually supports an alpha channel. If the target format has none (like JPG), transparent areas are flattened onto a white background — that is a property of the format, not of this tool.