PIXConverter

What is a PIX file?
A PIX file is a raster image format used primarily by the BRL-CAD solid modeling system — an open-source, military-grade CAD suite developed by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. PIX files store uncompressed, raw RGB pixel data (typically 24-bit: 8 bits per red, green, and blue channel) and are often used for rendering output, texture mapping, or frame buffer dumps in engineering and simulation applications.

Unlike consumer image formats, PIX has a minimal or no header — image dimensions (width/height) are usually stored externally or passed as metadata, making it extremely simple but not self-contained.

What is a PIX file used for?
PIX files are mainly used for:

• Storing rendered frames from BRL-CAD simulations
• Interfacing with ray-tracing and geometric modeling tools
• Scientific visualization and defense/aerospace engineering
• Converting between CAD-specific and generic image formats
• Low-overhead image buffering in high-performance pipelines

They provide a fast, raw, header-light format ideal for technical computing — not for general photo use.

How to open a PIX file?
PIX files can be opened with:

• BRL-CAD tools (e.g., pix viewer, png-pix, pix-png)
• ImageMagick (convert -size WIDTHxHEIGHT -depth 8 file.pix file.png) — requires knowing dimensions
• GIMP (via “Open as Layers…” → Raw image data, specify 24-bit RGB, width/height)
• Python (NumPy + OpenCV/PIL — manual loading with known size)
• IrfanView (via “Raw data” import, set RGB, 24-bit, no header)

⚠️ Note: Without knowing width/height/bit-depth, a PIX file cannot be correctly interpreted — it’s just raw bytes.

Is a PIX file an image file?
Yes.
A PIX file contains actual RGB pixel data — though usually without embedded metadata like size or color space.

File format details

• Format type: Raster image (uncompressed)
• Data stored: Raw RGB pixel values (typically 24-bit)
• Primary use: CAD rendering, military/engineering simulation (BRL-CAD)
• Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS (via BRL-CAD or manual tools)