SUN to XV Converter

Change SUN format to XV with our free tool

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Quick Turnaround

Get your XV output within seconds of uploading SUN data. Cloud processing keeps conversions fast even for larger inputs.

Works Everywhere

Desktop, tablet, or phone — the converter runs on any device with a web browser. No platform restrictions for SUN to XV conversion.

Bulk Conversion

Upload several SUN inputs at once and convert the entire batch to XV simultaneously — efficient for large-scale conversion needs.

How to convert SUN to XV

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

SUN is a raster image format associated with Sun Microsystems workstations, encompassing both the Sun Raster format (.ras) and the Sun Icon format used for window system icons and cursors on SunOS and Solaris systems. Sun Raster files, identifiable by their 0x59a66a95 magic number, store bitmap images in 1-bit monochrome, 8-bit indexed color, 24-bit BGR, or 32-bit XBGR modes, with optional run-length encoding compression and a 32-byte header. The Sun Icon subset is a simpler text-based format used for small monochrome bitmaps — window icons, cursor images, and toolbar graphics — stored as C-language data arrays that could be directly compiled into X Window and SunView applications. These icon files begin with a comment block specifying width, height, and optionally hot spot coordinates (for cursor images), followed by hexadecimal pixel values in a format readable by both the C compiler and the iconedit tool. Sun workstations running SunOS and later Solaris were foundational platforms for Unix computing, networking, and the early internet, and the SUN image formats were integral to their graphical environments. One advantage is the format's dual text/binary nature: Sun Icons are valid C source code that can be #included directly into applications, a practical approach to resource embedding that predates modern asset management systems. The Sun Raster variant's simplicity provides another strength — the 32-byte header and straightforward encoding make it one of the easiest binary image formats to parse. SUN format files are supported by ImageMagick, GIMP, XnView, and Unix image viewing tools.
Developer: Sun Microsystems
Initial release: 1982
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

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert SUN to XV?

Very few modern applications recognize SUN files. XV conversion ensures your image works seamlessly on any platform or device.

What programs open XV files?

XV files can be opened in Khoros/VisiQuest toolkit, ImageMagick, and scientific visualization software.

Does the converter handle batch SUN uploads?

Absolutely. You can upload multiple SUN sources simultaneously and convert all of them to XV in one go — no need to repeat the process.

Is the conversion process fast?

Yes — SUN to XV conversion on Convertio usually completes in seconds. Cloud-based processing handles the work without taxing your device.

Will my image quality survive the conversion?

Your original SUN pixel data is converted accurately to XV. The output quality matches what the XV format supports — no unnecessary degradation.

Can I convert SUN to XV for free?

Yes, Convertio offers free SUN to XV conversion. For heavy usage or larger data, premium subscriptions provide additional capacity.