lin 

LIN File Extension

Have a problem opening a .LIN file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what LIN files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.

What is the .LIN file type?

The .lin filename extension primarily denotes the AutoCAD Linetype Definition (.lin) file type. AutoCAD by Autodesk is an established Computer-Aided Design (CAD) system that allows to define custom linetypes. A simple linetype is a combination of dashes and dots, while complex linetypes may involve arbitrary shapes and text characters.

A regular text file, the .lin file contains a set of different line patterns defined in a special syntax, including references to compiled AutoCAD fonts (.shx) or shapefiles (.shp). AutoCAD includes two linetype definition files that are used by default—"acad.lin" for the imperial units, and "acadiso.lin" for the metric ones. The default .lin files can be edited, adding custom linetypes to the end of the file. LIN files can be directly opened and edited in a text editor. Besides AutoCAD, many other CAD systems can open and import such files.



An advanced commercial flight simulator by Laminar Research, X-Plane uses the .lin extension for its Painted Line (.lin) file type/format. Such painted lines are text files in which latitude/longitude coordinates of polygons or lines are given, along with references to bitmap texture files. LIN files are mainly used to lay out the taxi lines, drawn over the scenery layer.


phpSHIELD, a commercial multi-platform PHP script encoding solution from SourceGuardian Ltd., uses the .lin extension to denote OS-specific loader files for GNU/Linux. Such a file (e.g., "ixed.5.1ts.lin") is a dynamically linked ELF shared library that must be pre-loaded by the PHP engine to handle on-the-fly decoding of the encoded script files. LIN loaders are installed on GNU/Linux-based web servers that use phpSHIELD.


The .lin extension also occurs in association with the FEFLOW ASCII Line (.lin) file type. FEFLOW by DHI-WASY GmbH is an integrated simulation and flow-analysis tool for fluid systems. Within FEFLOW, a typical .lin file is a text file that defines one or more polylines by listing named sets of 2D coordinates. Such line (.lin) files define elements for vector-based maps in FEFLOW.


With reference to the commercial Symantec AntiVirus for Linux (SAVFL) and Symantec Endpoint Protection for Linux (SEPFL), the .lin extension is used as a label for threat definition files (.lin) downloaded during LiveUpdate sessions and temporarily stored in a subdirectory under /tmp.


In the realm of the bridge card game, the .lin extension stands for the BridgeVu Bridge Movie (.lin) file type/format. BridgeVu is a Microsoft Windows freeware by Bridge Base Inc. for viewing and analyzing bridge deals. A BridgeVu movie (.lin) is an ASCII text file that transcribes a bridge deal and provides detailed comments for learning purposes.


Inside Valve's Source Engine SDK, the .lin extension serves as a label for pointfiles (.lin, .pts). A pointfile is automatically generated by the compile tools (vbsp) if a leak (break of continuity) is found in the game level's textures. Once loaded into the Hammer Editor, the pointfile (.lin, .pts) draws a red polyline towards the exact location of the leak, so that it can be known and removed.


In GNU Octave, an open/free computational framework similar to The MathWorks' MATLAB, the .lin extension is used for linear audio sample files. A .lin file would contain linearly encoded raw sound samples. Such files may also bear the .raw extension.


As a non-trivial abbreviation for 'Lens Binary,' the .lin extension denotes the binary firmware update files offered by Panasonic on their official web portal for Panasonic camera lenses like H-NS043. Downloaded as an archive (.exe or .zip), the .lin file must be extracted and put on the camera's SD card for installing. Camera firmware updates bear the .bin extension.



Software to open or convert LIN files

You can open LIN files with the following programs: 

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