Convert APR to BIL

Understanding APR and BIL file formats

APR files are project files used by ArcView GIS, a geographic information system (GIS) software developed by ESRI. These files store map layouts, data references, and project settings, but do not contain the actual spatial data themselves.

BIL (Band Interleaved by Line) files are a raster image format commonly used for storing satellite imagery and other geospatial raster data. BIL files store pixel values in a way that is efficient for processing and analysis in GIS applications.

Why convert APR to BIL?

Converting an APR project file to a BIL raster format is not a direct process, as APR files do not contain raster data themselves. Instead, you must export the raster layers referenced in the APR project to the BIL format. This is typically done to facilitate raster analysis or to use the data in other GIS applications that support BIL.

How to convert APR to BIL

Follow these steps to export raster data from an APR project to the BIL format:

1. Open your APR project in ArcView GIS.
2. Identify the raster layer you wish to export.
3. Select the raster layer in the Table of Contents.
4. Go to File → Export Data or right-click the layer and choose Export Data.
5. In the export dialog, choose BIL as the output format.
6. Specify the output location and filename, then click OK or Export.

Note: If you are using ArcGIS (the successor to ArcView), the process is similar. You can also use the ArcToolbox tool Conversion Tools → To Raster → Raster to Other Format to export to BIL.

Best software for APR to BIL conversion

• ArcView GIS / ArcGIS Desktop: The native and most reliable software for handling APR projects and exporting raster data to BIL format.
• GDAL: An open-source geospatial data conversion toolkit. If you have the raster data as a separate file, you can use the gdal_translate command to convert it to BIL format.

For most users, ArcGIS Desktop is the recommended solution due to its direct support for APR projects and BIL export.