Windreader import formats

Quick takeaway

Prefer formats that declare speed, altitude, Mag/True, To/From, and AGL/AMSL. OTM CSV, DAT, and XML (with a # or wRs block) do this fully. Many WindWatch and plain-text dumps only set altitude and speed units — direction sense stays whatever the table already uses.

Direction sense and unit limitations

Every data row is three numbers in order: Altitude, Direction (degrees), Speed. The numbers alone do not say whether direction is to or from, magnetic or true, or whether altitude is AGL or AMSL. That meaning comes from table settings — updated on load only when the file includes metadata.

Setting	OTM CSV / DAT (#)	XML (wRs / Units)	WindWatch header	Plain TXT
Speed units	`# SpdUnits=…`	`SpdUnits`	From `Speed […]`	Unchanged
Altitude units	`# AltUnits=…`	`AltUnits`	From `AGL [m]` / `[ft]`	Unchanged
Mag / True	`# DirMagTrue=…`	`DirMagTrue`	Usually absent	Unchanged
To / From	`# DirToFrom=…`	`DirToFrom`	Usually absent	Unchanged
AGL / AMSL	`# AglAmsl=…`	`AglAmsl`	From label (`AGL` / `AMSL`)	Unchanged

✓ WindWatch CSV / DAT typically set altitude and speed units (and AGL vs AMSL from the column label), but not Mag/True or To/From. Check those in the Windreader table after import — wrong To/From flips every heading by 180°.
✓ Whitespace TXT with no # metadata leaves all table settings unchanged (new tables still inherit Settings → Winds).
✓ When units are applied, the status line shows (units applied).

Accepted aliases include km/h, Kts/Knots, M/s, Feet/Meters, Magnetic/True, From/To, Agl/Amsl.

What the load dialog accepts

User tables only (not Flightwinds or Open-Meteo). Reload last file reloads that table’s last path if it still exists and reapplies units when present.

Filter	Typical content
*.csv	OTM export with `#` metadata; WindWatch `;` CSV with unit header
*.dat	OTM `;` DAT with `#` metadata; WindWatch whitespace text dumps
*.xml	`Windreading` / `wRs` / `wR`
*.txt	Whitespace Alt Dir Spd; optional `#` metadata

Empty lines are ignored. Lines starting with # or // are metadata, not data. Title lines starting with WindWatch are skipped. EU WindWatch CSVs may use a comma as the decimal separator (e.g. 16,1 → 16.1).

OTM CSV (.csv) — recommended

Best interchange format. Export writes # Key=Value metadata from the table settings, then a header and rows. On load, all unit fields including Mag/True and To/From are applied.

# Windreader metadata
# Id=Sample sounding
# SpdUnits=Kts
# AltUnits=Feet
# DirToFrom=From
# DirMagTrue=Magnetic
# AglAmsl=AGL
Altitude,Direction,Speed
0,270,4
500,275,6
1000,280,8
2000,290,12
3000,300,15
5000,310,18

OTM DAT (.dat)

Same optional # Key=Value block as CSV; rows are semicolon-separated (header line optional). Full unit metadata including direction sense when present.

# Windreader metadata
# Id=Sample sounding
# SpdUnits=Kts
# AltUnits=Feet
# DirToFrom=From
# DirMagTrue=Magnetic
# AglAmsl=AGL
0;270;4
500;275;6
1000;280;8
2000;290;12
3000;300;15
5000;310;18

XML (.xml)

wRs holds table settings; wR levels use Alt / Dir / Spd. Legacy oziTarget Windreading files use the same layout (optional MagVariation / Elevation are notes only).

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Windreading>
  <wRs>
    <Id>Sample sounding</Id>
    <SpdUnits>Kts</SpdUnits>
    <AltUnits>Feet</AltUnits>
    <DirToFrom>From</DirToFrom>
    <DirMagTrue>Magnetic</DirMagTrue>
    <AglAmsl>Agl</AglAmsl>
  </wRs>
  <wR>
    <Alt>0</Alt>
    <Dir>270</Dir>
    <Spd>4</Spd>
  </wR>
  <!-- further wR levels… -->
</Windreading>

WindWatch text / CSV

Device-style dumps. Units come from the column header (altitude, speed, AGL/AMSL). Mag/True and To/From are usually not in the file — the active table keeps its current direction settings. Confirm those after import before relying on wind lines.

Whitespace DAT

Version 1.0,  ID = 1367370914
05/01/13 03:15:14,  Ground Level: 103  m
Windsond measurement 

AGL [m]     Wind [°]  Speed [m/s]
      5        128.0          0.8
     55        223.3          2.9
    105        298.2          5.0

ID = … becomes the table note when present. Applied here: meters, m/s, AGL — not Mag/True or To/From.

Semicolon CSV

WindWatch Measurement 22/06/2014 5:59:10 PM
Height AGL [ft];Heading [deg];Speed [km/h]
115;330;2.7
344;174;9.2
573;133;11.3

EU variants may use comma decimals: 40;39;16,1. Title lines starting with WindWatch are not data rows. WindWatch header style is read-only on export — OTM writes # / wRs instead.

Whitespace TXT (no units)

Three columns separated by spaces. With no metadata, no units are applied — Mag/True, To/From, ft/m, speed, and AGL/AMSL all stay as the table already has them. Optional # Key=Value lines above the data still apply units if you add them.

0 270 4
500 275 6
1000 280 8
2000 290 12
3000 300 15
5000 310 18

What is not a Windreader load file

Source	How it enters Windreader
Open-Meteo	Tools → Open-meteo → Open-Meteo table (ProPack)
Flightwinds	Live / playback recorder; copy into a user table when offered
.otfl flight	Tables restore with the flight file

There is no separate .otw wind type. Saved WindWatch files still use Load wind file as above.

Export

From Windreader settings (gear), export the active table. Empty tables cannot be exported.

✓ CSV / DAT — # Key=Value comments
✓ XML — wRs block

Tips

Prefer files that declare units so Mag/True, To/From, ft/m, speed, and AGL/AMSL match the numbers.
Keep Alt, Dir, Spd column order.
Round-trip via OTM CSV or XML export when you need a file that carries full direction sense.
After loading a WindWatch or plain TXT file, open the table settings and confirm To/From and Mag/True before flying the wind lines.