What is the OTMU file format?
An .otmu file is a matrix-book template used by Origin, the scientific graphing and data analysis program from OriginLab. It saves the design of a matrixbook so you can reuse the same setup for new data. Inside an .otmu file you get the number of matrixsheets, the sheet names, the matrix dimensions, the data type, math functions, data import-handling rules, and worksheet style and formatting. It does not store any of the actual matrix values.
OTMU stands for Origin Unicode Matrix Template. It is the UTF-8 version of the older .otm matrix template, added in Origin 2018. Because it is Unicode, it handles non-Latin characters in sheet names and comments that the legacy format could not. Origin 2018 and later write .otmu by default while still reading and writing .otm for backward compatibility.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWOTMU is a proprietary Origin template that stores layout and formatting, not executable code. It can embed math functions and import instructions, so only open templates from sources you trust, but there is no common malware vector tied to the format.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open OTMU files
Windows2 apps
OriginLab Origin
Paid Install Origin, then use File then Open and set the file type to Origin Template (.otmu) to open the template, or choose it when creating a new matrixbook to apply the layout.
OriginLab OriginPro
Paid Open the OTMU template through File then Open, or apply it via File then New then Matrix from the template gallery; OriginPro adds advanced analysis on top of Origin. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | Unicode (UTF-8) text stored inside a proprietary Origin binary container |
| Byte order | N/A (proprietary container) |
| Container | Origin matrix-book template container |
| Compression | None documented |
| Typical size | A few KB to tens of KB (no data is stored, only structure and formatting) |
| Structure | Stores the number of matrixsheets in a matrixbook, the sheet names, matrix dimensions (rows and columns), data type, math functions used to generate values, data import-handling instructions, and worksheet style and formatting. Actual matrix data is not saved. |
| Integrity | None documented |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Notes | OTMU is the UTF-8 successor to the older OTM matrix template, added in Origin 2018. Origin 2018 and later read and write both formats, with the Unicode variant as the default. Matrix templates cannot be saved as analysis templates. Applying an OTMU template to imported data can produce OGMU matrix graphs. |
| Released | 2017 (Origin 2018) |
| Latest version | Origin 2018 and later Unicode template family |
| Specification | docs.originlab.com |
OTMU conversions
Community Q&A
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