DL_POLY history file
File type: Various data file
A .hisf file is a formatted DL_POLY history file. It contains trajectory data produced during a molecular dynamics simulation.
The file belongs to DL_POLY, a classical molecular dynamics simulation program.
File type category:
Various data file
Date updated: October 2, 2026
DL_POLY is a molecular dynamics package developed at the Daresbury Laboratory for simulating the motion and interactions of atoms and molecules. Its history output records successive configurations from a simulation.
A .hisf file can contain atom coordinates and, depending on the simulation settings, velocities and forces for multiple time steps. It stores data used by DL_POLY and is intended for analysis and use with DL_POLY-compatible tools.
The file is associated with the Microsoft Windows version of DL_POLY. It is a simulation output file rather than a general-purpose document, and it remains useful when examining or processing DL_POLY trajectories.
Open a .hisf file with DL_POLY-compatible analysis software. Because it is a formatted history file, a plain-text editor on Microsoft Windows can also display its contents, although the data is arranged for programmatic processing rather than convenient reading.
A .hisf file does not normally need conversion. To create another trajectory or data format, read it with a DL_POLY-compatible analysis tool or a script that supports the formatted DL_POLY history format, then export the selected configurations in the required format.
Software applications that handle other tasks involving hisf files:
Microsoft Windows
DL_POLY
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