To train a model with the Tensorflow Object Detection API you'll need a TFRecord file. Unfortunately, that binary format is not human-readable so, traditionally, you would convert to this specific CSV format first and then use a custom script to create the TFRecord.

With Roboflow, you don't need to do that because we can export TFRecords directly. But, if you do want to inspect the contents for yourself, you can still use Roboflow to create the CSV. Or, if you already have your data in the Tensorflow CSV format you can use Roboflow to convert it to another annotation format to dip your toe in the waters beyond the Tensorflow ecosystem.