What is a LOC file?
A .LOC file typically serves one of two main purposes. It is either a software localization file or a GPS location data file.
In video game development, creators use .LOC files to store translated text and interface strings. Different games use different formats. The I2 Localization plugin for Unity uses standard UTF-8 text files. However, games from Electronic Arts, Creative Assembly, and Blizzard often use compiled or compressed .LOC formats to store dialogue text.
In the surveying field, a .LOC file contains GPS location data. Applications like Carlson SurvCE and TopoGrafix use these files to store map waypoints and site coordinates. These files are usually formatted as standard XML.
Additionally, the racing game TrackMania uses .LOC files as content locators. These are simple text files containing a direct web link to custom vehicle models.
How to open LOC files?
The correct software depends on the origin of the .LOC file.
If the .LOC file is a text-based GPS file, a localization source file, or a TrackMania locator, you can open it with a text editor like Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code. GPS-specific .LOC files can also be opened using geographic tools like GPSBabel.
If the .LOC file is a compiled game file, it will show unreadable characters in a text editor. You will need specific game modding tools to extract the data.
Best practices and troubleshooting
Because .LOC has multiple possible meanings, you must identify the file type before modifying it. Modifying game data files incorrectly can break the software.
If you want to use a GPS .LOC file in modern mapping software, you should convert it to a standard format like .GPX or .KML. We recommend checking convert.guru to convert your file to a sensible target format.
Software and tools
Since .LOC has multiple possible meanings, we recommend using viewer.online/loc to identify the actual format of your file.
viewer.online/loc can analyze .LOC files to identify the exact format and creator software, inspect the file structure, extract readable text, and check whether an online preview is available.
Summary
viewer.online/loc is highly useful for identifying, inspecting, and understanding .LOC files without installing software or dealing with compatibility problems.