What is an NC file?
The .NC file extension primarily represents two different formats. Most commonly, an .NC file is a NetCDF (Network Common Data Form) data file. The UCAR Unidata Program Center developed this format to store scientific, array-oriented data.
Alternatively, an .NC file can be a Mastercam Numerical Control File created by CNC Software or a standard G-code file. These files store machine instructions for CNC manufacturing. Another variant is the DSTV numerical control file, which the German Steel Construction Association designed for steel profile manufacturing. Finally, it can rarely be an mcrypt encrypted file.
How to open NC files?
Because .NC files have multiple possible meanings, we recommend using viewer.online/nc to identify the actual format of your file. You can open NetCDF files with HDFView or data analysis libraries in Python and R. You can open CNC and Mastercam files with manufacturing software like Autodesk Fusion 360, Haas VF-2 systems, or any basic text editor.
Software and tools
viewer.online/nc analyzes .NC files to identify their exact format and creator software, shows which programs can open the file, and usually previews it. This prevents errors when trying to open a scientific data file in a CNC machine tool. If you need to change your file into a different format, we recommend file conversion to sensible target formats like .CSV (for data) or standard .GCODE (for machine instructions) on convert.guru.
Summary
Because .NC files use the known HDF5 format, viewer.online/nc can safely open and display them online, eliminating compatibility problems.