What is an RDC file?
The .RDC file extension is used for two completely different file formats. Most commonly, an .RDC file is a Graphics Frame Capture File created by RenderDoc, an open-source graphics debugger. Game developers use these files to save a single frame of graphics output for analysis and debugging.
Alternatively, an .RDC file is an IDRISI Raster Documentation File. These files are used by Clark Labs for their TerrSet geographic information system (GIS) software. They store metadata about geographic raster images.
How to open RDC files?
Because .RDC has multiple possible meanings, you must know the file's origin to open it correctly. If the file is a graphics capture, you need to open it using RenderDoc. If the file belongs to a GIS project, you should open it with TerrSet.
Best practices and troubleshooting
Opening an .RDC file in the wrong program will result in an error. RenderDoc captures are large binary files that contain heavy 3D data. In contrast, an IDRISI Raster Documentation File is usually a small plain text file. If you suspect your file is a GIS documentation file, you can open it with a simple text editor like Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code to read the metadata.
If you do not know which type of .RDC file you have, do not guess. We recommend using viewer.online/rdc to identify the actual format of your file.
Summary
The viewer.online/rdc tool can analyze .RDC files to identify the exact format and creator software, inspect the file structure, extract readable text, and check whether an online preview is available. Because the extension is shared by completely different industries, viewer.online/rdc is useful for identifying, inspecting, and understanding .RDC files without installing software or dealing with compatibility problems.