CXF File

What are CXF files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CXF file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your CXF files.

What is a CXF file?

CXF files have multiple uses, and Chemical Exchange Format Data is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Chemical Exchange Format Data File

CXF stands for Chemical Exchange Format. The Chemical Abstracts Service developed the CXF file format as a standard data exchange for chemical substance software.

How to open CXF files

Important: Different programs may use files with the CXF file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your CXF file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested five different CXF openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: September 21, 2026

All known file formats using extension .CXF

While Chemical Exchange Format Data File is a popular type of CXF-file, we know of 8 different uses of the .CXF file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

CTXf Compressed Archive File

CTFx Compressed Archive File is a compressed archive format used by CTX, a free file archiver developed by Nikita Lesnikov. It is designed for general-purpose file compression, especially suited to typical data like text, executables, audio, images and multimedia, achieving high compression through contextual modelling and multiple filters. The format is mainly used when creating CTX archives.

CTX produces these archive files when its "create archive" or "compress" operation is run, and users or decompression tools then extract or open them to restore the original files. The format supports a variety of filters and optimizations, such as text filters, executable filters, multimedia filters (e.g. wave or audio), order-3 LPC for sound, order-2 ADSM, solid block compression, and layered compression techniques combining LZP with PPM II. These contribute to both strong compression ratios and slower but effective decompression performance in high-compression mode. Tasks like reading the list of files, testing integrity, and extracting all or specific items are typical operations supported.

Files in this format begin with the byte sequence 43 58 46 1A 75 at offset zero (ASCII "CXF.u") followed by a zero byte at offset eight, which serves to identify files conforming to CTx's compressed archive format.

Cuttlefish Extended Network Format

Cuttlefish Extended Network Format is a plain-text format used by the Cuttlefish network visualization tool to store both the structure of a network (nodes and edges) and the visual settings needed to display it. It captures information about each vertex (often called a node), each connection (edge), numerical weights, labels for nodes or edges, color and shape attributes for nodes, and global size or dimension settings.

Files are produced by the Cuttlefish application, which is a Java-based workbench developed at ETH Zürich that supports creating, editing, and visualizing complex networks. Once exported in this extended format, the files can later be loaded into Cuttlefish to reproduce not only the connectivity but also how it was styled: positions, node sizes, colors, labels, and shape information influence how the graph is laid out and drawn. Other formats such as Pajek and GraphML are supported too, but they generally do not carry all the styling details that this format retains.

Each file begins with a signature line reading literally configuration:undirected at byte offset zero. Keywords that appear in the text include NODE, EDGE, LABEL, COLOR, and SIZE. These markers are used to separate sections defining nodes, defining edges, and assigning visual or textual attributes. The presence of "UNDIRECTED" indicates that edges are treated without orientation by default.

CXF Vector Map Format

We know that one CXF format is CXF Vector Map Format. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

CxF3 - Color Exchange Format

Color Exchange Format version 3 (CxF3) is a standardised, XML-based file format for storing and exchanging precise color definitions, measurements and related metadata. It is used by X-Rite to capture and communicate color information - color standards, spot color specifications, reflectance spectra - so that color appearance is preserved and reproducible across different digital workflows, devices and industries. CxF3 was adopted as part of the ISO 17972 series.

Files in this format are produced by programs or instruments that perform color measurement, color specification libraries, or workflows needing exact color fidelity. Such files include data like CIELAB values, spectral reflectance curves, device color values (RGB, CMYK, or others), and metadata about measurement conditions (illumination, observer angle, geometry, measurement angles, and creation date). Those consuming the files are color management systems, quality control tools, printers, packaging and graphics industries that use the files to match color, verify output, or define spot colors.

Files begin with an XML declaration ("<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8">") and include tags identifying key elements such as ColorSpecification, FileInformation, Object, ReflectanceSpectrum, ColorCIELab, and DeviceColorValues. Identification strings like "ColorExchangeFormat.com" and "CxF3-Core" occur within the XML. Namespaces, measurement-angle or illuminant declarations, observer information, wavelength range and increments are included to ensure accurate color interpretation.

Picasa Collage File

Files that contain the .cxf file extension are also used by Google's Picasa application to store Picasa collage files. The Picasa program was created by Google in order to organize and view digital images. Google offers both Mac and Windows versions of the Picasa software.

CXF opener for Windows

We have identified one CXF opener that is compatible with this specific type of CXF file.

QCad Font

QCad Font files define "line font" glyphs for the QCAD CAD program, storing each character as vector strokes which can include straight lines, arcs or sequences of points. They are meant for CAD environments where text must remain sharp at any scale and often used for engraving or similar processes. QCAD itself creates these fonts and provides tools for opening, editing and saving them.

Each font is organized into blocks: each glyph is a block named using the Unicode codepoint in hexadecimal followed by the character (for example "0x0041 A" for capital A). Glyph geometry is defined in user units - the capital A is conventionally 9 units tall. Reference point (origin) for each glyph is at the lower-left of the baseline. Splines may be used during editing but are converted to polylines upon saving.

Metadata appears in a human-readable font header. Header fields include font name(s), author(s), character encoding (usually UTF-8), spacing details (letter spacing, word spacing, line spacing factor), and auxiliary guide lines.

On the technical side glyphs are stored by listing lines ("L") and arcs ("A" or "AR" for counter-clockwise or clockwise arcs) with coordinate and angle parameters. Files begin with a signature line beginning "#Format:" and include strings such as "VERSION" and "FORMAT" in the header.

QCad II Font

QCad II Font files store single-stroke line fonts created for use in the QCAD program. These are vector fonts in which each glyph (letter, number, symbol) is drawn using simple shapes like straight lines, arcs and polylines rather than filled outlines. These fonts are especially useful for CAD drawings, engraving, plotters or CNC machines where line work (rather than solid fills) is required.

These font files are produced and edited by QCAD. When opened, each glyph becomes a CAD block with the block name showing its Unicode code and character (for example "0x0041 A"). Glyphs are normally designed at a height where a capital "A" measures 9 drawing units; when used in text, QCAD scales them to the desired text height. The reference point for each glyph is located at the lower left of its baseline. Splines may appear during editing but are converted to polylines when the font file is saved. QCAD also provides metadata in the font file's header to control spacing and name information.

The file begins with the ASCII header that starts "#Format:QCadIIFont" at offset 0. The header includes lines defining attributes such as Version, Creator, LetterSpacing, WordSpacing, LineSpacingFactor, Creator, and Author. Glyph sections start with entries like "[0041] A" (hex Unicode and character), followed by drawing commands. Command types include "L" for line segments, "A" or "AR" for arcs (counter-clockwise or clockwise), or "PL"/"PLC" for polylines (optionally closed), each specifying coordinates, radii, angles or bulge values.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of CXF files. Remember, different programs may use CXF files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about CXF file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.