DC5 File

What are DC5 files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a DC5 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 DC5 files.

What is a DC5 file?

A .DC5 file is a DataCAD Drawing file.

DataCAD Drawing files store architectural and construction drawings produced by DataCAD through version 10 and DataCAD LT through version 10. They hold all the geometry (lines, shapes, 3D elements), symbols, layers, drawing settings, color, line types, text, and annotations that comprise a complete two- or three-dimensional CAD design created in those older versions.

These drawings are written by DataCAD 5 through 10. Beginning with DataCAD version 11, new drawings use a different format with double-precision coordinates and the file extension AEC; existing DC5 drawings may be opened and will be automatically converted and saved to AEC in DataCAD 11+.

Internally, DataCAD Drawing files for versions 5-10 use single-precision values for coordinates and measurement storage. When later versions of DataCAD open a DC5 file, the program converts it into the newer AEC format, which uses a double-precision database and compressed storage, and the original DC5 file remains unchanged.

A DC5 file begins with the byte sequence 0xFFFFFFFF at offset 0, followed by the ASCII string "$DataCADdrawingfile.version " (including the leading dollar sign) at offset 32, ending with a byte '.' at offset 65.

How to open DC5 files

Important: Different programs may use files with the DC5 file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your DC5 file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested four different DC5 openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: October 22, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of DC5 files. Remember, different programs may use DC5 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 DC5 file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.