Extract text from Compiled shaders and archives (FXC)
To convert FXC Compiled files to another format, you need Microsoft FXC Compiler or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "Compiled Shader" file type, you need software like Microsoft FXC Compiler or a similar tool.
The .FXC file extension primarily represents a Compiled HLSL (High-Level Shader Language) Shader utilized within the Microsoft DirectX ecosystem and proprietary game engines like the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE). These files store binary instructions sent directly to a computer's GPU to calculate visual effects, lighting, and textures. In a secondary use case, .FXC files function as a Database Transfer Archive created by ComponentAce Absolute Database, a popular Delphi-based database engine used to backup or migrate data tables.
The main disadvantage of .FXC files is their closed, binary nature. As compiled machine code, shader files are not human-readable and cannot be edited without reverse-engineering them back into their original FX source code. Similarly, Absolute Database archives require specific Delphi components to mount or restore, locking users into a single software ecosystem.
If you need to analyze or convert these files, the target formats depend on the file's origin. For shader developers and game modders, the typical goal is decompiling them into readable TXT or FX files using specialized DirectX debuggers. For database users, extraction into standard SQL or CSV formats is preferred.
Because .FXC is a highly specific, compiled format, standard online converters always fail to process it. Usually, only the original compiler tool (like fxc.exe) or the native database engine can properly interpret the internal data. However, you can drag and drop your file into convert.guru to see what it is. If our analysis detects embedded text strings, plain-text headers, or a supported archive structure, viewing the internal content or executing a partial conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your FXC file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DDS, X and VSO files.
If you want to convert FXC file to JS, TS, PY, JAVA, CPP, C, CS, PHP, RB, GO, RS or SWIFT, you can use Microsoft FXC Compiler or similar software from the "Compiled Graphics Shader Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SH, PY, KT, PS1, SWIFT, LUA, PL, JAVA, SCALA, JS, VBS or TS files to FXC, try Microsoft FXC Compiler or another comparable tool in the "Compiled Graphics Shader Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our FXC converter.