Extract text from Hero Designer characters (HDC)
To convert HDC characters to another format, you need Hero Designer or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Tabletop RPG Character File" file type, you need software like Hero Designer or a similar tool.
The .HDC file extension is primarily used as a character sheet data file for the HERO System tabletop role-playing game. Generated by applications like Hero Designer or Hero Lab Classic, these files store a character's attributes, powers, skills, and inventory using either XML or UTF-16 (BE) encoding. Additionally, .HDC files are utilized as proprietary high-definition video containers or firmware update files for Panasonic camcorders (such as the HDC-SD1000). A smaller percentage of these files serve as handheld dictionary databases for apps like GoldenDict.
The main disadvantage of the .HDC format is strict proprietary lock-in. If a player sends an .HDC character file to a Game Master who does not own a license for the specific character generation software, the file is functionally unreadable. Similarly, Panasonic's legacy .HDC video formats lack native support in modern web browsers, mobile operating systems, and standard video editors, often leading to playback failures and missing codec errors.
To make these files practically usable, conversion is necessary. For tabletop RPG players, convert .HDC to PDF or TXT to easily share, print, and view character sheets on any device without software licenses. For virtual tabletop (VTT) integration, extracting the raw data to standard XML is highly recommended. If your .HDC is a Panasonic video, convert it to MP4 (H.264) for universal web and mobile compatibility. Just drag and drop your file here to analyze and convert it securely right in your browser.
Convert.Guru analyzes your HDC file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ENGB, SGO and XOM files.
If you want to convert HDC file to , you can use Hero Designer or similar software from the "HERO System Character File" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to HDC, try Hero Designer or another comparable tool in the "HERO System Character File" 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 HDC converter.