VCT Converter

Extract text from VCT files

Select File
Drop or upload your .VCT file

Online File Converter

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How to extract text from your VCT file

Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your VCT file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert VCT to another file type

To convert your VCT file to another format, you need TerrSet or other GIS software.

Convert a file to VCT

To convert other file formats to the "Topographic Vector Map" file type, you need software like TerrSet or a similar tool.

About VCT files

The .VCT extension represents a diverse set of data formats, most notably the Brazilian Topographic Vector Map, a specialized geospatial standard used by the Brazilian Army Geographic Service (DSG) for military and civil mapping. While often associated with TIFF structures internally for raster-vector alignment, these files are distinct from standard images and require specific GIS tools to interpret coordinate data. A more globally common technical use is the IDRISI Vector file (now TerrSet by Clark Labs), which pairs with VDC documentation files to store geospatial vector layers (points, lines, polygons).

Additionally, developers frequently encounter .VCT as Visual FoxPro Class Library Memo files. In this context, the file serves as a binary container storing large text blocks or object properties for a corresponding VCX class library. If you separate a .VCT from its .VCX, the library becomes corrupt.

Common Friction Points:

Proprietary GIS Lock-in: Brazilian military maps often use legacy encoding that modern GIS software (like ArcGIS or QGIS) cannot open without specific drivers or translation steps.
Split File Dependency: Both IDRISI and FoxPro formats rely on paired files (.VDC or .VCX). Losing the partner file makes the .VCT unreadable.
Legacy Database: Visual FoxPro is discontinued, making it difficult to extract data without a running copy of the legacy software.

Best Conversion Targets:

For GIS/Maps: Convert to ESRI Shapefile (.SHP), GeoJSON, or DXF for compatibility with modern mapping tools.
For FoxPro Developers: Convert memo content to TXT or migrate the library to SQL scripts for app modernization.
For Archiving: Print map data to PDF or GeoPDF to preserve visual layout.

Convert.Guru analyzes your VCT file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted VCF, CATALOG, FXP and FMT files.

FAQ

If you want to convert VCT file to SHP, KML, KMZ, GPX, GEOJSON, TOPOJSON, TIF, TIFF, ECW, SID, IMG or DEM, you can use TerrSet or similar software from the "Geospatial Vector Mapping" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….

To convert LAZ, KMZ, DTM, CSV, DEM, PRJ, LAS, GPX, DSM, SHP, DBF or KML files to VCT, try TerrSet or another comparable tool in the "Geospatial Vector Mapping" category.

The VCT Converter Story

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 VCT converter.