.DCX File Extension
Zsoft Multi-Page Paintbrush File
| Developer | ZSoft |
| Popularity |
2.9 | 24 Votes |
What is a DCX file?
A DCX file is a multi-page raster image that contains a series of .PCX images, with each image typically representing a separate page. ZSoft developed the DCX format as an extension of its PCX image format to support multiple images in a single file, commonly used to store multi-page fax documents and other scanned images.
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DCX files were primarily used by fax, scanning, and image-processing software, particularly during the 1990s and early 2000s. Applications could store each page of a fax or scanned document as a PCX image and combine the pages into one DCX file.
The DCX file format begins with a header that identifies the locations of the individual PCX images stored within the file. Each embedded PCX image contains a separate page, allowing compatible software to move between pages without storing them as individual files.
NOTE: DCX is now considered a legacy format, with modern applications more commonly using .TIF and .PDF formats to store multi-page documents.
How to open a DCX file
You can open DCX files with various image viewers and editors, including Adobe Photoshop, Corel PaintShop, and XnViewMP. To open a DCX file with Photoshop, select File → Open.
How to convert a DCX file
Several applications, including Adobe Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Pro, and IrfanView, can convert DCX files to other formats.
For example, Photoshop can convert DCX files to:
Programs that open DCX files
Visual FoxPro Database Index
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Popularity |
3.0 | 6 Votes |
A DCX file may also be an index file used by Microsoft Visual FoxPro, a discontinued Windows database management system. It stores index data in binary format that links specific data entries to their corresponding records in the main FoxPro database, which speeds up query execution. Visual FoxPro automatically creates DCX files when it indexes a FoxPro database.
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Visual FoxPro is a data-centric programming language and database management system (DBMS) developed by Microsoft to be an updated version of the earlier FoxPro software. Microsoft released it in 1995 to allow developers to create data-driven business applications.
While most Visual FoxPro users did not encounter DCX files, they were critical to improving the efficiency of database operations, especially when dealing with large datasets. DCX files allow FoxPro to quickly locate and retrieve data, reducing the time required for searches and data manipulation.
NOTE: Microsoft officially discontinued Visual FoxPro in 2007.
How to open a DCX file
DCX files are not meant to be opened. Instead, Microsoft Visual FoxPro references the information in the file to speed up query execution.
Programs that open or reference DCX files
FAXserve Fax Document
| Developer | ACCPAC |
| Popularity |
2.9 | 7 Votes |
A DCX file may also be a document used by the ACCPAC FAXserve application to send, receive, and broadcast faxes from a computer. It contains images and text in a digital format, allowing various fax programs to view it. While the format was more popular when faxing was a prevalent method of communication, it is now considered outdated as digital communication methods have evolved.
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DCX files are typically found in environments where traditional fax systems have been digitized, often within organizations that used ACCPAC FAXserve. Users would create these files by exporting or saving documents as faxes within the program. Despite being less common today, some legacy systems and applications that handle digital faxing operations might still use the DCX format.
NOTE:Given the advancements in digital communication and document sharing, modern users often convert legacy DCX files to more widely supported formats, like .PDF or .TIFF, for better compatibility and accessibility.
How to open a DCX file
You can open DCX files with GraphicRegion Able Fax Tif View in Windows. SFaxTools Studio FaxSee Pro and ACCPAC FAXserve also open DCX files but they are discontinued.