.NC File Extension

File created by Mastercam, which includes a suite of CAD programs used for designing and manufacturing components; contains numerical control instructions for directing a machine tool, such as a drill, during production.

NC files specify 2D or 3D machine toolpaths and their coordinates. They also help to translate toolpaths into a format that machine tools can understand.

Data file created in the netCDF (network Common Data Form) format, a format used for storing multidimensional data in a manner independent of the platforms and disciplines for which it is used; often used by scientific researchers for GIS, atmospheric, climate, and ocean model data, as well as for data in other related fields; includes descriptive information about the data in addition to the data itself; used for storing and interchanging data.

NC files can be manipulated using Unidata's free netCDF tools, a set of libraries that provide interfaces in the Java, C, C++, Fortran, and Perl programming languages. The netCDF tools maintain backward compatibility with any previous file format versions. NC files are also supported by many other applications and command line utilities.

The netCDF format is recognized by organizations such as NASA's Earth Science Data Standards group, the Open Geospatial Consortium, and the Federal Geographic Data Committee.