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DDS

dds icon

DirectDraw surface data

File type: Game file, Bitmap image file

Files with dds extension can be usually encontered as 3D textures from DirectDraw Surface format.

Found 2 different file type records with the same dds filename suffix.

What is dds file?

File type category:
Game file
Bitmap image file

Date updated: June 23, 2025

File extension dds is used for DirectDraw Surface format, a 3D texture format compressed with DirectX Texture Compression (DXTC1-5=S3TC).

The DirectDraw Surface graphics file format was established by Microsoft for use with the DirectX SDK. The format is specifically designed for use in real-time rendering applications, such as 3D games. It can be used to store textures, cubemaps, mipmap levels, and allows for compression. Due to the fact that most video cards natively support DXTn texture compression, use of this format can save memory on the video card.

This format is used in numerous current computer games.

How to open dds file?

Many graphics editors can open and work with DirectDraw textures.

How to convert dds file?

Textures can be generally exported as bitmap images.

Suggested software to open dds file:

Associated software actions with the dds file

Software applications that can open dds files:

Apple macOS / Mac OS X

Linux/Unix

Software applications that can edit dds files:

Microsoft Windows

Apple macOS / Mac OS X

Linux/Unix

Software capable of saving dds files:

Microsoft Windows

Apple macOS / Mac OS X

Linux/Unix

Programs for viewing dds files:

Software apps that create dds files:

Microsoft Windows

Apple macOS / Mac OS X

Linux/Unix

Software apps that convert dds files:

Multiplatform

Software apps that import dds files:

Microsoft Windows

Multiplatform

Software apps that export dds files:

Software apps that print dds files:

Multiplatform

XMap XData dataset

File type category:
Various data file

Date updated: October 26, 2017

Record marked as obsolete and not updated for a long time.

The dds file extension is used by the XMap, a set of tools for managing XMap GIS databases for Microsoft Windows operating system, developed by DeLorme.

The dds file contains dataset.

How to open dds file?

Use XMap to work with *.dds files.

Suggested software to open dds file:

Xmap icon
Xmap
Xmap is a set of tools for managing XMap GIS databases

Associated software actions with the dds file

Software applications that handle other tasks involving dds files:

Microsoft Windows

no icon available Xmap

Convert .dds files

Convert to .dds from other formats

Related file extensions