XCF is GIMP's native format
XCF (eXperimental Computing Facility) stores GIMP's full working state — layers, masks, paths and channels. It's the GIMP equivalent of Photoshop's PSD, and GIMP is what creates it.
Looking to convert DDS to XCF? Here's the honest answer — and what works instead.
Turn your file into a share-worthy AI Effect — one tap, no prompts.
DDS (DirectDraw Surface) is Microsoft's texture format for games and 3D apps, storing compressed images with mipmaps that GPUs read directly.
DDS opens in game engines, GIMP (with a plugin), Photoshop (with the NVIDIA plugin) and texture tools; convert to PNG to view normally.
XCF is GIMP’s native format preserving layers, paths and channels — the open-source equivalent of PSD.
XCF opens in GIMP; export to PNG or PSD for other apps.
Not a real one. XCF is GIMP-specific; the dependable way to get an .xcf is to open your image in GIMP (free and open-source) and save it. SharkFoto can read XCF as a source, but doesn't write it.
Convert your DDS to PSD. PSD is the layered format the widest range of editors — Photoshop, GIMP, Photopea, Affinity — can open.
DDS converts to PSD, PNG, JPG, TIFF and more — free and instant.