CutForge Converter
EN
Get early access

Free online NC1 viewer

Open a DSTV NC1 file and see the part as a drawing – every face, the holes, cut-outs and the profile header. Free to use, no registration, and the file never leaves your computer.

🔒 Processed locally in your browser – nothing is uploaded.

No NC1 file loaded yet.
or drag .nc1 files here

Wheel or pinch to zoom, drag to move.

What this NC1 file viewer shows

  • Every face of the part as a 2D view – top and bottom flange, web front and back – with the outline, cut-outs, copes and end angles.
  • Holes, slots and countersinks with a hole table (face, X, Y, diameter).
  • The profile header: part mark, profile, steel grade, length, quantity.
  • Several files at once – drag a whole set of .nc1 files into the window.

How to open an NC1 file online

This DSTV file viewer runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install:

  1. Click “Open NC1 file” in the viewer above, or drag one or more .nc1 files into the window.
  2. Pick a part in the file list. Zoom with the wheel or by pinching, drag to move around the drawing.
  3. Read the part header and the hole table next to the drawing.

Open Tekla NC1 files without Tekla

NC1 files exported from Tekla Structures or Advance Steel open directly in the viewer. You do not need Tekla or another CAD program just to look at a part before it goes to the machine.

Where NC1 files come from

NC1 (DSTV) files are exported by Tekla Structures, Advance Steel, SDS2, Bocad, HiCAD, ProSteel and other detailing systems, and read by CNC beam, drill and saw lines. Only got a DXF drawing? The CutForge Converter creates the NC1 for you.

NC1 to DXF: what the viewer does not do

The viewer shows an NC1 file – it does not edit it and cannot write DXF. Exporting plates from NC1 to DXF at 1:1 is planned for the CutForge Converter.

Need more?

The free desktop NC1 Viewer for Windows adds measuring, dimensions, PDF printing of whole jobs and an NC1 editor. It will be available at cutforge.eu.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open an NC1 file?
Click “Open NC1 file” above or drag the .nc1 file into the window. The part appears as a drawing of all faces with a hole table.
Is there a free NC1 viewer that needs no installation?
Yes – this one. It is a free DSTV viewer that runs in your browser, needs no registration and has no limits.
Are my NC1 files uploaded?
No. The file is read by your own browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
Can I open Tekla NC1 files without Tekla?
Yes. Drag the .nc1 file exported from Tekla Structures into the viewer – no Tekla installation is needed. Files from Advance Steel and other programs that write DSTV NC1 open the same way.
Which programs create NC1 files?
Most steel detailing systems export DSTV NC1 – Tekla Structures, Advance Steel, SDS2, Bocad, HiCAD and others.
Can I convert NC1 to DXF here?
No. The viewer only shows NC1 files – it does not edit them and does not write DXF. Exporting plates to DXF at 1:1 is planned for the CutForge Converter.
Can I convert DXF to NC1 here?
Not in the viewer – that is what the CutForge Converter does. 98 % of single-part DXF drawings are converted automatically.
What is a DSTV file?
A DSTV file is an NC1 file: a text file in the format of the Deutscher Stahlbau-Verband that describes one steel part – header, contours, holes and markings. See the NC1 file format page.