What is a .RDC file?
The .RDC file is a type of file known as an IDRISI Raster Documentation File. It is used in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which is the study and use of mapping and spatial data. The .RDC file contains important information about another file, which is a raster image file with the extension .RST. Raster images in GIS are a way to represent spatial data through a grid of pixels, each pixel having a value that represents information like elevation, temperature, or land cover.
The .RDC file includes descriptive details about the raster image, such as what the image shows, how it was created, and any specific characteristics of the data. Additionally, it might link to a .REF file, which provides geographical reference information to help understand where on Earth the image is located. It can also link to an .SMP file, which is a palette file that defines colors for the raster image, making it easier to visualize different features.
To open and work with .RDC files, you can use several specialized software programs. These include: - GDAL: A translator library for raster and vector geospatial data formats that is open-source and free to use. - Clark Labs TerrSet: An integrated GIS and remote sensing software developed by Clark Labs, which includes tools for analyzing and modeling land change. - Clark Labs Land Change Modeler: A software tool specifically designed for analyzing land cover change. - ESRI ArcGIS for Desktop: A popular GIS software suite used for creating, analyzing, and sharing maps and spatial data. - ERDAS IMAGINE: A remote sensing application that provides tools for processing and analyzing geospatial images. - GDAL IDRIS: This refers to using GDAL software to specifically work with IDRISI raster documentation files.
Originally, IDRISI raster documentation files used the ".doc" extension, which is commonly associated with Microsoft Word documents. To avoid confusion and clearly differentiate these GIS metadata files from other types of documents, Clark Labs decided to change the extension to ".rdc". This change helps users and software programs recognize and handle these files appropriately for GIS and spatial data analysis purposes.
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