: After extraction, tools like XGrinder can be used to convert decompressed DSF files into editable text scripts (.txt) or raw data files (.raw).

A standard method based on the BWT algorithm, offering a balance of speed and ratio.

A container format used by X-Plane to store scenery data, including mesh, terrain, and objects. It is designed to be extensible, allowing new features to be added without changing the base file format.

To access the raw scenery data, you must extract the .7z archive. This can be done by right-clicking the file and selecting "Extract" from the 7-Zip context menu.

If a .dsf file is itself a 7z-compressed archive (sometimes indicated by a .dsf.7z extension or simply renamed), you can rename it back to .7z to extract it. :

When creating new scenery, developers use DSFTool to compile text files back into the DSF format.