.ICS File Extension
Calendar File
| Developer | Internet Engineering Task Force |
| Popularity |
3.5 | 630 Votes |
What is an ICS file?
An ICS file is a calendar file saved in a universal calendar format used by several email and calendar programs, including Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, and Apple Calendar. It allows users to share calendar information on the web and over email. For example, when users send a meeting request to others, they can share ICS files with them, who can import the meeting's details into their calendars.
More Information
In 1998, the Internet Engineering Task Force created the iCalendar, or ICS, file format. ICS files are plain text files that contain information about a calendar event, including the event's:
- Title
- Summary and description
- Start and end times
- Location
- Alert trigger
The ICS format is a universal calendar file format that all popular calendar applications, including Microsoft Outlook, Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Mozilla Thunderbird Lightning Calendar, create and recognize. Because all popular calendar applications can use ICS files to add event details to a calendar, ICS files are the most common type of files used to exchange calendar information. Most commonly, office workers and other professionals use ICS files to send each other meeting requests. You may also receive ICS reminders for an upcoming birthday, holiday, trip, party, or other events.
How to open an ICS file
You can open an ICS file with various applications. For example, if you have a calendar application, such as Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, or Apple Calendar, installed on your device, you can double-click an ICS file to import the event details the file contains into your calendar.
If necessary, you can also manually import an ICS file into your calendar app. For example, to import an event into the web version of Google Calendar:
- Click the Gear icon that appears in the program's upper right-hand side.
- Select .
- Select and import your ICS file. The event(s) it contains will be added to your calendar.
If you are having trouble importing your ICS file into a calendar application, you can open the file in any text editor, such as Microsoft Notepad (Windows) or Apple TextEdit (Mac), to view the event information it contains. For example, you can see the event's start and end times (including time zone) listed in the file's DTSTART and DTEND lines. While opening an ICS file with a text editor is not the best way to view an event's details, it does allow you to view the information without a calendar application.
How to convert an ICS file
You can convert an ICS file to a CSV file with a free online ICS to CSV converter, such as Indigoblue Free ICS to CSV Converter or ProjectWizards ICS to CSV Converter.
By converting an ICS file to a CSV file, you can import a calendar event into Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet program.
Programs that open ICS files
IronCAD 3D Scene
| Developer | IronCAD |
| Popularity |
3.4 | 56 Votes |
More Information
IronCAD is a Windows CAD application that can create 2D and 3D models of real-life objects. Engineers primarily use IronCAD to design various objects for production, such as mechanical parts and furniture.
When you save a 3D scene with IronCAD, the software creates an ICS file to store its contents. To create an ICS file, select . After modifying the scene, select or .
NOTE: IronCAD saves ICS files to the following directory by default:
Documents\IRONCAD [version]
How to open an ICS file
You can open ICS files with IronCAD in Windows by:
- Selecting
- Clicking the folder icon in the top toolbar tab
How to convert an ICS file
IronCAD can convert ICS files to many file types, including the following formats:
- .SAT - ACIS SAT 3D Model
- .X_T - Parasolid Model Part File
- .MODEL - CATIA 3D Model
- .CATPART - CATIA V5 Part
- .CATPRODUCT - CATIA V5 Assembly
- .IGS - IGES Drawing
- .STP - STEP 3D Model
- .STL - Stereolithography File
- .JPG - JPEG Image
- .PNG - Portable Network Graphic
- .TIF - Tagged Image
To export an ICS file with IronCAD, select .