All about COL Files

The COL file type is primarily associated with Game engine.

COL	File extension: COL
	File type:	specialized game data file

What is a COL file?

COL files mostly belong to Game engine. COL files are specialized data files that can serve several distinct purposes.
They are most often used to store 3D collision models, which are essential for game engines to calculate physical interactions and detect collisions. For example, games like GTA San Andreas and Monster Hunter World use COL files to define the invisible boundaries and geometry used for collision detection.
Additionally, some COL files serve as color palette data, holding color definitions that games such as City of Heroes or CM3D2 might use to manage visual elements.
Another use is for graph coloring problem instances, where the file stores data representing nodes and edges for use in algorithm research or problem-solving.

If your COL file comes from a game, it likely contains binary or structured data meant for a game engine.

If the file is text-based, it might represent a graph instance or color palette that you can view with a simple text editor.

FilExt.com note: This file's exact role depends on the source application and how the file was created.

How to open COL files

You need a suitable software like Game engine to open a COL file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your COL file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a COL file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online COL Text Viewer

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Programs that open and convert COL files:

Game engine
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. COL files are often referred to as Game engine games because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
Autodesk Color Palette by Autodesk, Inc.
Grand Theft Auto (III Collision Data) by Rockstar Games
Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games, Global Star Software, Gathering, Jack of All Games and related logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The identifying characters used for this association are - Hex: 43 4F 4C 4C, ASCII: COLL.
HTML Help (Collection File) by Microsoft Corporation
The .COL XML format describes individual collections of individual chm files that are used to group content into aggregations. The identifying characters used for this association are - Hex: 3C 58 4D 4C 3E 0D 0A 3C 48 54 4D 4C 48 65 6C 70 43 6F 6C 6C 65 63 74 69 6F 6E 3E 0D 0A 3C, ASCII: <XML> <HTMLHelpCollection> <. This file format is classified as XML. Related links: Unofficial (Preliminary) HTML Help Specification
IFF Color Map
The identifying characters used for this association are - Hex: 46 4F 52 4D 00 00, ASCII: FORM .
Internet Color Wizard Color Scheme
This extension is not often used for this purpose.
Movie Maker (Collection File) by Microsoft Corporation
File is named WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER.COL.
MPEG Audio Collection (Collection) by The MAC Team
MAC means MPEG Audio Collection. It will help you to organize your audio file collection. There are some nice features like a Tag editor, file renamer utility etc. MAC was originally created by Jurgen Faul, but since he stopped the development, it is now developed by The MAC Team. This file format is classified as Database. Related links: MPEG Audio Collection COL File Format, MPEG Audio Collection FAQ
Multiplan Spreadsheet by Microsoft Corporation
Notes (Import Column Description File) by IBM
This was a Lotus product. Lotus was bought out by IBM. Lotus Notes and Domino are a fundamental component of IBM Workplace Related links: IBM Lotus Notes Wikipedia Page
SequoiaView (Color Template) by Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
SequoiaView is a squarified treemap generator for examination of the files on your computer system. The screen is subdivided such that rectangles approach squares as closely as possible.

COL file format:

Why is it important to know the file format? This is the only way to find out which program to use to open the file. The file format can be deduced from the file extension and the signature. Nonetheless, different programs can utilize the same file extension to represent distinct file formats. Double-clicking on the file often results in an error when opening. So you need a detailed analysis of a file to find out the format and the associated program. Our evaluation of the COL files is as follows:

Files with the COL extension are quite widely used. This file type is used by different programs with different formats. The following file formats are most commonly found in COL files:

45% of all COL files are associated with Grand Theft Auto 3 collision data. If you open these files in a text editor, you will see only illegible characters. The files are often between 560 bytes and 100 KB in size. This is an old file type which is rarely used today. The files contain the following words: COLL. Some examples of file names are vehicles.col or weapons.col. These files can be linked to peds, airport, generic, lahills and bank.
6% of all COL files have the same signature 01 10 09 18 43 4F 4C 00. These files are binary files, so they do not contain text, but only cryptic characters. The average file size is 20 KB with most files being between 4 KB and 25 KB in size. A common filename is object.col.

The remaining 49% of all COL files are different files with different signatures, often e.g. Jeskola Buzz theme, HTML Help Collection, taC, UNIVERSITY and NCDBFILE. Tagged as polychromos, castell, faber, level, vent, taper, trial or data. If you want to find out which format your COL file belongs to, just click on the button "Choose your .col file to analyze".

Technical Data for COL File Extension

File classification:

Game

Identifier:

Hex: 43 4F 4C 4C, ASCII: COLL (provided by TrID database)

Related files:

collada, bsp, mdl, pal, dim, col1, b, ipl, ide, txd, coll, kcol, img, dff, ifp, exe, txt, gxt, fsm, zip, cool, jpg, anm, rar, ser, rpf, zon, obj, fbx

Mime type:

application/octet-stream

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: COLFile, FileType: HTML Help File

ProgramID: HOTSHOTS_IMAGE.Document, FileType: HotShots Image Document, AppName: PictureWorks HotShots Application

ProgramID: MPEG Audio Collection
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MPEG Audio Collection\mac.exe %1

ProgramID: COLFile
EXEFile: %SystemRoot%\hh.exe %1

ProgramID: COLFile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\colleditor1[1].1b\CollEditor.exe

Show all 5 listings To Top

a col specialized game data file is a special file format and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with COL files

Associate the COL file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open specialized game data files. Because only the current version supports the latest COL file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the manufacturer website after an available Game engine update.
To make sure that your COL file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .COL file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.