The short answer
An .fcm file is a cutting design for a Brother ScanNCut. CanvasWorkspace, Brother's design software, saves it; the ScanNCut opens it from a USB stick or over wireless; Brother's own project downloads come as .fcm files. It holds the lines the blade or pen should follow and a small picture of the design for the machine's screen. FCM is Brother's own format and Brother doesn't publish how it works, which is why other cutting software can't open it.
What is inside one
- The cutting area. Which mat the design is for, 12 x 12 in or 12 x 24 in, and the size of the area the machine can cut on it.
- Pieces. The design is split into pieces, each with its place on the mat. A piece can hold several lines, such as a letter and the hole inside it.
- Lines. Each line is a run of straight steps and curves, stored to a hundredth of a millimetre, with a setting that says whether it is cut with the blade, drawn with a pen, or both.
- A thumbnail. A tiny black-and-white picture the ScanNCut shows when you pick the file.
- Extras. Rhinestone positions, a seam allowance for fabric, and for print-and-cut files the positions of the registration marks.
It doesn't hold colours, fills, fonts or the picture of a print-and-cut design. Text is stored as the outlines of the letters.
FCM and VCM
Print-and-cut files are a variant that starts with "VCM" instead of "FCM" inside the file, though they keep the .fcm name. Cutpeek opens both and shows their cut lines.
What opens an .fcm file
- A ScanNCut machine, from a USB stick or by transfer from CanvasWorkspace.
- CanvasWorkspace, Brother's free software for Windows and macOS. Brother has discontinued the web version, so it now means installing the app and signing in.
- Cutpeek, in any browser, to see the lines and save them as SVG. Nothing is uploaded and no account is needed. Use the viewer at the top of this page.
Making an .fcm file
CanvasWorkspace imports SVG and other formats and saves .fcm files. The ScanNCut can also make one by scanning a drawing.
If an .fcm file won't open
Cutpeek names the problem when a file won't open: an empty file, a file that was cut short while downloading, a picture or embroidery file renamed by mistake, or damaged data. An embroidery file for a Brother sewing machine (.pes) is a different thing altogether and holds stitches, not cut lines.