What does a TDMS viewer need to show?
A TDMS file is not a single spreadsheet table. It can contain Groups, multiple Channels, properties, different data types, and timing information. A useful first question is which Channel holds the measurement you need.
If you searched for a TDMS viewer or how to open a TDMS file, start by looking at the file structure. You can often decide what to do next before importing any sample values into Excel or writing a script.
- Which Groups and Channels are in the file?
- What data type and sample count does the selected Channel have?
- What properties or waveform timing information are available?
- Can the Channel be quickly previewed, and does its shape look plausible?
- Which portion, if any, should be exported for further work?
Inspect first; convert only if you need the values
TdmsSlice provides a focused way to open a TDMS file, browse its Group / Channel tree, and inspect the selected Channel's metadata. Its Quick Preview gives an overview for supported data types; it is not a full-resolution analysis display.
The source TDMS file remains unchanged. You can inspect structure and properties without first creating a full CSV copy of the measurement.
- Open the original TDMS file in TdmsSlice.
- Browse Groups and select a Channel.
- Check its data type, sample count, properties, and Preview / CSV availability.
- Use Quick Preview when supported to check the broad shape of the data.
- If you need values in another application, choose Start index and Count for one Channel, then export that range to CSV.
If the next step is Excel, start with CSV
Excel works with rows and columns, while TDMS carries a richer file structure. A common handoff is to inspect the Channel you need and export its values as CSV before importing the CSV into Excel.
TdmsSlice exports a selected range from one Channel at a time, preserving the original sample Index. It also writes a companion metadata JSON so the table can be traced back to its source. It does not create an .xlsx workbook or automatically combine several Channels into one table.
What a lightweight viewer cannot replace
A quick overview is not the same as examining every original sample on a full-resolution plot. Some TDMS data types support CSV export but not Quick Preview, and some structures or types are unsupported. Check the compatibility details for the actual data you use.
TdmsSlice is not a replacement for the complete analysis, automation, or reporting scope of NI DIAdem. It is most useful when your immediate task is to inspect a file, identify a Channel, and hand a selected range to another tool.
Remember the range-export option for later
You may only need a quick look at a TDMS file today. Later, a long recording may prove too large for your spreadsheet, or you may only need a short event inside it. In that case, exporting a specific Channel range directly from TDMS can avoid creating an unnecessarily large intermediate CSV.
That is the problem TdmsSlice is built to address: inspection first, followed by a smaller, traceable CSV handoff when you need one.