View a GDS Layout
Open saved GDS layouts in Cloud or Windows My PC projects and review structures, geometry and file details.
Use the GDS layout viewer in Cloud 2.1.2.10 with saved Cloud project files, or in Windows 2.1.2.3 with saved files in a My PC project.
Overview
Open a saved GDS file to view its structures and geometry. Cloud reads the file from the selected Cloud project. Windows reads a saved local snapshot and processes it on your computer.
See Digital Design Studio for opening a project and Downloads for package availability.
Prepare the File
Use a non-empty .gds or .gdsii file up to 4 MiB. Enter a path relative to the current project root, such as layout/chip.gds.
After opening a file, use File details to review its input identity and geometry diagnostics.
Save a File in Cloud
Open the intended Cloud project and wait until its workspace is ready.
Open Flow Navigator → Viewers → GDS layout viewer.
Under Choose a GDS file (up to 4 MiB), choose a file from your computer.
Enter an unused New workspace-relative path, such as
layout/chip.gds.Click Save new file and wait for the saved confirmation. This saves a copy in the current Cloud project.
Confirm the file in Saved GDS files. A successful save selects the new file automatically. To view a file already in the project, select it here instead of uploading it again.
Save new file creates a file at an unused destination. Select an existing file from Saved GDS files to open its viewer tab.
If the Save Result Is Unconfirmed
Open the Open GDS file panel and focus Saved GDS files to reload the list. If the destination appears, select it to open the saved layout. If a loading error appears, check project access and choose Reload file beside that error. Check the project and destination before saving another copy.
Prepare a File on Windows
On Windows 2.1.2.3, open the intended My PC project. Save a non-empty .gds or .gdsii file up to 4 MiB inside it. Open the saved file from Explorer, or open Flow Navigator → Viewers → GDS layout viewer and enter its project-relative path.
Open a Structure
In a viewer opened from Flow Navigator, enter the path in Workspace-relative GDS file and click Open GDS file. In Cloud or Windows, selecting a file in Saved GDS files opens that file in its own viewer tab.
The viewer selects a structure and displays its geometry. Open File details to see the file size, GDS header version and input SHA-256.
To view another structure, choose it in the Structure list. If the file changed, click Reload file.
Use 2D or 3D to choose a view, and open File details to review geometry diagnostics.
A saved GDS file open in its own viewer tab, with the TOP structure selected and drawn in 3D.
If you edit the saved file, choose Reload file to read the updated input and display its geometry.
After switching projects or organizations, reopen the intended saved file in that workspace.
Move Around and Select Layers
Action | Control |
|---|---|
Rotate the 3D view | Drag with the left mouse button |
Move the view | Drag with the right mouse button |
Zoom in or out | Scroll |
Return to the whole layout | Click Fit view |
Show or hide geometry | Toggle a layer/datatype in Layers / datatypes |
Stop an active operation | Click Cancel |
For structure selection, layer visibility and geometry details, see GDS structures, layers and geometry details.
File details identifies the displayed file and shows the database unit, vertex count and the source of the layer heights.
Use GDS viewer background in Settings → Appearance → Custom → Detailed colors and shape → Display to set the light and dark canvas colors. See Appearance presets and XML for portable theme colors.
Return to the View
Reopen the saved GDS file to reconstruct its geometry. A restored viewer tab opened from a file reads that file and projects it again.
Troubleshooting
What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
GDS projection is unavailable in this workspace | In Cloud, open the intended project and wait for its workspace to be ready. On Windows 2.1.2.3, open the intended My PC project. |
A file already exists at the destination | Select the existing saved file, or choose an unused path for a new copy. |
The save result could not be confirmed | Focus Saved GDS files to reload the list, then select the destination when it appears. See the steps above. |
Saved GDS files could not be loaded | Check project access, then choose Reload file beside the loading error. |
File cannot be read | Check that the relative |
Input changed | Click Reload file. |
No displayable geometry | Select a structure containing polygons or paths. |
A size, geometry, or resource limit is reached | Review the displayed limit and open a saved layout that meets it. |
The renderer cannot start | Check graphics support in the current environment, then reopen the view. |
Review the geometry diagnostics in File details before handing off the layout.
Review a layout handoff
Record the original GDS file, source revision, selected structure, database units, enabled layer/datatype pairs and geometry diagnostics. Share the original file alongside a screenshot when another engineer needs to inspect the same geometry.
To check fabrication rules, use the process and tool flow appropriate to the design. The ASIC workflow explains which implementation and signoff inputs remain necessary.
On Windows, reopen the intended saved file after changing accounts or projects. For historical package information, see earlier release platform support.