Open GDSII file

GDSII files: what are they and how do I open them?

Are you facing difficulties opening unknown files on your computer, or wondering exactly what this file is?
We've got the information and best software solutions for opening these files effortlessly.

VLSI cad layout format (for integrated circuits)

Files with gdsii file extension are used by GDSII. This file format is standard format for transferring / archiving 2D graphical design data.

Further details:

The gdsii file extension is associated with GDSII, which is the standard file format for transferring / archiving 2D graphical design data. It contains a hierarchy of structures, each structure containing elements situated on layers. It is a binary format that is platform independent, because it uses internally defined formats for its data types.

The pattern data is considered to be contained in a library of cells. Cells may contain geometrical objects such as polygons (boundaries), paths, and other cells. Objects in the cell are assigned to layers of the design. Different layers typically represent different processing steps for exposure on separate mask plates. Geometrical objects may also be tagged with datatypes, which can be used for any purpose, but are most commonly used to group together similarly sized objects for compensation of the proximity effect.

The GDSII format specification limits the number of vertices per polygon (boundary) and wire (path) to not more than 200 pairs of coordinates. However, many packages, including LinkCAD, can read up to the technical maximum of 32,766 coordinate pairs. By default, when exporting to GDSII, LinkCAD will not write more than 200 vertices and larger polygons and wires are split into fragments. You may remove this limitation in the GDSII export options.

We are sorry, there is currently no specific software link to open this kind of file.

What is the meaning of a file extension?

File extensions are characters that appear after the dot in a computer file's name. For example, the file "unknown-file.gdsii" has the file extension "gdsii". This is used to identify which program should open the file or what file type it is.
File extensions help you organize and manage files. They provide a quick and easy way to identify and associate the file type with the appropriate software.

We can help you open your file

In our database, we have collected a huge number of different file extensions, detailed descriptions, and programs that can be used to open or otherwise work with the file extensions listed in our database.
This database is an invaluable resource for users who want to understand better file extensions and what they can do with them. It also allows users to know different file types with the same purpose.

Only verified software links are provided

We have verified every software listed in our database. The software listed in our database includes links to the developer's or software's website. These links should allow you to download the right program for each file type. Using verified software from reputable sources helps minimize the risk of malware and viruses infecting your computer.