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File Structure Browser

The File Structure panel on the left side of the LinkCAD window displays the hierarchical organization of the imported file — cells, layers, and their relationships.

Cell Tree

The top section shows the cell hierarchy:

  • The main cell (top-level cell) is shown at the root
  • Sub-cells appear as children, reflecting the design's reference hierarchy
  • Each cell shows its name and the number of shapes it contains

Cell Actions

Right-click a cell to:

  • Set as Main Cell — make this cell the top-level cell for export
  • Zoom to Cell — fit the viewer to this cell's bounding box
  • Flatten — expand this cell's references into direct geometry
  • Rename — change the cell name
  • Delete — remove the cell and all its contents

Layer List

Below the cell tree, the layer list shows all layers in the drawing with:

  • Layer name or number
  • Shape count per layer
  • Visibility toggle
  • Display color

Selecting a Top Cell

For formats with multiple cells (GDSII, CIF, GDS-TXT), you may need to select which cell is the "top" cell for export:

  1. Right-click the desired cell in the cell tree
  2. Select Set as Main Cell

Or use the command line:

linkcad.exe -i design.gds --top-cell "MY_CELL"

The --top-cell option accepts glob patterns: --top-cell "CHIP_*" selects the first matching cell.

Display Depth

For deeply nested hierarchies, limit the display depth via View → Display Levels to improve rendering performance and reduce visual clutter.