BlenderGDS

A Blender add-on for importing GDSII layout files with full 3D layer stack visualization and PDK support.

Overview

BlenderGDS enables semiconductor layout visualization by importing GDSII files into Blender with accurate 3D representation of the layer stack. The add-on supports multiple Process Design Kits (PDKs) and provides comprehensive control over the import process, making it ideal for chip design visualization, documentation, and presentations.

Features

• Layer Stack Visualization: Accurate 3D extrusion of all layers based on PDK specifications
• Selective Import: Crop specific chip regions by defining X, Y, width, and height coordinates
• Automatic Scene Setup: Optional initialization of camera, lighting, and chip base plane
• Material System: Realistic materials with proper colors and metallic properties for each layer type
• Collection Organization: Automatic grouping of imported layers into named collections
• Custom Configurations: Support for custom YAML layer stack configurations
• Flexible Scaling: Adjustable unit and Z-axis scaling for different visualization needs

Supported PDKs

• IHP Open PDK (SG13G2 & CMOS5L)
• SkyWater SKY130 PDK
• GlobalFoundries GF180MCU PDK

Installation

Prerequisites

BlenderGDS requires the following Python packages:

• gdstk - GDSII file handling
• numpy - Numerical operations
• PyYAML - Configuration file parsing

1. Check your installed Blender versions. If this directory doesn't exist, make sure you have started Blender at least once.

   ls ~/.config/blender/

2. Download the latest release from the GitHub repository

   git clone https://github.com/aesc-silicon/BlenderGDS
   cd BlenderGDS

3. Install these packages into Blender's module directory using pip:

   make install_pip

Note

If Blender was installed via Steam, it can be found at $HOME/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Blender/. In this case, use:

BLENDER_EXE=$HOME/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Blender/blender make install_pip

Installing the Add-on

1. Copy all files from import_gdsii/ to the Blender directory

   make install

2. Start Blender

3. In Blender, go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons

4. Enable the add-on by checking the box next to "Import-Export: GDSII Importer with PDK Support"

Updating the Add-on

1. Fetch the latest version of BlenderGDS

   git pull

2. Update all files from import_gdsii/ to the Blender directory

   make update

Usage

Basic Import

1. Go to File → Import → GDSII (.gds)
2. Select your desired PDK (currently IHP Open PDK SG13G2)
3. Browse and select your GDSII file
4. Configure import options in the sidebar
5. Click Import GDSII

Import Options

Import Settings

• Unit Scale: GDS database unit scale (default: 1e-6 for micrometers)
• Z Scale: Vertical scaling factor for layer heights
• Create Collection: Group imported layers in a named collection

Scene Setup

• Setup Scene: Automatically create camera, lighting, and chip base plane
  • Adds Sun light with soft shadows
  • Positions camera above the chip center
  • Creates a chip base plane with dark material
  • Configures world background

Crop Region

• Crop to Region: Import only a specific area of the chip
• X, Y: Lower-left corner coordinates in chip units
• Width, Height: Dimensions of the region to import

Layer Configuration

Layer stacks are defined in YAML format:

Metal1:
  index: 8
  type: 0
  z: 0.350
  height: 0.300
  color: [0.45, 0.45, 0.50, 1.0]

Via1:
  index: 19
  type: 0
  z: 0.650
  height: 0.350
  color: [0.90, 0.70, 0.20, 1.0]

Each layer requires:

• index: GDS layer number
• type: GDS datatype
• z: Z-position in micrometers
• height: Layer thickness in micrometers
• color: Layer RGBA values

Scripts

merge.py

Merges shapes on relevant BlenderGDS layers to ensure proper rendering with Cycles Render Engine. When using Cycles, overlapping edges and vertices between unmerged shapes can produce black artifacts in the rendered output.

Usage

klayout -zz -r scripts/klayout/merge.py -rd pdk=ihp-sg13g2 -rd output_file=output.gds input.gds

Parameters

• pdk - Process Design Kit specification (e.g., ihp-sg13g2)
• output_file - Path for the merged output GDS file
• input.gds - Input GDS file to process

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or open issues on the GitHub repository.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. See the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For issues, questions, or suggestions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.