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ASCII Text

LinkCAD can import geometry data from simple ASCII text files containing coordinate lists.

Format Summary

Property Value
Extensions .txt, .asc
Encoding ASCII
Import
Export —
License Basic

File Format

ASCII text files contain polygon vertex coordinates, one vertex per line, with X and Y values separated by whitespace, tabs, or commas:

0.0 0.0
100.0 0.0
100.0 50.0
0.0 50.0
0.0 0.0

200.0 0.0
300.0 0.0
300.0 50.0
200.0 50.0
200.0 0.0

Polygons are separated by blank lines.

Import Options

Option Description Default
Units Coordinate units Micron
Delimiter Column separator (space, tab, comma) Auto-detect

Common Workflows

ASCII → GDSII

Convert coordinate data from simulation tools, scripts, or spreadsheets into GDSII mask layout.

ASCII → DXF

Import coordinate lists into a DXF-compatible format.

Technical Notes

  • Each polygon should close (last vertex = first vertex) or will be auto-closed
  • Blank lines or specific markers separate individual polygons
  • This is a simple import path for programmatically generated geometry
  • For more structured text-based layouts, consider GDS-TXT instead

CLI / Command-File Options

These option keys can be used on the command line or in command files.

Import

Key Type Description
AsciiInScalingUnits int Scaling unit enum (see Units)
AsciiInScalingValue int Scaling value
AsciiInType int Geometry type — 0=polygon, 1=wire
AsciiInWidth int Wire width (when AsciiInType=1)