Explode to Polygons

Converts all non-polygon shapes (paths with width, circles, arcs, text) into simple polygon boundaries.

When to Use

• Before exporting to formats that only support polygons (e.g., GDSII BOUNDARY records)
• When boolean operations require all geometry to be closed polygons
• To eliminate path width and end-cap ambiguity

Options

Option	Description	Default
Arc precision	Segments per 360° for circle/arc approximation	72
Explode text	Convert text labels to polygon outlines	Off
Selected layers only	Apply to selected layers instead of all	Off

How It Works

1. Paths with width are expanded to their outline polygon (including end-caps)
2. Circles are approximated as regular polygons with the specified arc precision
3. Arcs are converted to polyline segments
4. Text (if enabled) is converted to filled polygon outlines of each character

Technical Notes

• The original shapes are replaced — this operation is not reversible without undo
• Arc precision controls the smoothness of curved shapes: higher values produce smoother curves but more vertices
• Zero-width paths become polygon outlines (two coincident edges)