Electric has the ability to view an integrated circuit in 3-dimensions, allowing a fuller understanding of the interaction between layers. When displaying 3D, you can rotate, zoom, and pan the image to get a better view. However, in 3D mode, you can no longer change the circuit.

Note that the 3D Display is based on Java3D API therefore it might not work properly if MDI mode is switched on and it is not part of the standard Electric distribution. Instead, it is a free plugin that must be downloaded from the Static Free Software web site. See Section 1-5 for details about Electric plugins.

To see a circuit in 3D, use the 3D Display command (in menu Window). The circuit is displayed in 3D, and mouse movements will rotate, pan, or zoom the circuit. Use the left button to rotate and the right button for panning. To zoom in drag the left button by pressing <ALT> key in one direction and the opposite to zoom out.

For optimal 3D viewing, the circuit should be centered in the window before issuing the 3D Display command.

To control the 3D view, use the "3D" preferences (in menu File / Preferences..., "Display" section, "3D" tab).

On the left side of this dialog is a list of layers in the current technology. On the right side is a cross section view of the chip, showing which layers are above which others. You can select a layer by clicking on either side of the dialog. The currently selected layer is highlighted in the list on the left and starred in the right-hand view.

Once selected, you can drag layers to the desired height (on the right side) or type a height value (on the left side). You can also set the thickness of a layer by typing a value into the field (typically, only contacts have thickness because they span between layers).