Can CodeLayers see my source code?

No. CodeLayers uses zero-knowledge encryption. Your code is encrypted on your device before it ever reaches our servers. We cannot read your code, and we never will.

What languages does CodeLayers support?

CodeLayers supports TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Rust, Go, Java, C++, C#, Ruby, PHP, and Swift. We use tree-sitter for accurate parsing.

What devices does CodeLayers support?

CodeLayers is available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. The CLI tool runs on macOS with Apple Silicon for code parsing and sync.

What is blast radius analysis?

Blast radius shows the impact of code changes by visualizing which files and functions are affected when you modify code. Files are color-coded by distance from the change.

What is CodeLayers Explore?

CodeLayers Explore lets you visualize any public GitHub pull request in 3D — no clone, no checkout, no account needed. Just paste a PR link or run 'codelayers explore ' and see the full architecture in your browser instantly.

How many PRs can I explore for free?

You get 10 free PR explores every 30 days. Each explore gives you a full 3D visualization of the pull request's architecture, changed files, and blast radius.

How do I visualize my codebase in 3D?

Install the CodeLayers CLI on macOS with 'brew install codelayers-ai/tap/codelayers', run 'codelayers sync' in your repo, then open the CodeLayers app on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro. Your codebase appears as an interactive 3D scene where files are nodes and imports are connections.

How do I see the impact of a code change before merging?

Use blast radius analysis in CodeLayers. Select any file and see which other files would be affected if it changes. Files are color-coded by distance — red for directly impacted, fading to blue for indirectly affected. You can also use CodeLayers Explore to visualize a GitHub pull request and see the blast radius of every changed file.

What tools help me understand a legacy codebase?

CodeLayers helps you navigate unfamiliar codebases by rendering the entire dependency graph in 3D. You can spatially explore the architecture, see which files are foundational (low topological depth) versus surface-level, trace dependency chains visually, and chat with AI about specific files or patterns in your code.

Can I use AI assistants with CodeLayers?

Yes. CodeLayers gives Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and Codex 14 MCP tools for graph-enriched search, call chain tracing, type flow analysis, and 3D visualization control. The agent highlights files, traces dependencies, and checks blast radius in your 3D graph as it works.

How do I visualize a GitHub pull request?

Use CodeLayers Explore. Paste any public GitHub PR URL into the Explore tab in the app, or run 'codelayers explore ' from the CLI. You'll get a full 3D visualization of the PR's architecture, changed files, and blast radius — no clone or checkout needed. You get 10 free explores every 30 days.

CodeLayers offers a free tier that includes 10 public PR explorations per month via CodeLayers Explore, plus a completely free VS Code extension for blast radius analysis in your editor. For private repository sync, AI chat features, overlays, and unlimited explorations, CodeLayers Pro is available as a subscription.

Does CodeLayers have a VS Code extension?

Yes. The CodeLayers — Blast Radius extension for VS Code is completely free. It shows the blast radius of your code changes directly in your editor with color-coded file decorations, CodeLens annotations, and a sidebar showing affected files by hop distance. No account or subscription required — install from the VS Code Marketplace and start seeing the impact of every change.

What is topological depth in a codebase?

Topological depth measures how deep a file sits in your dependency graph. Foundation files at depth 0 are imported by others but import nothing themselves — they are your most critical infrastructure. Higher layers build on lower layers, forming a natural pyramid shape. Changes to low-depth files have the largest blast radius.

Does CodeLayers work on iPhone and iPad?

Yes. CodeLayers runs on iPhone (iOS 18+), iPad (iPadOS 18+), and Apple Vision Pro (visionOS 2+). The same 3D code visualization experience adapts to each device — pinch to zoom on iPad, swipe through layers on iPhone, or walk through your architecture in spatial computing on Vision Pro.

How does CodeLayers keep my code private?

CodeLayers uses zero-knowledge encryption. Your source code is encrypted on your device using AES-256-GCM before it ever leaves your machine. The encryption key never touches our servers. We physically cannot read your code — only your device can decrypt it.

Can I add CodeLayers to my CI/CD pipeline?

Yes. The CodeLayers GitHub Action automatically generates 3D code visualizations for every pull request. Add it to your workflow and each PR gets a visualization link posted as a comment, so reviewers can explore the architecture before approving.

Getting Started with CodeLayers

Welcome to CodeLayers! This guide will help you get up and running.

What is CodeLayers?

CodeLayers is a spatial code visualization platform for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. It transforms codebases into interactive 3D visualizations where you can:

See architecture - Files organized by dependency depth, with entry points at the top and core libraries below
Navigate spatially - Tap to select files, see connections, zoom into details
Understand impact - See the blast radius of code changes with color-coded visualization
Chat with AI - Ask Claude, Gemini, or Codex about your code while seeing it spatially
Stay private - Your code is encrypted on your machine with a 12-word phrase. Our servers never see your plaintext code.

Try It Free (30 Seconds)

No account required. Explore any public GitHub PR in 3D — right from your terminal:

codelayers explore https://github.com/facebook/react/pull/31763

That's it. No clone, no checkout, no account. It opens in your browser and you can see the full architecture and blast radius instantly.

You get 10 free explores every 30 days — enough to try it on the PRs you actually care about.

You can also explore from the CodeLayers app on iPhone, iPad, or Vision Pro — open the Explore tab and paste any GitHub PR URL.

Pro Features (Your Private Repos)

For private repositories and live sync, you'll need to set up the CLI and create an account.

System Requirements

CLI (Command Line Tool)

macOS 13+ (Ventura) on Apple Silicon
Git installed
Homebrew (for installation)

App

iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro
Apple ID for sign-in

Pro Setup

Step 1: Install the CLI

curl -fsSL https://codelayers.ai/install.sh | bash

Or with Homebrew:

brew install codelayers-ai/tap/codelayers

Verify installation:

codelayers --version

Step 2: Get Your Mnemonic

CodeLayers uses a 12-word mnemonic phrase as your encryption key. This is the only way to decrypt your code. Your encryption key syncs automatically via iCloud Keychain, so all your Apple devices stay connected.

On your iPhone, iPad, or Vision Pro:

Download CodeLayers from the App Store
Sign in with Apple ID
The app generates your 12-word recovery phrase
Write it down securely — this is the only way to recover your data!

Your encryption key is automatically stored in iCloud Keychain and shared across all your signed-in devices.

On your Mac:

codelayers login

Enter the same 12 words when prompted:

Enter your 12-word recovery phrase:
> apple banana cherry date elder fig grape honey iris jade kiwi lemon

✓ Mnemonic verified
✓ Encryption key derived
✓ Sync ID: a1b2c3...

Step 3: Sync Your Repository

Navigate to your project and start watching for changes:

cd ~/my-project
codelayers watch .

You'll see:

✓ Logged in as user_abc123
✓ Parsing 847 files...
✓ Building dependency graph... (1,523 nodes, 4,291 edges)
✓ Encrypting and syncing to backend...
✓ Backend WebSocket connected
✓ Ready for device connections
Watching for changes... (Ctrl+C to stop)

Step 4: Connect and Explore

Once the CLI is watching and your device has the same mnemonic (synced automatically via iCloud Keychain):

Select your project from the CodeLayers app
Wait for sync — your encrypted graph will download from the backend and decrypt
Explore! Tap files to select, pinch to zoom, move around your space

Both the CLI and your devices connect to the backend via WebSocket, so they work from anywhere—no same-network requirement.

What's Next?

CLI Commands Reference - All commands and options
Web Sharing - Share 3D visualizations with anyone
GitHub Action - Auto-generate visualizations for PRs
App Guide - Navigation, modes, and features
AI Agents - Tips for using Claude, Gemini, or Codex
Privacy - How encryption works
Blast Radius - Understand change impact visualization

Troubleshooting

"Connection failed" on your device

Make sure CLI is running with codelayers watch
Check your internet connection on both devices
Verify you're logged in with the same mnemonic

"Mnemonic doesn't match"

Double-check each word carefully
Words are case-insensitive but order matters
Make sure you're using the same 12-word phrase on both devices

Slow initial sync

First sync parses every file and can take 1-2 minutes for large repos
Subsequent syncs are incremental and much faster (under 1 second)

Need help? Check the full troubleshooting guide or email [email protected].