SWC

Overview

SWC is a text-based file format for describing three-dimensional neuronal and glial morphology as digitally reconstructed from microscopy images. Each morphology is represented as a vectorized tree structure in which every node is encoded by seven values: a type identifier, three spatial coordinates, a radius, and a reference to the parent node. The format was introduced in 1998 by Cannon et al. in the context of an online archive of reconstructed hippocampal neurons, and its simplicity and wide adoption have made it a standard interchange format for neuronal morphology data across databases, simulation tools, and analysis pipelines. INCF endorsed the SWC specification in February 2024 and hosts it on GitHub.

Connections

• Endorsed by: INCF (INCFSN-24-02, 2024)

Resources

• https://swc-specification.readthedocs.io/en/latest/swc.html (specification)
• https://github.com/INCF/swc-specification
• https://www.incf.org/swc (INCF endorsement page)
• https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-0270(98)00091-0 (Cannon et al. 1998, J. Neurosci. Methods)