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The Import Control Button: Conversion - Import Panel

The Conversion - Import panel is brought up by the Import Control button in the Convert Menu. The panel controls certain features used when reading cell data files. Reading of files into Xic memory can also be initiated through this panel.

The panel contains a number of check boxes and option menus, as follows. Unless otherwise noted, these settings apply to all input, for example through use of the Edit command, and not just input initiated from this panel.

Don't prompt for overwrite instructions
In graphical mode, when a cell name clash with a cell already in memory is detected while reading a file, the Merge Control pop-up may appear. This can be used to change the whether or not to overwrite the cell in memory on a per-cell and per-mode basis. When this button is active, the Merge Control pop-up will not appear, and the overwriting will use the default setting (below).

This state can also be enabled by setting the boolean variable NoAskOverwrite with the !set command.

Default when new cells conflict
This menu determines the default behavior when a cell from a file being read conflicts with the name of a cell already in memory. There are five choices: Overwrite All, Overwrite Phys, Overwrite Elec, Overwrite None, and Auto Rename. If AutoRename is selected, when a name clash with a cell in memory is detected, the cell name of the cell being read is automatically changed to avoid the clash. A suffix ``$N'' is added to the cell name, where N is a small integer, and a warning message is added to the log file. The Merge Control pop-up will never appear in this mode. For the other four choices, in graphical mode, when a conflict is detected, the Merge Control pop-up will appear, if enabled. The initial state of the pop-up will be determined by this menu, but the actions can be modified by the user on a per-cell basis. If the pop-up does not appear either because it has been suppressed or the program is running in non-graphical (server or batch) mode, the default action will be performed.

The default cell name conflict behavior can also be set with three boolean variables: AutoRename, NoOverwritePhys and NoOverwriteElec. If AutoRename is set (with the !set command or otherwise), the other two variables are ignored, and the auto-rename mode is enabled. If none of these variables is set, then the default action is Overwrite All.

Merge boxes and coincident objects while reading
When this button is on, boxes are merged together, if possible, as files are being read in. Overlapping boxes are clipped and/or merged. This applies to box objects only, and not polygons (even rectangular ones) or wires.

In addition, objects (not subcells) that are coincident with an identical object will be deleted. This applies to all geometrical objects and not just boxes.

This mode can also be enabled by setting the boolean variable MergeInput with the !set command.

The merging of boxes is suppressed if the NoMergeBoxes variable is set (with the !set command). Coincident boxes will still be deleted, however.

Skip testing for badly formed polygons
When set, the reentrancy test for polygons is skipped while an input file is being read. The default behavior is to check each polygon for potentially troublesome geometry specification while the polygon is being created.

This mode can also be enabled by setting the boolean variable NoPolyCheck with the !set command.

Skip testing for coincident objects
When set, testing for coincident objects (but not subcells) is skipped while reading input. Coincident subcells are always reported in the log file. This has no effect on the merging of coincident objects if the Merge boxes button is active.

This mode can also be enabled by setting the boolean variable NoCoincCheck with the !set command.

Skip testing for empty symbols
When set, there is no checking for empty cells as an input file is being read, and the pop-up that normally appears when a file is opened for editing if there are empty symbols in the hierarchy is suppressed. An ``empty symbol'' is a symbol that contains no physical or electrical objects or subcells. It is possible to check for empty symbols at any time with the !empties command.

This mode can also be enabled by setting the boolean variable NoCheckEmpties with the !set command.

Cell Name Mapping
This group of controls manages the cell name aliasing feature (see 9.1). The Auto-Rename button found here has the same functionality as the Auto Rename selection in the cell name resolution option menu. This applies only when reading archive input files, and not native symbols. The prefix/suffix modifications are applied only in input initiated from this panel or script functions.

GDSII: map all unmapped datatypes to same Xic layer
This variable affects only the creation of new layers when a GDSII file is read. The default behavior is to create a separate new Xic layer for each GDSII layer/datatype encountered that is not mapped in the technology file. With the variable set, all datatypes on the new GDSII layer are mapped to the same (new) Xic layer.

This mode can also be enabled by setting the boolean variable NoMapDatatypes with the !set command.

CIF: how to resolve layers
This is an option menu which specifies how Xic interprets layer directives in CIF files.

The layer directive has the syntax

L token;

If the token is an integer, it might indicate the name of a layer with the name being the same integer string, or it might be an index into the layer table. The choices in the menu enforce these two behaviors.

The default resolution method (Try Both) works as follows: The parser reads ``L token;''. If token matches an existing layer name (as string comparison), that layer is accepted. If there is no matching layer, and the token is an integer in the range of 1 through a maximum number, and there is no leading 0, the token is tested as an index. if a layer exists with that 1-based index, that layer is chosen. If the layer still has not been resolved, a new layer is created in the layer table, with the given (numerical) name.

The option menu gives two additional choices. The By Name choice will skip the index test. If the string match fails with all existing layers, a new layer will be created. If the By Index choice is selected, the layer tokens are assumed to be integers. The string match test is skipped. If the index test fails, an error is reported and the operation aborts. New layers are never created in this mode. The layer tokens must be positive integers with no leading zeros that have a corresponding layer table entry.

The CifLayerMode variable corresponds to this set of options, where its value of 0-2 corresponds to the three choices.

The layer change module allows layer filtering and/or mapping to be applied during the read operation (see 9.4). These actions can be performed when:

The Conversion Scale Factor provides an entry area where a scale factor to be applied during reading can be entered. Values of 0.001 through 1000.0 are acceptable. This will apply to input initiated from this panel and script functions only.

The Read File button will prompt the user for a file to read into Xic, in the manner of the Edit command. However for archive files, scaling and/or layer filtering may be applied to the cells read from the file. This, and the script commands Edit and OpenCell, use the scale factor provided in the text area or with the SetConvertScale script function, and the Layer list (if enabled, archive files only). Other methods of opening a cell do not provide scaling or layer filtering.

The Dismiss button removes the pop-up from the screen.


next up previous contents index
Next: The Convert Button: Conversion Up: The Convert Menu: Data Previous: Output Format   Contents   Index
Stephen R. Whiteley 2006-10-23