import a GDS file into virtuoso

 when the Stream import dialog opens Fill it in as:

Stream file: your .GDS file

Library: Your new library you created which will hold imported design

Top Level Cell: exact name of top level cell as it was designed prior to export to GDS file

Leave everything else blank. (do not attach technology library) It should work.

Thanks Kabal.

But let me be more specified. the gds file was created in The layout editor program and this file is a converted .dxf file  that was created in Aoutocad 2013. The oroginal dxf file was constracted from a different layers but no cells...

So after the long introduction I am not quite sure that I get right what should I fill in the "Top level cell" tab.

Thanks in advanced

Leave the Top Cell blank - it's not necessary to fill this in. If you don't specify it, it will import every structure (cell) from the file.

Regards,

Andrew.

Hi, 

I left the top level cell tab blank as you said but I'm keep getting this error:

Targert library 'Graphene' is attached to the technology library 'cdsDefTechLib'. Therefore technology file is opened in read-only mode. Use a layer map file to continue.

What is the 'layer map file' ???? 

Thanks 

When you first created a library, it contained no real technology information. (It was attached to a default library). This is the problem.

I think you will see more information if you import the GDS2 file with the option "Generate Technology Information From Stream File" checked.

This will automatically generate a new technology library for you.

The layer map file is used to map the gds layer numbers to real layer names in your technology library.

From your description, I don't think you have a correct technology library set up. So you will not see anything

Colin

OK, 

We do have a little progress. I checked the "Generate Technology Information From Stream File" box and the traslation was completed successfully with either no warnings or errors.

But.....  the destination folder where the imported file needs to apear on, is still empty...

what did go wrong?

thanks again 

There should be a log file generated when you stream in - did you look at that to see what it did? It should tell you what it actually did - what cells it found, what was created and so on.

Regards,

Andrew.

In the log file that was generated all the fielleds are '0'....

I guess that mean that nothing was created.

why? 

I think you mean library instead of "destination folder". No?

If I follow you correctly, I believe you now have a technology library.

If you re-read the GDS2, but this time turn off the "Generate Technology Information From Stream File" checkbox

Enter the stream file again, type a new name into which the design data should be read, and finally click on the "attach technology library" pull-down. You should see a list of valid libraries. Select the library that you created in the first run.

I hope that should do it.

Colin