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  3. How can I change the thickness, color of components?

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How can I change the thickness, color of components?

BaaB
BaaB over 5 years ago

How can I change the thickness, color of components from libraries like analogLib?
I tried to follow this guideline by changing device_drawing1 from Display Resource Manager but it doesn't work.
My Cadence tool version is different though. It's version IC6.1.8-64b.500.8.
I tried all different combination of All LPPs, All Packets, All Valide LPPs and still doesn't work.
Does anyone know how to do that?

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  • Andrew Beckett
    Andrew Beckett over 5 years ago

    The tutorial isn't quite right. Firstly you need to pick the library for the technology library your own schematic is associated with (if you attached your library to a particular technology library, it's that). In other words, if you go over your design library in the library manager, and Right Mouse->Properties, you should see techLibName set to something (probably), in which case use that name.

    Then search in that library for "All LPPs" and search for device. The component outlines are device/drawing and not device/drawing1. device/drawing1 is only used for filled shapes (in the symbol editor, if you use Create->Shape->Rect and then on the F3 options form there's a choice of outline or filled - picking filled will use the drawing1 purpose).

    Details on what layer-purposes are used by the schematic editor can be found in <ICinstDir>/doc/comphelp/comphelp.pdf - search for "Customizing Schematic Object Attributes".

    As you can see, this worked:

    Andrew

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  • BaaB
    BaaB over 5 years ago in reply to Andrew Beckett

    Thank you very much. You also talked about another problem I'm facing with symbol too.  First, I couldn't find the  techLibName anywhere. Here is the result of Right Mouse->Properties for analogLib library.   

    Then I tried  "All LPPs" and search for device and change for all libraries in the third Technology Library Name but it doesn't work. 

    Now because you mentioned about symbol, I would like to ask another problem I'm facing. 
    When you making symbol  Create->Shape->Rect or Circle, you can only  online or filled. How can I change thickness of it?


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  • BaaB
    BaaB over 5 years ago in reply to Andrew Beckett

    Thank you very much. You also talked about another problem I'm facing with symbol too.  First, I couldn't find the  techLibName anywhere. Here is the result of Right Mouse->Properties for analogLib library.   

    Then I tried  "All LPPs" and search for device and change for all libraries in the third Technology Library Name but it doesn't work. 

    Now because you mentioned about symbol, I would like to ask another problem I'm facing. 
    When you making symbol  Create->Shape->Rect or Circle, you can only  online or filled. How can I change thickness of it?


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  • Andrew Beckett
    Andrew Beckett over 5 years ago in reply to BaaB

    It wasn't the "analogLib" library I was suggesting you to use, but the technology library associated with the schematic that you're instantiating the analogLib components in. analogLib has its own technology database (which is why it shows up as one of the choices in the Display Resource Manager). Provided that the packet names are consistent between analogLib and whatever technology you're using (some foundries change them, for reasons I've never understood) then it doesn't matter which you've changed.

    What "doesn't work"? What does the Display Resource Manager look like?

    There is no thickness choice in the Create->Shape commands. The thickness of the lines comes from the definition of the packet in the display resources setup, and is not a property of the database. Lines in the database are zero-width, and rectangles are an area - the outline width is a display property.

    Perhaps you should contact customer support so we can have a screen sharing session with  you to walk you through this, because this ought to be pretty simple to change.

    Regards,

    Andrew.

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  • BaaB
    BaaB over 5 years ago in reply to Andrew Beckett

    Great. You're the best. It works well now. I misunderstood your explanation thinking that some voltage sources are from analogLib so I have to change tech file for that library. 
    The support here is really bad. I sent you an email maybe 2 years ago to change support location but they couldn't do that. 
    I have some questions. 
    First, how do you figure out that to change component color you have to set Device (display) , View Mode(All LPPs), Tech Lib Name (the tech file you're using) and then device drawing not drawing 1?
    I had a look at the comphelp.pdf you mentioned above but it seems that they don't mention it. 
    Second, I would like to change the symbol thickness. 
    From comphelp.pdf  I see:

    Object ------------------------------------------- LPPs--------- Packet
    Symbol Shapes (Outline) (line/rect etc.) device, drawing device

    So I tried to change drawing device but it doesn't work. 
    It would be really useful to know how to do this systematically so I can change other things like text, note, etc. 

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  • Andrew Beckett
    Andrew Beckett over 5 years ago in reply to BaaB

    I'm a bit confused, since you said it works, and then you said that it doesn't work?

    The documentation doesn't say that you have to do this for the technology library that you're associated with - I agree, that's unclear. However, all graphic editors in Virtuoso (schematic, symbol and layout) display their layers based on the packet names for a particular layer-purpose pair in the associated technology library. The shapes are actually on (for example) the device/drawing layer purpose, and the current tech lib defines the packet name, and the display.drf defines the meaning of that packet (outline colour, fill style, fill colour, line style and line width).

    Each schematic/symbol object is defined in the table in the part of the manual I pointed you to:

    The following table lists the various schematic objects and their corresponding LPPs which are located in the Display Resource Editor, along with details of where the exact packet can be located (in the Display Resource Editor).

    Object LPPs Packet

    Pins

    pin, drawing

    pin

    Pin Names

    pin, label

    pinLbl

    Pin Net Expression

    pin, annotate

    pinAnt

    Differential Pin Names

    annotate, drawing

    annotate

    Inst Pins

    pin, drawing

    pin

    Inst Pin Names

    pin, label

    pinLbl

    Wires

    wire, drawing

    wire

    Flight Wires

    wire, flight

    wireFlt

    Wire Names

    wire, label

    wireLbl

    Wire Net Expression

    wire, label

    wireLbl

    Instance Name

    instance, label

    instanceLbl

    Instance Label
    (instance names)

    instance, label

    instanceLbl

    Symbol Name

    device, label

    deviceLbl

    Symbol Shapes (Outline) (line/rect etc.)

    device, drawing

    device

    Symbol Shapes (Filled) (line/rect etc.)

    device, drawing1

    device1

    Device Annotate Label (ref Des)

    device, annotate

    deviceAnt

    Logical Label (Symbol/Part Names)

    device, label

    deviceLbl

    Physical Labels (physical part name etc.)

    annotate, drawing

    annotate

    Pin Annotate (pin Net Expressions etc.)

    pin, annotate

    pinAnt

    Analog Instance Label (cdsName ())

    annotate, drawing7

    annotate7

    Analog Pin Annotate (cdsTerm())

    annotate, drawing8

    annotate8

    Analog Device Annotate (cdsParam())

    annotate, drawing

    annotate

    Instance BBox

    instance, drawing

    instance

    Solder Dot

    wire, drawing

    wire

    “Index Schematic” Label

    text, drawing

    text

    Error Markers (CDB)

    marker, error

    markerErr

    Warning Markers (CDB)

    marker, warning

    markerWarn

    Note Label

    text, drawing

    text

    Note Shape-solid Lines

    text, drawing

    text

    Note Shape-dashed Lines

    text, drawing1

    text1

    Wire Text (aliases)

    annotate, drawing3

    annotate3

    Sheet Borders

    border, drawing

    border

    Selection

    hilite, drawing

    hilite

    Command-specific highlights

    hilite, drawing1-drawing9

    hilite1-hilite9

    The packet name column is showing the default packet name - i.e. what you'd get in library using the same packet names as cdsDefTechLib (analogLib probably matches too), but some technology libraries (as I mentioned only) use different packet names than the default (for reasons I've never understood). That's the complication that the documentation doesn't take into account, which is why you have to do it for the technology you're associated with - you're finding the packet name that actually uses.

    To get thicker lines, you need to increase the line width for the packet associated with device/drawing.

    Andrew.

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  • BaaB
    BaaB over 5 years ago in reply to Andrew Beckett

    I was saying that changing thickness and color of the components work but I couldn't change the thickness for symbols that I made. 
    However, everything works well now. Thanks for the help.

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