How to open two layouts, copy them into a third and save

Some suggestions:

A: dbOpenCellViewByType() will return a cellView ID not a window.

So in your code window1 is actually a cellView. It is not a window.

And I don't think "hiSetCurrentWindow(window1)" could work.

B: Based on my experiences geOpen() will open a design in a new window.

What you said "geOpen() just opens a design" is not right.

 Hi Tom,

How's suggestion is in the right direction, but I don't think it will work since the ge prefix functions work with graphics editor and the cellviews are being opened in virtual memory only, not in graphical windows.  A more direct way to get all of the shape dbId's for copying would be to use

  Cv_src1~>shapes

instead of

  geSelectAllFig(Cv_src1)

in the foreach loop.

NOTE: I have not tested How's code nor my suggestion.

I hope that this helps,

Regards,

Lawrence.

Lawrence is right. How's code won't work, because geSelectAllFig does not work unless the cellView is open in a window (I tested this in case this was some behaviour I was unfamiliar with).

Actually to copy everything would get reasonably complicated relatively quickly. In addition to iterating over the shapes, you'd want to iterate over instances (missing out any mosaicInsts) and mosaics. In IC61 you'd also need to iterate over boundaries, markers, vias, and a few other object types. 

So what I would probably do (as this keeps it simple) would be to use dbCreateInst() to create an instance of the cell you want to copy the contents of, and then use dbFlattenInst to flatten it. Then you have the choice of preserving pins and ROD objects during the "copy".

Regards,

Andrew.

Ah yes, I forgot about instances etc. so Andrew's suggestion is really a better approach, and simpler too.
Just for a brief reference, the dbFlattenInst() function is shown here:

dbFlattenInst(
  d_instId
  x_levels
  [ g_flattenPCells ]
  [ g_preservePins ]
  [ g_preserveRODobjs ]
)


procedure(CCScopyCellsToNew(@key lib1 cell1 (view1 "layout")
   lib2 cell2 (view2 "layout")
   libName cellName (viewName "layout") "ttttttttt")
  let(Cv_dest Cv_src1 Cv_src2 id1 id2)
   if(Cv_dest = dbOpenCellViewByType(libName cellName viewName "maskLayout" "w") then
    Cv_src1 = dbOpenCellViewByType(lib1 cell1 view1 "maskLayout" "r")
    Cv_src2 = dbOpenCellViewByType(lib2 cell2 view2 "maksLayout" "r")
    id1 = dbCreateInst(Cv_dest Cv_src1 "I1" 0:0 "R0")
    id2 = dbCreateInst(Cv_dest Cv_src2 "I2" 0:0 "R0")
    dbFlattenInst(id1 32 t t t)
    dbFlattenInst(id2 32 t t t)
    dbSave(Cv_dest)
    dbClose(Cv_dest)
    dbClose(Cv_src1)
    dbClose(Cv_src2)
   else
    warn("CCScopyCellsToNew: could not open destination cell for writing: %s %s %s" libName cellName viewName)
   ); if
  ); let
); procedure CCScopyCellsToNew

This is completely untested, I just typed it in, but I expect it is about right, though it may need some tweaking or debugging.

Regards,

Lawrence.

Thanks guys for all the quick responses!

If it makes things any easier, I suppose I don't need to open icfb with -nograph. I just thought it made sense since theres no user interaction, but my only real requirement is that this is done with no user input.

Additionally, it is not a full layout- it is just one metal layer + vias. It appears to be made of rectangles and polygons only.

I'll work on both methods and see which gives me the least pain.

Cheers,

Tom Spargo

First of all, my apoligies for posting solution in the SKILL forum, where it cuases error somewhere.

Ya, Adrew suggestion sound the best in Tom's condition, I miss out this too. :)

How 

Turns out the easiest way to do this is to use dbCreateInstByMasterName(). :)

Hi Tom,

Yes, this is an alternative to the dbOpenCellViewByType followed by dbCreateInst , however this method would allow you to check to ensure that the cellview exists (i.e. the function does not return 'nil') beforehand.  You can achieve the same by using ddGetObj to check if a cellview exists before trying to instantiate it.

Regards,

Lawrence.