attach label to a pin as a 'children'

You can set the parent attribute on the pin shape instead. However, you shoud create textDisplays for pins rather than labels. A textDisplay will display the pin name (much like a label), but when the pin's connectivity/name changes, the display's value will change as well. The textDisplay will also be attached to the pin automatically since it by nature is a child of the pin.

dbCreateTextDisplay(
d_associateId
d_ownerId
( tx_layer [ t_purpose ] )
l_displayFlags
l_point
t_just
t_orient
t_font
x_height
[ g_isDrafted [ g_isOverbar [ g_isVisable [ g_isNameVisible [ g_isValueVisible [ t_attrOrParamName [ g_isParamAssoc ] ] ] ] ] ] ]
)

Derek

 Thantks Dereck,

That was exactly what I was missing. Now I have the same behaviour as when I click on the button : Create Pin. I mean by that, that the text moves with the square rectangle. I was just curious how to use  dbCreateTextDisplay. I saw in one of your other post that the two first argument could be (should be?) similar.

cv=geGetWindowCellView()
;; p=car(cv~>terminals~>pins)
;; term=car(cv~>terminals)
foreach(term cv~>terminals
p1=car(term~>pins) ;let supose term has only one pin
p1~>net~>name
f1=car(p1~>figs)   ;let supose p1 has only objType "rect" 
unless(f1~>children ; when no attached text Display, let us create one (not a label, even if similar)
disp=dbCreateTextDisplay( term term list(f1~>layerName  "label" ) t centerBox(f1~>bBox) "centerLeft" "R0" "roman" 0.5) 
disp~>isNameVisible=nil ;makes the 'name=' invisible
disp~>parent=p1~>fig    ;makes the text moving with the rect pin
; and now f1~>children is not nil => so a can re-run the script
))

Sorry for necroposting, but i found this page very useful, so i adding my code to automaticly generate labels on all selected pins

foreach(X geGetSelectedSet()
 net = X~>net
 disp=dbCreateTextDisplay( net X list("TEXT" "drawing" ) t centerBox(X~>bBox) "centerCenter" "R0" "roman" 2 nil nil t nil t "name" nil)
)

Very simple and useful code, I was wondering if it was possible to use dbCreateTextDisplay to create a label with not just the net name, but say with the area value of a rectangle also?

so passing a string value instead?  

for instance

area=5

string = sprintf(area "%f" area)

disp=dbCreateTextDisplay( net X list("text" "drawing" ) t centerBox(X~>bBox) "lowerCenter" "R0" "roman" abs(dy/3) nil nil t nil t string nil)  

This gives me an error, but perhaps I am missing something.

If you want to create a label, use dbCreateLabel. dbCreateTextDisplay is to display the value of a database attribute or property on an associated object - it's not to display arbitrary text (the benefit of a text display is that if that associated attribute value or property value changes, the text displayed changes without needing to do any updates).

By the way, the dynamic display feature in Virtuoso Layout Suite also allows you to dynamically show the area of an object as you hover over it...

Regards,

Andrew.

Yes, I am aware of the dynamic display, but it is more useful to have the area attached to the object and visible at all times when floor-planning.

I will try and play around with dbCreateLabel for passing a string in for the area.  Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

These work well for my case in getting all the relations & connectivity correct:

pin = leCreatePin(...)

label = dbCreateLabel(...)

leAttachFig(label pin~>fig)

dbAddFigToNet(pin~>fig net)

Andrew, I had something working very well, but I was trying multiple iterations of things, and by the time I restarted cadence after a crash, the code I was using started to give me errors.

*Error* dbCreateLabel: Invalid cellView - db:0x218a5c9a

For a more complete picture here is the code I am working with now.... It is a simple bindkey that will grow a rectangle by a fixed amount and maintain the area. That part is fine, 

It then should create labels for the Net Name, Area, and Length and Height of the shape.

Right now only the Net Name is passing through.  It seems to be stalled at the dbCreatelabel portion.  but I had everything working for a few days.  Thanks in advance.

hiSetBindKey("Layout" "<Key>[" "stretchAreax()")

/***********************************************
Stretch Rectangle With Constant Area +X
************************************************/

procedure( stretchAreax()
foreach(X geGetSelectedSet()
net = X~>net
sSet = geGetSelSet()
corners = car(sSet)~>bBox
delta = 5
ll = car(corners)
ur = cadr(corners)
dx = xCoord(ur) - xCoord(ll)
x1 = xCoord(ll)
x2 = xCoord(ur) + delta
newdx = (xCoord(ur)+delta - xCoord(ll))
rnewdx = round(newdx)
dy = yCoord(ur) - yCoord(ll)
rdy = round(dy)
y1b = yCoord(ll)
y1t = yCoord(ur)
newarea = abs(newdx * dy)
area = round(abs( dx * dy ))
y2 = y1t - (dy-(area/newdx))
printf("Area of rectangle is %L.\n" area) ;; Displays Area in CIW window
printf("Length of Rectangle is %L.\n" newdx) ;; Displays Length in CIW window
printf("Height of Rectangle is %L.\n" dy) ;; Displays Height in CIW window

r=css()
r~>?
r~>??
lowerLeft(r~>bBox)
upperRight(r~>bBox)
xCoord(lowerLeft(r~>bBox))
yCoord(lowerLeft(r~>bBox))
newBBox=list(list(x1 y1b) list(x2 y2))
r~>bBox=newBBox
string = sprintf(area "%L" area)
stringL = sprintf(rnewdx "%L" rnewdx)
stringH = sprintf(rdy "%L" rdy)

foreach(selObj geGetSelSet()
foreach(child selObj~>children
when(member(child~>objType '("label" "textDisplay")) && child~>layerName=="text" && child~>purpose=="drawing"
dbDeleteObject(child)
)
)
)

disp=dbCreateTextDisplay( net X list("text" "drawing" ) t centerBox(X~>bBox) "lowerRight" "R0" "roman" abs(dx/12) nil nil t nil t "name" nil) ;;Creates text label from net name of figure
label=dbCreateLabel(cv "text" centerBox(X~>bBox) string "lowerLeft" "R0" "roman" abs(dx/18))
labelL=dbCreateLabel(cv "text" centerBox(X~>bBox) stringL "upperRight" "MXR90" "roman" (dx/22))
labelH=dbCreateLabel(cv "text" centerBox(X~>bBox) stringH "upperLeft" "MYR90" "roman" (dx/22))
leAttachFig(label r)
leAttachFig(labelL r)
leAttachFig(labelH r)
label~>labelType="ILLabel" ;;Creates text label with area of figure
labelL~>labelType="ILLabel" ;;Creates text label with area of figure
labelH~>labelType="ILLabel" ;;Creates text label with area of figure
)
) ;procedure

Thanks I got something working for a few days then after a cadence crash, I started getting errors.  I included the sample of code where things are breaking down just above your comment.