Recommended best practice for a User Interface GUI to control a pCell?

Hi Michael,

The PCell can/should only be affected by its parameters, so you should create new parameters for the top-most and bottom-most layer(s) - these can be made to be presented as cyclic parameters for ease of entry for the user, but they will be string parameters (radio and cyclic CDF fields result in a string value). The PCell 'engine' can be a procedure that accepts all of the relevant parameters and creates the appropriate output. Call this procedure from inside the pcDefinePCell statement. Then the 'engine' can be tested separately, outside of the PCell environment - this is very handy for testing, development and debugging. This method is called 'encapsulation'. I quite often create the CDF parameters FROM the PCell parameters so that they are in sync, but at the very least I would recommend coding the CDF alongside the PCell itself so they tie together well.

In short though, the PCell is controlled by its parameters, so you will need parameters to control the layers.

I hope that this helps you.

Best regards,

Lawrence.

Sometimes asking the right question is the hardest part. Especially without pictures. Let me try this again. I have created a power grid pcell with width and height parameters. It works and works well. Also, I have created a custom form (hiCreateAppForm) with buttons that are intended to change the values of the pcell's width and height. How do I connect the form controls (buttons) to an already instantiated pcell?

I think I found it, correct me if I'm wrong: cdfFindParamByName(cdfGetInstCDF(pg) "height")->value = <newValue>

Hi Michael,

Assuming that 'pg' represents the instance id of one of these instantiated PCells, then that could be correct. Just make sure that the value is the correct type. You should be able to interactively type/develop this in the CIW.

Best regards,
Lawrence.