skill code for layout area estimates

Hello All,

I'm generating some skill code to create layouts from a schematic.  Basically, the code is called with a schematic and library as arguments. The code searches the schematic and creates layouts from the cells in the schematic through VXL.  I'm having two issues with this code.   When I generate the layout I call VXL with the full list of arguments as some change depending on different variables ( sometimes I change the utilization if there is a certain cell present/etc ) There is a fluid guardring pcell that surrounds all the other devices in the layout. After VXL placement I search all devices for this pcell.  If I find one I delete this instance and run the analog placer.  When the analog placer is finished I preform an update components and nets which brings in the pcell again.  This is done so that the placer doesn't place this pcell and enclose it within the prBoundary with the other devices.  Once the pcell is replaced I get the height and width of the prBoundary.  The pcell has a height and width parameter which changes its size.  Actually this pcell is a fluid guard ring.  I change the size of the guard ring and move it to surround the other devices.  This code works for the most part with a couple of exceptions.  If I start with a fresh virtuoso session and run the code directly I get a "Unbound variable - cdfgForm" which crashes the code.  I search all instances until I find the guardring pcell and then use vfoGetParam to get the current value of the height and width and vfoSetParam to set the new values.  The set param command uses the instance ID, the name of the parameter and the new value.  I have the code writing all values to a log file and all values are valid since I write the values prior to the set param command which then crashes the script.  If I run the code again without restarting the virtuoso session the script works perfectly. I tried to put the set param command within an if statement thinking that if it fails it will just not update the pcell but the unbound variable error stops the script.  I even wrote the new height and width values separately but it still errors on the first write of the parameter.  Oddly enough if the layout is opened after the crash the first parameter is written to the fluid guard ring and the fluid guard ring has updated its size. The problem might be the pcell itself but I'm hoping someone has something else I can try.  The second issue is that sometimes I loose connection to my license server so the script gets the license to use VXL but then looses the connection when the analog placer is called.  This causes *Error* eval: undefined function - nclAnalogPlaceCB which stops the script as well.  Is there a way to place the analog place command in an if or check the license server connection prior to issuing the command so that the script continues?  I apologize for being so long winded.

Thanks,

Thomas