"Set_refdes.il" skill program, "axlDBChangeText" please change the command to use.

;; reference http://www.pcbskill.com
/*******************************************************************
* DISCLAIMER: The following code is provided for Cadence customers *
* to use at their own risk. The code may require modification to   *
* satisfy the requirements of any user. The code and any           *
* modifications to the code may not be compatible with current or  *
* future versions of Cadence products.                             *
* THE CODE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITH NO WARRANTIES, INCLUDING   *
* WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY EXPRESS WARRANTIES OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES  *
* OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE.              *
*******************************************************************/
; File: set_refdes.il
;
; Usage: Load this file set_refdes.il
;  Issue the command srd <arg> on the Allegro command line. Where <arg>
; is a command line argument that can be either save or get
;
; srd save   Saves refdes data to the file refdes.txt
; srd get   Retrieves refdes data from the refdes.txt file.
;
/* This utility can be used in an environment where one designer is
working on the etch once the design placement is stable.
A second designer can work with the silkscreen text moving the reference
designators to the desired location. When completed the silkscreen data
can be saved to a file with the "srd save" command.
The designer working on the etch can read the reference designator changes
with the command "srd get"
*/
;
; Note: Minimal testing on v15.x only
;  No testing is done to check if either of the files have had
;  auto-rename run on them.
;
;
; Author: Ron Guthrie
; Company: Cadence Design Systems
; Version: 1.0
; Date:  March 23,2006
; Status: Working
;
; Revision: 1.1 Ron Guthrie
; Date: April 18, 2008
; Notes: Consider situation when the text block has been changed.
;  Minimal testing with v15.7
;
axlCmdRegister("srd" '_set_refdes_from_file ?cmdType "general")
procedure( _set_refdes_from_file( mode )
prog( list(l_text refdes t_loc t_rot t_mirror t_justify t_layer l_vis l_old_loc mir rot my_justify my_rotation  )
l_old_loc=list()

case(mode
 ("save" ;save the current refdes text information to a file
  printf("Mode:save\n")
  printf("Saving refdes data to file refdes.txt\n")
  p_refdes=outfile("./refdes.txt") ;open a file to store the data
  axlClearSelSet()  ;clear any selected objects
  axlSetFindFilter(?enabled '(noall text) ?onButtons '(text))
  l_vis=axlVisibleGet() ;Store the current layer visibility
  axlVisibleDesign(nil) ;Set the visibility as desired.
  axlVisibleLayer("REF DES/SILKSCREEN_TOP" t )
  axlVisibleLayer("REF DES/SILKSCREEN_BOTTOM" t )
  axlUIWUpdate(nil)
  axlAddSelectAll()   ;Select all of the visible text
  l_text=axlGetSelSet() ;Save the selected text in a list
  axlClearSelSet()
  foreach(text l_text  ;Check each text string
   parent_type = text->parent->objType
   text_class = car(parseString(text->layer "/"))
   if(parent_type == "symbol" && text_class=="REF DES" then
    ;probably found a refdes. Store the text details

    refdes=text->text
    t_loc=text->xy
    t_rot=text->rotation
    t_mirror=text->isMirrored
    t_layer=text->layer
    t_textblock=text->textBlock
    t_justify = text->justify
       
    ;write the data to a file
    println(list(refdes t_loc t_layer t_rot t_mirror t_textblock t_justify) p_refdes)
   );endif
  );end foreach refdes
  close(p_refdes) ;close the file
  axlVisibleSet(l_vis)
  axlUIWUpdate(nil)
  printf("Refdes save completed.\n")
 );save

 ("get" ;Read the file and process the text
  printf("Mode:get\n")
  l_visible=axlVisibleGet()  ;store current visibility settings.

  axlVisibleDesign(nil)   ;turn everything invisible
  axlVisibleLayer("REF DES/SILKSCREEN_TOP" t )
  axlVisibleLayer("REF DES/SILKSCREEN_BOTTOM" t )

  p_refdes=infile("./refdes.txt")
  while(l_refdes=car(lineread(p_refdes))
   refdes=nth(0 l_refdes)
   loc=nth(1 l_refdes)
   layer=nth(2 l_refdes)
   new_rot=nth(3 l_refdes)
   new_mir=nth(4 l_refdes)
   new_tblock=nth(5 l_refdes)
      
   new_justify=nth(6 l_refdes)

   l_old_loc = _find_refdes(refdes layer) ;call procedure to find the original text
   old_xy = nth(1 l_old_loc)     ;current coordinates of refdes
                        old_refdes = nth(0 l_old_loc)->text
   old_rot = nth(0 l_old_loc)->rotation ;current refdes rotation
   old_mir = nth(0 l_old_loc)->isMirrored ;current mirror status
                        old_justify = nth(0 l_old_loc)->justify
   old_tblock=nth(0 l_old_loc)->textBlock ;current text block used

   o_component=nth(0 l_old_loc)->parent  ;need the parent if creating new text

   when(old_xy   ;if there is an xy then we found the text and can do a transform
     delta_x=xCoord(loc) - xCoord(old_xy) ;calculate the x offset
     delta_y=yCoord(loc) - yCoord(old_xy) ;calculate the y offset
     l_delta=list(delta_x delta_y)    ;distance to move the text

     rot=new_rot-old_rot       ;calculate the rotation
     mir=(new_mir && !old_mir)||(!new_mir && old_mir) ;mirror is XOR

                                       axlTransformObject(car(l_old_loc) ?move l_delta ?mirror mir ?angle rot  ) ;move the text 
     

                 axlTextOrientationCopy(car(l_old_loc) my_justify)
                  my_justify-> new_justify   
     
                                axlDBChangeText(car(l_old_loc)  nil  my_justify)           
                                axlDBChangeText(car(l_old_loc)  nil  new_tblock )
                          
                           
     );end_when

    );end while
  close(p_refdes)

  axlVisibleSet(l_visible) ;restore layer visibility.

  printf("Process complete.\n")  
  
 );get

 (t
  printf("Invalid command line argument.\n")
  printf("Command syntax: srd save   or  srd get \n")
  return(nil)
 )
);endcase
);endprog
);endproc

procedure( _find_refdes(sym tlayer)
 ;procedure to return the dbid and location of the refdes for the symbol
prog( list(child l_children o_type o_layer match_loc)
 l_children = car(axlSelectByName("REFDES" sym))->children
 foreach(child l_children
  o_type = child->objType
  o_layer = child->layer
  if(o_type=="text" && o_layer==tlayer then
   ;probably found a refdes match.
   match_loc=child->xy
   ; axlClearSelSet()
   return(list(child match_loc)) ;return the dbid and location of the text
   ;if match_loc returns as nil then the text was not found
  );endif

 );foreach child
);end prog
);end proc _find_refdes