The Write File Page, Exporting Design Data

The Write File page is used to initiate writing of a design data file to disk. A number of options are available when writing a file with this panel. Unlike the settings described above, these settings apply only to files created with this panel.

The currently selected tab at the top of the panel specifies the output format to use. Details of the format selections are described below.

GDSII
This choice will create a GDSII (Stream) file of the current editing cell and its descendents. Upon pressing Write File, the name of the file for the GDSII output is requested from the user. The user can add a ``.gz'' extension, or remove the extension if already present, to control whether or not gzip compression is used. The GDSII layer numbers and datatypes are as given in the technology file.

Xic will ensure that cell names included in the GDSII file conform to the standard (upper and lower case, digits, `_', `$', `?' only, up to 32 long in GDSII Release 3).

All layers that are to be written to the GDSII file should have a GDSII output mapping specified. This can be added to the technology file with a text editor, or interactively with the Edit Tech Params button in the Attributes Menu. By default, a layer needed for output that does not have a mapping will terminate the operation. However, if the Skip layers without Xic to GDSII layer mapping check box in the GDSII page of the Export Control panel is checked, or equivalently the variable NoGdsMapOk is set (with the !set command), then such layers will be ignored (producing no output).

OASIS
This choice will create an OASIS file of the current editing cell and its descendents. Upon pressing Write File, he name of the file for the OASIS output is requested from the user. The layer numbers and datatypes are as given in the technology file. These are the same as for GDSII.

All layers that are to be written to the OASIS file should have a GDSII output mapping specified. This can be added to the technology file with a text editor, or interactively with the Edit Tech Params button in the Attributes Menu. By default, a layer needed for output that does not have a mapping will terminate the operation. However, if the Skip layers without Xic to GDSII layer mapping check box in the OASIS page of the Export Control panel is checked, or equivalently the variable NoGdsMapOk is set (with the !set command), then such layers will be ignored (producing no output).

CIF
With this choice, the current editing cell and its descendents will be written to a CIF file. Upon pressing Write File, the user is prompted for the name of the file for CIF output.

The extension syntax used for cell name specification and labels, and whether the layer directives use indexing or names, are settable with the CifOutStyle variable and/or the CIF page menus in the Export Control panel.

CGX
With this choice, the current editing cell and its descendents will be written to a CGX file. Upon pressing Write File, the user is prompted for the name of the file for CGX output. The user can add a ``.gz'' extension, or remove the extension if already present, to control whether or not gzip compression is used.

Xic Cell Files
This choice will unconditionally write to native-format files the hierarchy of the current editing cell. It can be used to transform a hierarchy input from a supported archive format file into Xic native format.

When Write File is pressed, the user is given the option of setting the directory which will receive the created files. If no directory is given, the files will be created in the current directory. While the prompt is in effect, a pop-up containing a tree listing of the directory hierarchy rooted in the current directory appears. The user can select a directory in the listing, or type the directory path on the prompt line. If a directory path is given and the final directory does not exist, it will be created, if possible. Pressing Esc will abort the operation.

After the cell writing is complete, a library file will be written in the current directory, given the name of the top-level cell suffixed with ``.lib''. This file will have references to each of the new files created, with the top-level cell name listed first, and the others listed in alphabetical order. This library may be placed in the search path to gain access to the new files through the library mechanism, in which case the directory containing the files need not be in the search path.

The following controls are found in the Write File page.

Cell Name Mapping
This group of controls manages the cell name aliasing feature. This does not apply to native cell file output.

Windowing and Flattening
A subset of the windowing operations is available. From this panel, windowing is only available when flattening.

Conversion Scale Factor
The Conversion Scale Factor provides an entry area where a scale factor to be applied during the write operation can be entered. Values of 0.001 through 1000.0 are acceptable. This will apply to output initiated from this panel only.

Write File
The write is actually initiated with the Write File button. The name of the output file will be prompted for on the prompt line.

Cell files can also be written to disk using the Save and Save As commands in the File Menu. However, if scaling or other options available in this panel are required, the file must be generated from this panel.