Editor Controls

Enables you to set various editor controls such as whether to allow commands to be repeated and connections to be maintained.

Foundry Constraints

Specifies the name of the constraint group that contains foundry constraints.

Gravity Controls

Enables you to define gravity controls to set the pointer to automatically snap to objects in a cellview.

Tap

Enables you to define controls for tapping objects.

Snapping

Enables you to define controls for snapping objects.

Wire Editing

Enables you to specify the default wire constraint group and via parameters calculation mode.

File

Specifies the file to which you want to store or from which you want to load the settings. You can enter the correct directory where you want to save the file. If you do not remember the name of the directory use the Browse button.

Environment variable: editorOptionsFile

Save To

Saves the current setting from the Layout Editor Options form to the file specified in the File field.

Load From

Sets the Layout Editor Options form settings to the values saved in the specified file.

Repeat Commands

Sets all commands to automatically repeat, if you first select the command and then the object to edit. Does not affect commands if you first select an object, then the command.

Environment variable: modalCommands

Display Reference Point

Displays a bold asterisk (*) on the current reference point in your layout.

Environment variable: displayRefPoint

Auto Set Reference Point

Sets a reference point automatically whenever you enter a new point. You can set the reference point to a particular point by pressing + key on the keypad. The pointer changes to an asterisk ( ✱ ). The point you click is the new reference point. You can set the layout editor so that the reference point does not change by selecting Auto Set Reference Point. This allows you to place several objects using a single reference point. You use reference points to measure the distance between points you enter.

Environment variable: autoSetRefPoint

Recursion Check

Turns recursion checking on. Recursion checking prevents the creation of recursive hierarchy (where a cell has an instance of itself at some level) by commands such as Create Instance, Make Cell, and Find/Replace.

Environment variable: recursionCheck

Maintain Connections

Turns on an automatic re-connection mode for pins, paths, and pathsegs that have been separated during any editing activity that moves pins. The check box is off by default.

See Pin-Path and Pin-PathSeg Connections Preserved.

Environment variable: maintainConnections

Abut Server

Turns automatic abutment and automatic unabutment on and off.

When on, unabutment automatically restores abutted devices when moved apart. This ensures that dropped vias are restored when chained devices are moved apart. It also eliminates errors such as devices with no diffusion overlap on one side.

When off, automatic abutment and automatic unabutment are off.

Also, when set off in the layout editor, unabutment retains the abutted device configuration even when the device is unabutted.

Select Created Object

Ensures that the object you create remains selected after you complete the create, copy and paste commands. If you create multiple objects, all of them remain selected after being created. With this option selected, any object(s) that you may have selected before starting the create command remains selected after the create command completes. The option is off by default.The Repeat commands should be disabled for this option to work for copy and paste commands.

Environment variable: selectCreatedObj

Rotate Around Combined BBox

Rotates multiple selected objects around the specified reference point of the combined bounding box of the objects. This check box is selected by default.

Environment variable: rotateAroundCombinedCenter

Flip Around Combined BBox

Flips multiple selected objects around the specified reference point of the combined bounding box of the objects. This check box is selected by default.

Environment variable: flipAroundCombinedCenter

Turn Off Infix in Smart Snapping

Turns off infix when commands, such as Create Measurement and Quick Align, that use smart snapping are active.

Environment variable: turnInfixOffWhenSmartSnapping

Use Layer Palette LPPs Only

Ensures only valid layers displayed in the Layers assistant are populated in the layer field of the Property Editor, Move, Copy, Label, and Find/Replace forms. When this option is selected, you can select an LPP not present in the filtered layers of the Palette but exists in the technology file. The name of the LPP is case-sensitive and should match the name specified in the technology file.

Environment variable: validLppFilterOn

Check Large Coordinates:

Provides control for checking for large coordinates during the copy operation.

The Copy command does not allow objects to go out of the INT_MAX boundary and hence does not distort the copied image. The value of INT_MAX is 2147483647 (231 -1) (signed int max value). When you copy an object, until the copy operation is committed, an image of the copied object is displayed when you drag. This image is referred as the copied image.

Environment variable: checkLargeCoordinates

Palette LPPs Display Order

Enables you to change the display order of layer-purpose pairs in the canvas. You can do this by dragging up and down the layer-purpose pairs listed in the Palette when Palette mode is set to Multi-select.

Environment variable: pteLppsDisplayOrderControl

Display Active LPP in Foreground

Displays the shapes on the active layer in the foreground, on top of the shapes drawn on all other layers.

Environment variable: pteDisplayActiveLppInForeground

Instance Editing Mode

Specifies whether the Flip, Rotate, and Create Instance (when creating an array of instances) commands use the instance bounding box (BBox), the place and route boundary (P&R Boundary), or the Snap Boundary as the instance border when operating on instances or mosaics. For example, if you have a standard cell with a large label that extends well beyond the PR boundary, the bounding box of that cell will be much larger than its place and route boundary. Set this option to P&R Boundary to have Flip and Rotate ignore the bounding box and instead use the PR boundary when operating on the cell.

The default is BBox. If you set this environment variable to P&R Boundary or Snap Boundary and the instance or mosaic does not have the corresponding boundary, then BBox is used instead.

Environment variable: editInstanceBoundaryMode

Half Width Check

Sets whether or not you can create or edit a path that has a segment with length less than half the path width. You can either disable the checking (off) or enable it (notify or enforce). If you set it to off, a warning message is displayed only if the first and last segments of the path are less than half the path width. If you set the checking to never, no warning message is displayed if the length of any segment of the path is less than half the path width.

Environment variable: checkHalfWidthPathSeg

Conic Sides

Sets the number of segments to use when you convert conics to polygons. The maximum number of sides is 4000.

Environment variable: numSides

Constraint Group

Specifies the name of the constraint group that contains the foundry constraints.

This field is available only when the AlternateFoundryCG environment variable or the afcgDefaultFoundry parameter is set to a non-empty string. In case an invalid constraint group is specified, the value in this field is set to foundry.

You can display a foundry description by setting the afcgDefaultFoundry parameter to a non-empty string in the techParams subsection of a technology file. For example, the following image shows how the afcgDefaultFoundry “My Foundry Description” parameter value appears in the Foundry Constraints section.

Gravity On

Sets the drawing pointer to automatically snap to objects in the cellview. The pointer snaps to all the visible objects at any hierarchy level.

Environment variable: gravityOn

Distance slider

Sets the snap distance between the pointer and an object. You can choose from Small, Medium, Large, or Very Large using the slider.

Environment variable: gravityDistance

Selectable Objects Only

Sets the drawing pointer to snap only to the selected objects in the cellview.

Environment variable: gravitySelectableOnly

Auto Tap

Sets the layer of the wire being created to be the same as that of an existing clicked wire automatically. Attributes of objects are also tapped. In addition to object attributes, an existing net name can be tapped.

• Wire: Controls whether auto tap occurs on the first entry point when you use the Create – Wire command. When Auto Tap Wire is on, the current entry layer will seed the form and update attributes of the wire you create based on the first point you enter. Auto Tap Wire is also available from the shortcut menu when the Create – Wire command is active.
  Environment variable: autoTap
• Shape: Controls whether auto tap occurs on the first entry point when you create rectangles, polygons, paths, circles, donuts, ellipses, and blockages. During the create command, when Auto Tap Shape is on, the current entry layer will seed the form and update attributes of the object you create based on the first point you enter.
  Environment variable: autoTapShape

For more information, see Tapping Wires and Object Tapping.

Tap Layer

Sets the tapped layer as the layer for the wire or shape being created, and updates the Layer Selection Window. Layer option is enabled only when one of Wire or Shape from Auto Tap option is on.

Environment variable: autoTapType

Tap Attributes

Captures attributes from the wire or shape you click. When tapping a wire or path, you can tap the LPP, extension type, and width of the wire. The Attributes option is enabled only when one of Wire or Shape from Auto Tap option is on.

Environment variable: autoTapType

Select from Overlaps

Prompts you to choose a layer or net name from the Choose Object to Tap form when clicking on a coordinate with objects on overlapping layers. The option is enabled only when one of Wire or Shape from Auto Tap option is on.

For more information about tapping LPPs, see Tapping Wires.

Include All (Wire) Via Layers

Prompts you with the Choose Object to Tap form when tapping a via in Layout XL and higher tiers. For more information, see Tapping Vias

Environment variable: layerTapPickWireVia

Tap Purpose List

Prioritizes the purposes considered when changing the current layer. For example, if you have a metal1 pin layer, but you want to create a wire on metal1 drawing layer, you must have the purpose list set to drawing.

You can specify an ordered list of purposes in the field. For more information, see Customizing Tap Settings Using the Layout Editor Options Form.

Environment variables: useTapPurposeList, tapPurposeList

Snap Pattern Snapping

Enables snap pattern snapping.

Environment variable: snapPatternSnapping

Instance to Row

Snaps instances to rows during the commands Edit – Move, Edit – Copy, Edit – Stretch, and Create – Instance. Instances must be associated with a legal site. To set the site definition for an instance master, use the Edit Cut Pattern Form. Ensure that the site definition set for the instance master and the site definition corresponding to the row to which you want to snap the instance are the same.

Instances snap to the nearest site within a row and match the orientation of the site. The instance must be either over a legal row or the distance between the instance and the legal row must be within the specified aperture in Layout Editor Options form. Rows can be horizontal or vertical and instances can be any orientation. If the instance has a snap boundary, the snap boundary snaps to the row site. If the instance has a prBoundary but no snap boundary, the prBoundary snaps to the row site. If the instance does not have either a snap boundary or a prBoundary, then the lower left corner of the instance snaps to the row site. If multiple instances are selected, the instance closest to the reference point will be snapped to the row.

Environment variable: rowSiteEnable

This option supports the row types - row region, dbRow and dbPlaceArea. Snapping rows to manufacturing grid is not supported.

Layer Manufacturing Grid

(Virtuoso Photonics Option) Determines in Layout EXL or a higher tier whether objects are snapped to coarse manufacturing grids instead of the base manufacturing grid. This feature is supported for the Create Instance, Create Rectangle, Create Polygon, Create Path, Create Pin, Create Via, Move, Copy, and Stretch commands.

Rectangles, polygons, paths, and pins are snapped to the manufacturing grid defined for the layer in the technology file. Instances or vias are snapped to the least common multiple value of manufacturing grids of all the layers in the instance or via.

Environment variable: multiMfgResolutionSnap

In the technology file, the base mfgGridResolution is defined inside controls section and the layer-specific mfgGridResolution is defined in mfgResolutions sub-section in the layerRules section.

Wire Snapping

This section controls the snapping of wires to a grid.

Wires

Lets you select the snapping mode.The available options are:

• Manufacturing Grid snaps the wires to the Manufacturing Grid. This is the default option.
• Routing Grid snaps the segments and vias other than the ones directly connecting to the off-grid pins to the routing grid.
• Track Pattern snaps the segments and vias other than the ones directly connecting to the off-grid pins to track. The track patterns are saved on the design and so each design can have its own set of non-uniform track patterns.
• Snap Pattern enables snapping of wires to the nearest snap pattern track.

For Routing Grid and Track Patterns, the pin snapping has precedence over the grid or track snapping. Therefore, if pins are off grid, it is still possible to use Routing Grid and Track Patterns. The segments connecting the pins will be off grid and the other segments will be on grid.

If there are track patterns in the design, then Routing Grid does not snap the segments on the routing grid but on the manufacturing grid.

Environment variable: snapWireGrid

Enforce

Snaps the wire to the centerline of the track pattern. Also, if this option is selected, the wire inherits the width of the active width spacing pattern and the direction in which the wire is created is the same as the direction of the track pattern.

Environment variable: weEnforceDirFromRoutingPattern

Instance Pins Patterns

Lets you view the patterns available in an instance.

Environment variable: weInstancePinPattern

Wire

This section enables you to specify the default wire constraint group and various wire controls.

Default Wire Constraint Group

Allows the selection of one of the available constraint groups, which may be defined at the technology or the design level. The constraint group defines the appropriate layers and vias for the application being used. Only the layers, vias, and any rules specified in the selected constraint group are used when creating wires. Selection of a constraint group in the Wire cyclic field specifies the application default constraint group for wire creation and editing commands. The default active constraint group is virtuosoDefaultSetup.

For more information about defining constraint groups, see Constraint Groups.

Environment variable: wireConstraintGroup

Existing wires are not adjusted based on changes to the constraint group in the Wire Editing section. The recommended flow is to set the constraint group at the beginning of a session and to not change the constraint group while you are working on a design. To vary the constraints on different nets, set desired constraints on specific nets by using the Process Rule Editor.

If you update the constraint group while working on a design, remove the existing results (delete all routing) that would be effected by the constraint group change and re-route.

When the constraintGroupCustomFilterMode environment variable is set to t, the user-defined constraintGroupCustomFilter API is called to filter the list of constraint groups and display the constraint groups in the Default Wire Constraint Group cyclic field. In the following example, the constraint groups whose names start with cg_ are filtered and displayed in Default Wire Constraint Group.

procedure(constraintGroupCustomFilter(editedCellView cg)

  prog((result)

       result = nil

       if(strncmp(cg~>name "cg_" 3) == 0 then

           result = t

       )

       return(result)

  )

)

Via Parameters Calculation Mode

Sets the calculation mode for via parameters to one of the following:

• Min Rules & ViaDef: For all the via parameter fields, such as the number of cut rows and columns, and cut sizes, the minimum rule or the viaDef default values, whichever is greater, are used. If minimum rules are not defined, viaDef defaults are used. The spacing and enclosure values are calculated automatically from the minimum rules. The minimum rules are picked from the constraint group that you select from the Via list in the Create Via section. The calculated values for the spacing and enclosure fields are never less than the viaDef defaults.
  For example, if the minExtensionDistance rule is 0.05 and the default enclosure in viaDef is 0.1, 0.1 is used as the enclosure value in the Create Via form. Similarly, if the minSpacing rule is 0.2 and the default cut spacing in viaDef is 0.18, 0.2 is used as the cut spacing X and Y in the Create Via form.
• Minimum Rules: For all the via parameter fields, only the minimum rules, such as minWidth and minSpacing, are used.
  For example, if the minExtensionDistance rule is 0.05 and the default enclosure in viaDef is 0.1, 0.05 is used as the enclosure value in the Create Via form. The viaDef default enclosure value is ignored.
• ViaDef Defaults: For all the via parameter fields, viaDef defaults are used. When this option is selected, the via engine does not check any rules.

Environment variable: viaParamCalcMode

The assisted routing commands, such as Point to Point Routing, Guided Routing, Finish Wire, and Finish Entire Net, use the Via Parameters Calculation Mode options (Min Rules & ViaDef, Minimum Rules, and ViaDef Defaults) for via creation. For more information on assisted routing commands, see Using Assisted Routing Commands.

Auto Merge Wires

Merges the connected geometric paths automatically. Also, allows you to choose whether or not to merge the collinear geometric pathSegs while creating or stretching a geometric wire.

Environment variable: weAutoMergeWires

Allow Loops

Permits creation of loops when creating or editing wires. The option is off by default. When off, the Create Geometric Wire command (Create Geometric Wire and Create Wire commands in XL/GXL) does not allow the creation of loops on the same layer. When the layer is changed while wire creation, loop checking is reset and applies only to the new layer.

For information about loop removal, see Removing Loops From Wires.

Environment variable: allowLoops

Adjust Edited Vias Parameters

Enables the re-calculation of via alignment of the vias if you stretch the wires connected to them. This check box is not selected by default.

Environment variable: adjustEditedViasParams

Show Alignment Markers

Displays an alignment arrow and an alignment marker. The arrow points to the closest object on the active flightline. The marker snaps the cursor to the target object edges and center as you move the cursor.

Environment variable: showAlignmentMarkers

Show Hints

Controls the display of the Interactive Routing Bindkey hint box in Layout EXL and higher tiers when you start the Create Wire, Create Bus, or Create Stranded Wire command. In Layout XL, the hint box is displayed only for the Create Stranded Wire command.

The Interactive Routing Bindkey hint box describes the useful bindkeys and shortcuts for the interactive routing commands. This option is selected by default.

Create Via

This section enables you to specify the default constraint group and via parameters calculation mode.

Via

Specifies the constraint group from which vias will be available when adding vias using Create – Via or while editing vias using the Edit Via Properties form, the Property Editor assistant, or the Create Via form. The via spacing values in the constraint group selected here populate the Create Via form, as well as reflect on the Edit Via Properties form and Property Editor assistant.

For more information about defining constraint groups, see Constraint Groups.

Environment variable: viaConstraintGroup

The spacing on the via does not always match the spacing value defined in the constraints. The via engine tries both an odd and an even spacing to avoid asymmetric enclosures.

Via Parameters Calculation Mode

Seeds the Create Via form the first time when a specified viaDef is used. Then onwards, the Create Via form is populated from Parameter Caching. If required, you can later reset the calculation mode by using the Reset Parameters to list on the Create Via Form. The cyclic field values for this option include:

• Min Rules & ViaDef: For all the via parameter fields, such as the number of cut rows and columns, and cut sizes, the minimum rule or the viaDef default values, whichever is greater, are used. The spacing and enclosure values are calculated automatically from the minimum rules. The minimum rules are picked from the constraint group that you select from the Via list in the Create Via section. The calculated values for the spacing and enclosure fields are never less than the viaDef defaults.
  For example, if the minExtensionDistance rule is 0.05 and the default enclosure in viaDef is 0.1, 0.1 is used as the enclosure value in the Create Via form. Similarly, if the minSpacing rule is 0.2 and the default cut spacing in viaDef is 0.18, 0.2 is used as the cut spacing X and Y in the Create Via form.
• Minimum Rules: For all the via parameter fields, only the minimum rules, such as minWidth and minSpacing, are used.
  For example, if the minExtensionDistance rule is 0.05 and the default enclosure in viaDef is 0.1, 0.05 is used as the enclosure value in the Create Via form. The viaDef default enclosure value is ignored.
• ViaDef Defaults: For all the via parameter fields, viaDef defaults are used.

Halo

This section enables you to specify how halos are represented in the layout canvas in order to make it easier to view them in the design.

Enable

Enables or disables a halo display in the layout canvas. When the option is unselected, the halo is not shown when the wire is created.

Environment variable: weHaloEnabled

EOL Spacing list

Lets you select the spacing for the halo.

• End to Side EOL Spacing shows the end-to-side halo spacing for the minEndOfLineSpacing constraint.
  
  
• End to End EOL Spacing shows the end-to-end halo spacing for the minEndOfLineSpacing constraint.
  
  
• Both EOL Spacing shows both end-to-side and end-to-end halo spacing for the minEndOfLineSpacing constraint.
  
  

Environment variable: weHaloEOLSpacing

Maskcolor list

Lets you select a scope for creating a halo from the drop-down list.

• Min Same & Diff Maskcolor shows the minimum diffMask or the sameMask spacing for the minEndOfLineSpacing constraint.
• Max Same and Diff Maskcolor shows the maximum diffMask or the sameMask spacing for the minEndOfLineSpacing constraint.
• Both Maskcolors shows the minimum (diffMask, sameMask) spacing and the maximum (diffMask, sameMask) spacing of the available minEndOfLineSpacing constraint.

Environment variable: weHalo

Dashed

Creates a dashed halo around a wire, bus, or stranded wire while creating or editing an object that violates a spacing constraint. By default, this option is deselected.

Environment variable: weHaloDashStyle

True Color

Creates a halo in the color of that layer for each layer. By default, this option is deselected.

Environment variable: weHaloTrueColor