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Contents

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1

Virtuoso Studio Design Environment

Hardware and Software Requirements

System Configuration Checking Tool

Linux Requirements

Run Modes of Virtuoso Studio Design Environment

Interaction with the User Interface

Types of Menus

Functionality of Pointer and the Cursor

Functionality of Pop-Up Menus and Forms

Select and Deselect Items

Menu Access Keys

Setting Access Keys for Menu Items

Setting Access Keys for Menus

Escaping Ampersand

Guidelines for Creating Menu Access Keys

Menu Access Key Conflicts

Disable Menu Access Keys

Compatibility Issues

File Storage

2

Environment Settings in Virtuoso

Design Environment Customization

Virtuoso Studio Design Environment Files

User Preference Options

Log Filter Options

Viewing the Font List and Setting Fonts

GUI Default Setup Using .cdsinit

Opening Cdsenv Editor in CIW

Editing an Environment Variable in Cdsenv Editor

License Checkout Behavior in .cdsenv

Use Next License Variables

Specifying New Default Values for a Virtuoso Session

Recalling Defaults

3

Virtuoso Studio Design Environment Launch

Starting Cadence Software

Command-Line Options For Cadence Applications

Starting Virtuoso Studio

Saving Changes in Virtuoso Studio Design Environment

Saving and Renaming Log Files in Virtuoso Studio Design Environment

Backing Up Your Work

Unlocking an Application

Exiting Virtuoso

4

Command Interpreter Window

File Menu in the CIW

Tools Menu in the CIW

Options Menu in the CIW

Tearing Off a Menu in the CIW

Moving and Resizing a Menu Window

Get Help with Virtuoso Menus

Session Commands and System Responses

Mouse Bindings Line

Actions Required on the Prompt Line

Mouse Controls in the Virtuoso Studio Design Environment

License Activity Indicator

Virtuoso Performance Warning Messages

Low Memory Warnings

Swap Activity Warnings

5

Working with Cellviews

Opening a Cellview from the CIW

Enable Design Preview

Cellview Already in Use

Indication of Modified Cellviews

Cellview History

Filtering Unavailable Tiers when Opening a Cellview

Setting the Default Application for a Cellview Type

Closing Cellviews in Virtuoso

Closing All Cellviews

Copying the Current Cellview to a New Session Window

Saving Modified Data

Default Instance Prefixes

Changing the Prefix Using a Property

Automatic Defragmentation of OpenAccess Databases

6

Virtuoso Studio Design Environment Customization

.cadence Hierarchy

Specifying User Preferences

Saving and Restoring Window Positions in Virtuoso

Restoring Window Positions of the CIW

Saving and Restoring the Position of the CIW Using SKILL

Changing the Log Filter Options

Menu Banner Customization

Customize Toolbar Definition Files

Toolbar Definition File Format

Toolbar Definition Search Path and Customization

Format for Main Toolbar Definition

Format for Item Type Action

Format for Item Type ComboBox

Format for Item Type Typein, Separator, and InheritToolbarsForm

Using and Resetting Toolbars

Reset the Toolbar

Troubleshooting Information for Toolbar Manager

7

Virtuoso Workspaces

Workspace Configuration

Workspace Search Order

Session Windows and Workspaces

Tabs in a Session Window

Tab Pop-Up Menu Options

Hierarchy Changes and Workspaces

Workspace Features

Selecting a Workspace

Adding Assistant Panes and Toolbars to a Workspace

Removing Items from a Workspace

Controlling Assistant Panes

Displaying Assistant Panes as Tabs

Hiding Assistant Panes

Modifying the Size and Location of an Assistant Pane

Modifying the Size of a Docked or Floating Assistant Pane

Changing the Location of a Docked Assistant Pane

Changing the Location of a Floating Assistant Pane

Modifying the Length or Location of a Toolbar

Saving a Workspace

Loading and Deleting a Custom Workspace

Deleting a Custom Workspace

Customizing a Cadence Workspace

Reverting to a Saved Workspace

Setting the Default Workspace for an Application

8

Design Editor Plugins

Features of a Design Editor Plugin

Defining and Customizing New Toolbars

Support Bindkeys in DE Plugin

Banner Menus

Workspace Defined by DE Plugin

Accessing a Design Editor Plugin

Registering a Design Editor Plugin

Installing and Removing a Design Editor Plugin

Converting an Existing Application to a Plugin

9

Bookmarks and Views in Virtuoso Studio Design Environment

Bookmarking Designs

Restoring a Bookmark

Restoring a Single Bookmark

Restoring a Composite Bookmark

Restoring a View from a Composite Bookmark

Managing Bookmarks

Adding a Bookmark

Importing Bookmarks

Exporting Bookmarks

Reordering Bookmarks

Deleting Bookmarks

Editing Bookmark Properties

Opening Bookmarked Views

Searching for Bookmarks

Managing Composite Bookmarks

Adding Bookmarks to Existing Composite Bookmarks

Creating Composite Bookmarks from Existing Bookmarks

Detaching Bookmarks from Existing Composite Bookmarks

Saving and Restoring Views

Restoring a Saved View

Restoring the Previous View

Restoring the Next View

10

Navigating Cellviews and Hierarchies

Accessing the Go Toolbar

Moving Back through a Design

Moving Forward through a Design

Moving Up and to the Top of a Design

11

Text Window Options

Saving a Text File

Searching a File for Specific Text

Printing and

12

Design Object Limits in OpenAccess

13

Importing and Exporting Designs

14

Design Data Scaling

Changing the DBUperUU in the Technology File

XScale Command

A

Bindkeys and Access Keys

Viewing the Current Bindkeys for an Application

Restrictions to Setting Bindkeys

Configuring Application Bindkeys

Adding a Bindkey

Capturing Mouse and Key Bindings

Duplicate Bindkeys

Deleting a Bindkey

Editing a Bindkey

Format for Key and Mouse Bindings

Guidelines for Non-ASCII-7 Character Bindkey Definitions

Determining SKILL Function for a Menu Command

Setting Bindkeys Across Sessions Using the .cdsinit File

Control Bindkey Display on Menus

Default Keybindings for Text Fields

Default Keybindings for CIW

Default Keybindings for Forms

Rules for Bindkey Use with Keypads

Access Keys

B

Design Environment Variables

CDBA Environment Variables

AlternateFoundryCG

copyMPAttributes

dbAddCellNameToInstNamePrefix

dbAllowStdViaCutLayerOverride

dbArrayInstNamePrefix

dbEnableRouteObservers

dbFigGroupNamePrefix

dbInstNamePrefix

dbLogPcellWarnings

dbNumCPU

dbUndoAcrossPurge

dbUndoAcrossSave

dbUpdateCellNameInInstNamePrefixDuringRemaster

defaultAttachTech

disablePartialRead

maxMasterSize

noDetailedRowCol

noTechUpRev

propsToAppend

sessionUsageType

resetLibList

resetOnRemaster

usePerDesignAFCG

verbosity

closeDataOption

closeDataSaveOption

importDuplicateBookmarks

numThreads

addVLSEXLUserTriggersToMXL

addVLSXLUserTriggersToMXL

resetUndoOnDescending

ignoreAppTierInHistory

cellviewModifiedIndicator

fitViewAttempts

iconNameFormat

windowNameFormat

Performance Environment Variables

autoLogLatency

cpuUtilization

deleteHMLog

enableExpertMode

fileTag

gdbPath

installAtStartup

installPath

launchUI 

logDir

memUtilization

openReportForm

pinnedOffsetX

popUpLog

postReportScript

preReportScript

privateVarAtStartup

pstackPath

stracePath

sysMonitorPath

sysPulseRefreshInterval

sysPulseYellowLightAlert

toolbarAutohide

toolbarBorderless

toolbarNativeWM

virtuosoPulseRefreshInterval

virtuosoPulseYellowLightAlert

User Interface Environment Variables

accelInput

accelReturnValue

beepVolume

bottomAsstSpansFullWidth

ciwCmdExecuteOnEnter

ciwCmdHistoryInPlace

ciwCmdInputLines

ciwErrorColor

ciwLogHistorySize

ciwMatchCmdColor

ciwMatchParenColor

ciwMismatchParenColor

ciwOutputWrapMode

ciwRetainUniqueCmds

ciwSyntaxHighlighting

ciwTabStop

ciwWarnColor

dblClkTime

defaultDragColor

defaultEditorBackgroundColor

defaultFloatFieldFormat

enableFileDialogNameCompletion

errorOutput

floatPrecision

focusToFieldSelectsText

formDefaultAction

imageTabTip

interruptCheckInterval

maximumCopySize

memoryCheckintervalSeconds

mouseMoveSampleRate

mouseStopDetectTime

mouseWheelSpeed

nestLimit

noWarnOnLVBindKeyCustomization

openOptionsFormAtMousePos

optionFormsStayOnTop

printAllLVBindKeyBlockWarning

promptOutput

raiseCIWonError

raiseCIWonWarning

releaseBackingStoreOnUnmap

rememberOptionFormVisibility

showMouseBar

showOptionForms

sideDockTabs

stopLevel

systemMemoryCheckinterval

typedReturnValue

undoLevel

useLineStyleForStrokeText

warningOutput

standardOutput

webBrowser

C

Virtuoso Studio Design Environment Forms

Add Bookmark Form

Auto Checkin Preferences Form

Auto Checkout Preferences Form

Benchmark Results Window Form

Bindkey Editor Form

Cdsenv Editor Form

Design Form

Environment Form

Library Form

SKILL Form

Check Environment Variables Form

Close and Purge Data Form

Close Opened Cellviews Form

Conversion Toolbox Form

Convert DE-HDL libraries to Unified libraries

Data Storage Speed Test Form

Diagnostic Center Form

Performance

Data Integrity

Edit Bookmark Properties Form

Edit Library Path Form

Email Tabulated List of Functions Form

File Preferences Form

Graphics Performance Benchmarks Window Form

Health Monitor Form

Health Monitor (Advanced) Form

Main

Log

System

Options

Load Workspace Form

Make Read Only Form

Monitor by Strace Form

New Hierarchy Form

New Library Form (CIW)

Open File Form

Save .cdsenv file Form

Save As Form

Save Cellviews Form

Save Defaults Form

Save Modified Data Form

Save Session Form

Save View Form

Scan/Repair Hierarchy Form

Scan/Repair Library Form

Scan On Save Form

Search Form

Set Fonts Form

Set Log File Display Filter Form

Show File Form

SKILL Name Checker

Surveyor: SKILL Tabulator Form

Software Product License Management Form

Unable to check out Form

User Preferences Form

ViewFile Window Form

What’s New Search Form

D

Virtuoso SKILL Interface

Running SKILL Commands

SKILL Commands Execution

Debug Support for SKILL Commands

Command Repetition in CIW

Setting the SKILL Search Path and Specifying the Editor

Operating SKILL Surveyor

Specifying Alternative Mail Command Path

Troubleshooting SKILL Issues in Virtuoso

E

Diagnostics

Application Crash Reporting

Crash Report Customization

Crash Trend Reporting

Availability of Signal Description Information for Crashes

Storing User Feedback on Crashes

Crash Due to X Server Error

Crash Detector Display Check

Standard Virtuoso Exit

Additional Crash Data Collection

Crash Report Data Storage

Measuring Graphics Performance

Running Virtuoso Graphics Performance Benchmarks

hiGraphicsBenchmark Command-Line Arguments

Performing Benchmark Tests

Task Viewer

Performance Benchmarks

Diagnostic Center Overview

Health Monitor Overview

Collecting Data Using Health Monitor Tool

Reporting Performance Issues

Reporting Slowness

Troubleshooting an Unresponsive Virtuoso Application

Checking the Profiler Summary

Controlling the SKILL Replay

Automatic Diagnostic Log Submissions in Virtuoso

VAILS Enabled Script

Anonymization of Diagnostic Logs

Use of UNIX 'sed' Command in Anonymization

Conditions for Anonymization

Validation of Automatic Diagnostic Log Submission

vails_test Script to Launch Virtuoso using Job Scheduler

How to Send the Diagnostic Logs to Cadence

F

oaScan Utilities for Virtuoso

Recommended Methodology

Enabling the oaScan Utilities and Specifying the oaScan Version to Use

Specifying the oaScan Version to Use

Scanning a Library

Scanning a Hierarchy

Scanning Cellviews Automatically During Save

Enabling Scan on Save

Specifying the Location of Scan On Save Log Files

Handling Scan On Save Results

Repairing Issues Automatically

G

Glossary of Terms

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