Layer Index

dick_freebird

I see "stuff" about the "layer index" which seems like it might help
me make my layer table ordering "stay put". But I can't find any
way in the menus to alter the index of a single, or all, layers. I see
script examples.

I guess what I'd really like is a clean way to edit that .lyp without
wading through all the stuff I -don't- care about. So much of it is
neither name, layer, datatype or display. Now maybe somebody
else would care about different things.

There seems to be no "unified layer control and editing". Some
things are done in the layers panel, some under Edit>Layers,
a lot of jumping around. What about a panel that "has it all",
entry fields for texts and numbers, choosers for the display
attributes, one stop shopping that can load-from and save-to
the working layers (from there, the existing load / save for
filesystem)?

Of course I could use a clue meanwhile, about reassigning
layer indices independent of layer / purpose - I would like to
use the index to "lock down" the ordering of the layers, which
seems to be an option (but one that wants to use something
I don't know how to alter).

Matthias

Hi @dick_freebird,

basically the layer properties files are defining an order and that is supposed to stay like it is.

My approach is that: if you have some technology that defines layers like a Cadence Techfile, then you setup these layers in a .lyp file and load that in the technology or you manually load it into your layout. You don't bother with Edit/Layers and usually you also do not need to change the layer appearance. The layer list stays static and ordered and if you place a shape on a layer that does not exist yet in the database, KLayout will silently create a layer for you. That is "Cadence mode".

The other extreme is not caring about the layer properties. In that case, no .lyp is involved and you just load a layout. KLayout will show the layers inside the layout with some default styles and if you add, delete or change a layer, the layer list will follow. That is "GDS editor mode".

"In between" modes are possible, but that means you have two faces: the database (Edit/Layer) and the way the layers is displayed (Layer List). Both are separated as GDS cannot store the information from the layer properties.

It feels like you're more looking for "Cadence mode".

Matthias

dick_freebird

What I'm trying to do is arrange my .lyp for least "go
find" and clutter, hoping someday to have one that
can be left alone. That's the only "Cadence-ness" I
am interested in - to have my PDK act consistently
wherever it gets installed, whichever design I open.

I seem to keep running into "that's not how I left it..."
though, so I'm interested in how to lock it down by
making explicit, anything that can be explicit. I
gather that layer index cannot be worked, that way?
Or, maybe it is just the sequence-numbers of "what
the Layers panel displayed order is" and the arrows
are the only way to alter that?

Matthias

Hi @dick_freebird - That's actually weird ... .lyp files should not change the order. If you save a .lyp and load it, it really should use the order you saved it into.

You mean that is not the case? Like you save your layer list layout to .lyp, load a new GDS file and load the .lyp again - and then the order of layers is not the one you left?

Matthias