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Iterating through layers with particular name

EugeneZelenkoEugeneZelenko
edited March 2020 in Python scripting

I need to iterate all shapes on layers with particular name (or name pattern). Currently I do this in such way:

for layer_index in range(layout.layers()):
   layer_info = layout.get_info(layer_index)
   if layer_info.name == layer_name:
     # Do something

but layer_info.name is empty. There is LayerProperties.name but there is no method(s) in LayoutView to find layer properties by layer/datatype available from LayerInfo.

My question is: are LayerInfo.name and LayerProperties.name supposed to be same? If so, probably there is bug in implementation of LayerInfo.name (I tried 0.25.4 and 0.26.4). If not, it'll be reasonable to have find methods in LayoutView for LayerProperties like Layout has for LayerInfo.

Comments

  • MatthiasMatthias

    Hi Eugene,

    I need to explain the concept of "database layers" and the "layer views" in the layer list.

    The database (the object you see as "layout") is a representation of your layout file. It lives outside the graphical user interface. It does not know what layers you draw and how you draw them or how you named them in the layer list.

    The layer list is a kind of instruction set how to draw layers: which color, style, animation and so on. Plus it gives a layer a "display identity". This is what you specify when you use "rename" in the layer list.

    The database also has a layer name, but this is usually empty. GDS files do not supply layer names, only numbers. Other formats like DXF or CIF only supply names. You can assign layer names in the database using "Edit/Layers/Edit Layer Specification" or by specifying a layer mapping file in the reader options. Once a layer is given in the database, it becomes visible in the "name" attribute of "layer_info".

    I assume you just renamed the layer in the layer list. That will not change the database layer specification. It will just tell KLayout what you want to read instead of "117/0" (just an example).

    You can iterate the display layers this way:

    lv = pya.LayoutView.current()

# utilizes the "layer iterator" to traverse all 
# leaf nodes of the layer tree
li = lv.begin_layers()
while not li.at_end():

  node = li.current()
  # this is the layout object
  ly = lv.cellview(node.cellview())
  # this is the layer index
  layer = node.layer_index()

  # this is the name you have given in the layer list
  # NOTE: it is empty if the layer was not renamed
  name = node.name

  ...

  # important: advance to the next layer
  li.next()

    The iteration is complicated by the fact that the layer list can be a tree and there may be multiple layouts loaded (what you see as "@1", "@2" etc.). The former problem is solved by utilizing a depth-first iteration (with the layer iterator). The latter by fetching the layout object indicated by the "cellview index".

    Matthias

  • EugeneZelenkoEugeneZelenko

    Hi, Matthias!

    Thank you for explanations! Actually I solved my problem in similar way :-)

    Part of my question was to simplify list iteration search with KLayout API, of course, in case if KLayout keep internal indexes for layer view as map/unordered map.

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