DCplxTrans/Dtrans works fine in shapes.insert while not in cell.insert

edited July 2021 in Python scripting

Hi admins:

recently, I'm using klayout standalone python module to do some scripting works。But I am really confused about the DCplxTrans/DTrans behaviour.
In my script, I use some code like below to insert some polygon Text in my layout.

            layer = layout.layer(layer_info[0], layer_info[1])
    text = textGen.text(string, dbu)
    trans = db.DCplxTrans(db.DTrans(3, False, coord_info[0]-5, coord_info[1]+5), 10) #coord_info is a list which contains two float numbers
    topCell.shapes(layer).insert(text, trans)

And thoes codes work fine, polygon Text is placed in the float-number coordinate correctly.

But, when I use some code shown as below to insert CellInstArray in topcell

            letter_top = layout.cell(letterTopName)
    letter_top_index = letter_top.cell_index()
    trans = db.DCplxTrans(1, 270, False, x, y)# x, y both are float number 
    topCell.insert(db.CellInstArray(letter_top_index, trans))

instances cannot be placed in the float-number coordinate correctly, except I provide parameter x/dbu, y/dbu to DCplxTrans as coordinates
It seems cell.insert function always handles DCplxTrans/DTrans as an interger transfomation.
Is it a bug?

Comments

  • edited July 2021

    @frostchu You'll need to use "db.DCellInstArray" (note the "D")

    The "D" types are operating with micron-unit coordinates while the "non-D" type are working with integer units (multiples of the DBU). You'll need to stay in one of the worlds consistently. Please note that KLayout has the concept of "database objects" (Cell, Shape, Shapes, ...) and working objects (copies): Box, Polygon, Point etc. Database objects are integer-units internally but as they are connected with a Layout object they are able to translate to micron units and back. Hence they offer a dual interface for micron and integer-unit types.

    I'll try to summarize this here:

    Working objects:
    
                                 Integer-unit type         Micron-unit type
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------                          
      point                      Point                     DPoint
      vector                     Vector                    DVector
      polygon                    Polygon                   DPolygon
      box                        Box                       DBox
      edge                       Edge                      DEdge
      edge pair                  EdgePair                  DEdgePair
      path                       Path                      DPath
      text                       Text                      DText
      transformation             Trans                     DTrans
      complex transformation     CplxTrans                 DCplxTrans
      cell instance (array)      CellInstArray             DCellInstArray
    
    
    Database objects which accept and deliver D- and non-D-type objects:
    
      Layout 
      Cell
      Shapes
      Shape
      Instance
    
    
    Only available for integer units:
    
      Region
      Edges
      EdgePairs
      Texts
      EdgeProcessor
      ShapeProcessor
    

    Matthias

  • @Matthias thanks a lot, that really helps.

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