[Magic-dev] RE: Plot of magic layout

[Graham Petley]

Hallo,
   I've spent some time trying to get nice plots from Magic.
I use a program called pplot, which is old but can still be
found thru a Google search. I think it is related to the plot
routines in Magic.
   pplot creates a postscript file from a CIF file. To print
the postscript file, I convert to PDF with Acrobat Distiller
and print the PDF.

   pplot uses a configuration file to define the layer names
and colours. The one supplied uses speckle patterns as a
fill, which seem to be rendered as bitmaps in the output
postscript. I have removed these, so that the postscript file
just uses an outline for each layer and can be easily edited.
The program nicely merges the different rectangles on a layer
into a single polygon.

   I actually run the pplot generated postscript file thru a
batch script written for Adobe Illustrator. This creates
coloured fills with transparency and output files in EPS and
GIF formats. The GIF files can be seen in the on-line
databook on my web site:
http://www.vlsitechnology.org

   I use a dual O/S setup to get this all running. pplot runs
on Linux, Illustrator and Distiller on Windows. However,
pplot is a small C program so should be compilable under
Windows, and then any CIF file could be printed under one
O/S.

   For anyone who is interested, I can make available my
pplot config files and Illustrator (v10) batch script.

Best regards, Graham Petley
--- "R. Timothy Edwards" <tim at opencircuitdesign.com> wrote:

> Dear B. A.,
> 
> > i want to plot layout of the magic 7.1 for win by hp
> > laserjet printer. please help me.
> > thank you very much
> 
> The commands "plot postscript" and "plot pnm" generate
> output
> which should be able to be printed from some Windows
> applications.
> This may be a 2-step process of porting the .ps or .pnm
> file
> into a Windows application that can recognize it
> (powerpoint,
> for example).  If the LaserJet has an internal PostScript
> driver,
> it may be possible to print the .ps file directly (these
> things
> are much easier on Unix systems).
> 
> (I'm CC'ing this message to the magic-dev mailing list; if
> anyone there has a "standard method" for printing layouts
> from the Cygwin version, perhaps you can help out by
> posting
> it.)
> 
> BUT---whether any output is printed depends on the contents
> of
> the ".tech27" technology file.  If you are using Jeff
> Sondeen's
> techfiles, they are not set up for PostScript or PNM
> plotting.
> However, these sections are easy to set up by copying the
> "plot" section from the default "scmos.tech27" file (it's
> at
> the end of the file) and changing or removing layer names
> that
> differ between the "scmos" technology and the one you are
> copying into.  You won't do any harm to the technology file
> by replacing the "plot" section.
> 
> There is some information in the "magic Maintainer's manual
> #2"
> for the "plot" section, but it does not include the
> PostScript
> and PNM styles (which I and Rajit Manohar added,
> respectively).
> There is some information on these on my magic web pages,
> but
> it is probably easier to figure out the syntax by example
> from
> the default "scmos.tech27" file.
> 
> 					Regards,
> 					Tim
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