Change text block size, Allegro script and skill 

hi,

I want to change a text block size (#16). i run a script recording and get this from the *.scr 

 setwindow pcb
trapsize 302
define text
setwindow form.textblock
FORM textblock 16 width 0.1000
FORM textblock 16 height 0.1000
FORM textblock 16 line_spacing 0.0200
FORM textblock 16 photoplot_width 0.0100
FORM textblock done 
setwindow pcb

just wonder what the FORM means in a script file...it is not a valid command in Allegro

 is it possible to enclose the FORM statements in skill code?

 Either call the script from skill or combine all the statements on a single line and call that line from skill

axlShell(" define text; setwindow form.textblock; FORM textblock 16 width 0.1000; <...>;  FORM textblock done")

   the ; allows commands to be chained on a single line and the <...> is the rest of your script.

Hello,
If you still need some additional help with this, I have included a piece of skill code I wrote to check and change some Text block data for my job. Take a look, maybe you can modify it for your needs.

 ; vc_SetTxtPlotW.il
; Ver. 1.1- 11-25-2008 - VC
;
; Written by:
;      Vincent Canulli Sr.
;  boardman0@lycos.com
;
; This will set all fields of the first four text blocks for you and then check to see that all the remaining
; text blocks have the PhotoPlot Width set to our standards. If it is not it will correct it.
;
axlCmdRegister( "settxtpw" 'vc_SetTextPlotW )   ;register the command with allegro

;Globals

defun( vc_SetTextPlotW ()
  let(( x p txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo txtBlk_height )
  axlMsgPut( " Running vc_SetTxtPlotW" )
  axlUIWPrint( nil " Check the allegro journal file for Text Block PhotoPlot Width changes if interested." )
  
   for(i, 1, axlDBControl('maxTextBlock)    ; loop from 1 to max text block number
  sprintf(p, "paramTextBlock:%d", i)    ; set p equal to the dbid of the text block number
  txtBlk_name = axlGetParam(p)->name     ; get the name field
  txtBlk_photo = axlGetParam(p)->photoWidth  ; get the photoWidth field
  txtBlk_height = axlGetParam(p)->height   ; get the height filed
   ; test each case and correct if needed
   cond(
    ( equal( txtBlk_name "1" ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->width=0.2540 x->height=0.3810 x->lineSpace=0.5080 x->photoWidth=0 x->charSpace=0.0762 axlSetParam(x) )
    ( equal( txtBlk_name "2" ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->width=0.5842 x->height=0.7874 x->lineSpace=0.9906 x->photoWidth=0.1270 x->charSpace=0.1524 axlSetParam(x) )
    ( equal( txtBlk_name "3" ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->width=0.9652 x->height=1.2700 x->lineSpace=1.6002 x->photoWidth=0.1524 x->charSpace=0.2032 axlSetParam(x) )
    ( equal( txtBlk_name "4" ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->width=0.6096 x->height=1.0160 x->lineSpace=2.0066 x->photoWidth=0.1524 x->charSpace=0.1524 axlSetParam(x) )
    ( txtBlk_height <=0
     axlMsgPut( "*** Warning Text Block - #%d has an invalid height! ***" i );
     axlUIConfirm( sprintf( nil "*** Warning Text Block - #%d has an invalid height! ***" i ))
    )
    
    ( txtBlk_height <2.540 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.1524) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.1524 axlSetParam(x)
     axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.1524." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))
     
    ( txtBlk_height <3.810 && txtBlk_height >=2.540 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.2540 ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.2540 axlSetParam(x)
     axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.2540." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))
     
    ( txtBlk_height <5.080 && txtBlk_height >=3.810 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.3810 ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.3810 axlSetParam(x)
     axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.3810." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))
    
    ( txtBlk_height <6.350 && txtBlk_height >=5.080 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.5080 ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.5080 axlSetParam(x)
     axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.5080." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))
    
    ( txtBlk_height >=6.350 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.6350 ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.6350 axlSetParam(x)
     axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.6350." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))
    
   );end cond

  );end for
  axlMsgPut( " Text PhotoPlot Widths have been checked and/or corrected." )

 );end let
);end vc_SetTextPlotW

 

Hi Vincent and fxffxf,

Vincent's code might be a little difficult for me to understand in details,

anyway, thanks for sharing with me the helpful info =)

 Hi I hope this helps

 

p=axlGetParam("paramTextBlock:16")
p->width=100
p->height=75
p->photoWidth=18
p->charSpace=25

p->lineSpace=20

axlSetParam(p)

 

regards

Venkata

Hi Venkata,

I solved the problem right after making the post to the forum.

I guess I forgot to go back and remove the post.

What I really wanted was to check the 1st 4 text blocks and set them if they were not what I expected.

Then I wanted to make sure all the photoplot widths had a value.

Here is what I used in case someone else would want it.

; vc_SetTxtPlotW.il

; Ver. 1.1- 11-25-2008 - VC

;

; Written by:

;      Vincent Canulli Sr.

;                       boardman0@lycos.com

;

; This will set all fields of the first four text blocks for you and then check to see that all the remaining

; text blocks have the PhotoPlot Width set to IXIA standards. If it is not it will correct it.

;

axlCmdRegister( "settxtpw" 'vc_SetTextPlotW )                            ;register the command with allegro

 

;Globals


defun( vc_SetTextPlotW ()

  let(( x p txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo txtBlk_height )

  axlMsgPut( " Running vc_SetTxtPlotW" )

  axlUIWPrint( nil " Check the allegro journal file for Text Block PhotoPlot Width changes if interested." )

             

              for(i, 1, axlDBControl('maxTextBlock)                             ; loop from 1 to max text block number

                        sprintf(p, "paramTextBlock:%d", i)                                               ; set p equal to the dbid of the text block number

                        txtBlk_name = axlGetParam(p)->name                            ; get the name field

                        txtBlk_photo = axlGetParam(p)->photoWidth                    ; get the photoWidth field

                        txtBlk_height = axlGetParam(p)->height                           ; get the height filed

                                    ; test each case and correct if needed

                                    cond(

                                                ( equal( txtBlk_name "1" ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->width=0.2540 x->height=0.3810 x->lineSpace=0.5080 x->photoWidth=0 x->charSpace=0.0762 axlSetParam(x) )

                                                ( equal( txtBlk_name "2" ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->width=0.5842 x->height=0.7874 x->lineSpace=0.9906 x->photoWidth=0.1270 x->charSpace=0.1524 axlSetParam(x) )

                                                ( equal( txtBlk_name "3" ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->width=0.9652 x->height=1.2700 x->lineSpace=1.6002 x->photoWidth=0.1524 x->charSpace=0.2032 axlSetParam(x) )

                                                ( equal( txtBlk_name "4" ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->width=0.6096 x->height=1.0160 x->lineSpace=2.0066 x->photoWidth=0.1524 x->charSpace=0.1524 axlSetParam(x) )

                                                ( txtBlk_height <=0

                                                            axlMsgPut( "*** Warning Text Block - #%d has an invalid height! ***" i );

                                                            axlUIConfirm( sprintf( nil "*** Warning Text Block - #%d has an invalid height! ***" i ))

                                                )

                                               

                                                ( txtBlk_height <2.540 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.1524) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.1524 axlSetParam(x)

                                                            axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.1524." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))

                                                           

                                                ( txtBlk_height <3.810 && txtBlk_height >=2.540 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.2540 ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.2540 axlSetParam(x)

                                                            axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.2540." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))

                                                           

                                                ( txtBlk_height <5.080 && txtBlk_height >=3.810 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.3810 ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.3810 axlSetParam(x)

                                                            axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.3810." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))

                                               

                                                ( txtBlk_height <6.350 && txtBlk_height >=5.080 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.5080 ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.5080 axlSetParam(x)

                                                            axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.5080." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))

                                               

                                                ( txtBlk_height >=6.350 && atoi( txtBlk_name ) >4 && nequal( txtBlk_photo 0.6350 ) x=axlGetParam(p) x->photoWidth=0.6350 axlSetParam(x)

                                                            axlMsgPut( " Text Block %s PhotoPlot Width was changed from %n to 0.6350." txtBlk_name txtBlk_photo ))

                                               

                                    );end cond

 

                        );end for

                        axlMsgPut( " Text PhotoPlot Widths have been checked and/or corrected." )

 

            );end let

);end vc_SetTextPlotW

                       

Thank you,

Vince

Vincent Canulli Sr.
Principal CAD Engineer I

i use the 19 of the text block sizes. I tried running a script to change the sizes but the script gui keeps disappearing. Is there a command to stop playing the script?

 Check the end of the script file. If you have the following lines you may want to delete them:

FORM textblock reset 
FORM textblock add 
FORM textblock compact

I use the 19 of the text block sizes. All my parts in my libraries are done with different sizes of text and i would like to try and set these to the same sizes. I need a script or skill file to do this. I tried doing my first script and i'm getting no where. First question, i'm using 16.2 performance, can i do scripts with this? This is how i'm going about doing the script. I open up the text block window. Then in command line i type in "script". A window comes up and i enter a filename then click on record, sometime after this the GUI window dissappears. I go through and edit the 19 text sizes, but when i'm done there is no place to click "stop recording". Can i type in something in the command line to end the script? Is there an easier way to do this? After i'm done i would like to send it to another site so they can can set up the texts to match ours.

any help would be appreciated,

Sam 

To stop recording a script select File >Script from the menu and then in the Scripting GUI select "Stop"

Cadence online support solution 1815913 and 11118650 describes how to create a script that will set all of the text blocks the same size for each drawing.The short version is:

Bring up the text block editor
Use "Control" "P" on your keyboard to bring up a GUI that lets you save the form as a script.
Edit the file created to remove the last 3 lines which compact, reset, and add blocks
Save the file

In the Allegro editor replay the script

Hi Sam,

You are doing it correctly to generate a script.

After you are finished with the recording just type script again and the GUI will put up and you can select STOP.

 
Vince

Vincent Canulli Sr.
Principal CAD Engineer I
vcanulli@ixiacom.com

Hi Sam,

Stop the script by using the menu: file ->script ->stop.

Of course, resetting the text blocks in your library won't help unless those text blocks match your designs. The best method is to reserve and standardise the first 16 (minimum) text blocks across your company. The Cadence defaults might be OK. We use blocks 1, 2 and 3 (customised) for library reference designators (depending on the size of the part) and 17 for silkscreen text.

I have some Skill that might help do what you want. However, running utilities across an entire library isn't for the faint hearted. If you have parts created in older versions of Allegro you will have to run dbdoctor on those parts before you start- easy if they are in one folder - not so easy otherwise. You should take a backup copy of each library before updating it.

Good luck, Dave

our board text sizes are all the same, I usually start with a previous board file where everything is already set up, makes life simple. When i get the other sites, brd files then the text sizes are different. I'm trying to get them something other than a screen shot of my "text setup". I'm also trying to sync the parts' text blocks with the boards text blocks. Thanks for your response i'll try the script again.

Dave,

Are you willing to share your skill code?

 

Thanks,

Robert Hays

Hi Robert,

See the attached code. It's just been cobbled together from existing code and I haven't tested any part of it. It can be used to run a function on all dra's in your library. It can't be used without modification as, at least, your own library paths will neet to be used.

Running dbDoctorAll will bring all your dra's up to the version you are currently running - use with care.

Note the commented out actionFunction(). This should be used to run whatever command you need to update each symbol.

Regards,

Dave