Dynamic Highlight Sets for Hierarchical IC Layout Editing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional graphical user interfaces for integrated circuit design struggle with effectively highlighting shapes in dense designs and conveying hierarchy information, leading to decreased user productivity due to issues with shape overlap, fixed highlight colors, and static highlight widths.
Innovation Solution
The system dynamically creates or adjusts highlight sets based on the relationship between the cursor position and hierarchical design elements, using tunable parameters such as color, width, and line type to distinguish between shapes and hierarchy levels, and provides distinct highlighting for figgroups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional fixed highlight colors and static highlight widths are used, then the implementation is simple, but the visibility and distinguishability of shapes and hierarchy levels deteriorate in dense designs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic highlight parameters where the highlight width and color are adjusted based on the design context. The highlight width adapts to the density of shapes in the view, and the color dynamically changes to provide sufficient contrast against different shape colors, resolving the contradiction between simple implementation and effective visibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple parameters of the highlight including width, color, and line type based on the relationship between cursor position and hierarchical design elements. This parameter adaptation allows the highlight to remain visible and distinguishable across different design densities and shape colors
2Device complexity
If conventional single-level highlighting is used, then the highlighting mechanism is simple, but the conveyance of hierarchy information deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the highlighting function into multiple hierarchical levels, creating distinct highlight sets for different hierarchy levels (e.g., level 0, level 1, level 2). Each level receives a unique highlight style, allowing users to visually distinguish and understand the hierarchical structure without overly complicating the underlying mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the design hierarchy receive different highlight qualities tailored to their specific level. Each hierarchy level is assigned distinct visual properties (color, width, line type) that reflect its position in the hierarchy, enabling effective information conveyance while maintaining a systematic approach
3Illumination intensity
If highlight width is increased to improve visibility, then the visibility improves, but the distinguishability between highlight and shape deteriorates when shapes have similar colors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic color selection for highlights that adapts to the color of the underlying shape. The system selects highlight colors that provide maximum contrast against the shape color, ensuring both visibility and distinguishability. This color adaptation resolves the contradiction by maintaining clear visual separation between highlight and shape regardless of the shape's original color
4Loss of information
If multiple hierarchy levels are highlighted simultaneously, then the hierarchy information is conveyed effectively, but the visual complexity and difficulty of detection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different hierarchy levels are assigned distinct visual properties including unique colors, widths, and line types. This differentiation allows multiple levels to be displayed simultaneously while maintaining clear distinguishability between them, reducing the difficulty of detection despite the increased information density
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts highlight parameters based on the current cursor position and the hierarchical level being hovered over. This dynamic adaptation ensures that the most relevant hierarchy level receives the most prominent highlight, reducing visual complexity while effectively conveying hierarchical relationships
Data Source
AI summary
The present embodiments relate generally to integrated circuit design, and more particularly to techniques that automatically and dynamically create or adjust a highlight set in a graphical user interface for allowing designers to edit layouts in a hierarchical design in a more productive manner. According to certain aspects, in dense designs and/or designs having complete or partial overlapping shapes, embodiments allow for highlighting more than one hierarchy level with tuned parameters that improve the user experience and enhance user work productivity. According to other aspects, embodiments allow for highlighting shapes using colors and/or widths that allow both highlight and shape to be clearly visible and distinguishable.