View - Metal View

There are three different ways to view the metal in your circuit in the project editor tab: Cell, Simplified, or Metal Preview. You select the appropriate command in order to view your metal using that method.

Cell Fill: View - Metal View - Cell Fill displays the actual metalization, as subsectioned by em. When cell fill is "on", metal is displayed using the pattern specified in the Planar Metals tab in the Materials page of the Settings dialog box. All via posts are also displayed. The metalization is never displayed on the ground plane except for the via posts. The metal fill shows the actual metalization that is analyzed by em, which may differ from the polygon input by you. The outline of the polygon input by you is displayed along with the actual metalization. When a polygon is selected, the input polygon is highlighted.

TIP Selection of the edge fill mode, by selecting Object - Metal Properties, can also improve the fit of the actual metal to the desired edge. Moving the outline edge slightly can also provide a better fit.

Shortcut Key: Ctrl-M

No Fill: View - Metal View - No Fill displays only the outline of the polygon(s) created by the user with no metal fill displayed.

Simplified Fill: View - Metal View - Simplified displays the metalization with simplified, or "smoothed" edges. This is useful when editing very large circuits with numerous polygons with complicated edges. By simplifying what is displayed, the draw time when changes are made is reduced. When you are finished editing, you can return to Cell Fill mode or Metal Preview to see the actual metalization being used. An example of a polygon in cell fill mode and simplified fill mode is shown below.

Metal Preview: View - Metal View - Metal Preview turns off the display of the polygon shape input by the user, so that you can view only the actual metalization, as subsectioned by em. When metal preview is "on", only the metal is displayed, using the pattern specified in the Planar Metals tab in the Materials page of the Settings dialog box. The polygon input by you is not displayed. To view the input polygon,use either the Cell Fill or No Fill mode discussed above.

NOTE: You may not edit your circuit when Metal Preview is on.