A particularly useful view type is icon. The icon cell is used for instances of an associated contents cell, which contains schematics. For example, you may have a cell called "adder{sch}" which contains a schematic. You may then create a cell called "adder{ic}" that contains a circle with a plus sign inside (these are nodes in the Artwork technology). This is then the icon for the layout cell "adder{sch}". Now, if you create an instance of the schematic cell, the icon cell will actually be placed, because it is the symbol that gets used for instances.

To generate an icon cell automatically, use the Make Icon View command (in menu View). Be sure to create all relevant exports before issuing this command, so that the proper icon can be constructed. Note that any export that has its "Body only" attribute checked will be omitted from the icon.

To control the look of the icons, use the "Icon" preferences (in menu File / Preferences..., "Technology" section, "Icon" tab). The top part of the dialog lets you place each of the different export types on any of the four sides of the icon.

The middle section of the dialog controls the body and leads of the icon. You can choose whether or not to draw the body and leads. You can set the spacing and length of leads. You can choose the location of the exports (at the end of the leads, in the middle of the leads, or on the body). You can choose the style of the export text (whether it grows inward, outward). |

The bottom part of the dialog has miscellaneous controls. You can choose the technology of the exports ("Universal" uses nodes from the Generic technology which can connect to any arc; "Schematic" uses nodes from the Schematic technology and can connect only to other Schematic arcs). Exports are arranged alphabetically around the icon, and you can choose to reverse the alphabetical order. Finally, you can choose the location of the icon instance in the original schematic (when you use the Make Icon View command, it generates the icon and places an instance of that icon in the schematic). A button at the bottom requests that an icon be made now, and takes the place of the Make Icon View command.

The icon cell is correctly tied to its contents in most respects. If you descend into it (with the Down Hierarchy command in menu Cell), then you actually find yourself editing the associated contents cell. The Up Hierarchy command properly returns you to the location of the icon instance. Also, the network consistency checker and the simulators correctly substitute the contents whenever an icon appears. In order for this to work, however, all exports in the contents cell must exist with the same name in the icon cell (with the exception of those that are marked "Body Only").