Working Directory
This controls where PLOT UPI stores various files for plots. Normally you don't need to change this directory unless you've instealled the PLOT UPI on a network drive and you want to use a local drive for these files.

Raster Memory
This is an amount of RAM allocated toward holding a bitmap of your plot image. The larger the better up to the point where it can contain the entire page in RAM. For example, an A size color plot at 300 dpi requires 4.2 Mbytes of Raster memory. A D size (22 x 34) page requires 34 MBytes and an E sized (34 x 44) requires about 68 Mbytes.

However you should only use a portion of your available RAM for the raster buffer - you must not allocate all of it or other functions will page to disk slowing down the plotting process.

DataBase RAM
The PLOT UPI would like, if possible, enough RAM here to hold the entire GDSII database. This results in fastest performance. So if your GDSII files are about 1 Mbyte you could allocate 1-2 Mbytes here. Again you should not set this number so high that RAM is completely tied up in storing the GDSII data and none is left for the raster data or for the program or OS.

Put Cell Cache on Disk
You need only set this to ON for very, very large and complex files...Normally PLOT UPI keeps a list of structures and pointers in RAM. However for some very very large complex files the amount of RAM available to do this is not sufficient. (We've only seen this in GDSII files of 500 Mbytes and greater..) In this case checking the option will store the list on disk - making it possible to plot very large complex files but it will slow things down.

Use Preset Patterns
As mentioned, the fill patterns generated on-the-fly from the L-EDIT database are not optimized for plotting. On Demand enables you to go the the layer/fill menu and select a different map file. Always does this for you automatically. We recommend that if your layer fills don't change from plot to plot that you select always after building an optimized fill pattern file.

Output Control
Generally you should leave this on normal...if you get mysterious banding on your plots you can click on enhanced. This forces PLOT to explode each cell before rasterizing it and is more accurate but runs much slower.

Reverse Background
Used only for producing transparencies. When set to ON it converts any white pixels (paper background) to black. Does not plot well!.

Legend
Prints a layer legend across top of plot showing the layer name and associated fill pattern. Very useful.

Ruler
Draws a ruler all the way around the plot and puts tick marks on it. Very useful for locating and measuring.

Plot Header
Prints info about the plot across the top margin - file name, date, cell name, scale factor, layers plotted. Extremely useful.

Plot Label
You can enter a short string here if desired to identify your plot. Printed in the plot header.

Array Mode Control
When set to full, all elements of the array are plotted. When set to outline only an outline box for the entire array is plotted.

Text Display
When set to ON text strings are plotted.

Font Control
Opens a small dialog enabling the scaling of text.

The Main Plotting Dialog Box

Configuration

Plotter and Page Size Setup

Plot View | Cell | Window

Optimized Color and Fill Patterns