developing open source IC layout designer. a basic question

[tejainece]

hi,
i am developing an open source IC layout designer called openICix. i have used magic so far. tried microwindows, toped and lasi. never used cadence. i have few doubts,

1) are ploygons necessary for layout design. magic doesn't support polygons. does cadence tools use polygons?

openICix currently uses only rectangles.

2) vertices of each rectangle in openICix can currently only be aligned to multiples of lambda. just like magic. is this ok? or should i remove this restriction. does analog layout design involve vertices that are non-multiples of lambda.

thanks

 

[dick_freebird]

I use polygons (45s) all the time in analog / power layout.
I know of some people who use circles. Digital people use
paths more than anything.

There seem to be several open-source layout tools out
there already. None of them are what I consider complete
enough to do a job. But the last thing the "market" needs
is another incomplete one. Would you consider adding
your efforts to one of the further-along, not-there-yet
ones? For example, gEDA has a PCB layout tool that
is just not set up for ICs. Paris/MGEN looked like a
nice, foundry-grade tool set but seems to have no
traction or support system. There are others.

Particularly, the polygon editor is the least of it; it's the
I/O and verification tools that always get left for last.