TRAVERSING GRAPHICAL LAYERS USING A SCROLLING MECHANISM IN A PHYSICAL DESIGN ENVIRONMENT

摘要

Z-axis display navigation in the design automation process of physical design, development and manufacturing of integrated circuits includes pre-selecting, using a computer mouse connected to a computer workstation processor, viewable graphical layout layers desired by a design layout debugging operator to view during an integrated circuit (IC) design debugging process. After selecting the desired viewable graphic layout layers, the layout operator uses the mouse to traverse the pre-selected viewable graphical layout layers displayed, by changing the input scrolling pattern of the mouse to scroll forward, backward, diagonally and from side to side in a plurality of directions, where a curser on the layout screen will correspondingly move in the plurality of directions in the pre-selected viewable graphical layout layers on the layout screen corresponding to the movement of the mouse by the operator.