Using Colors

The Floorplanner automatically assigns unique colors to hierarchical groups when it reads a new design. Hierarchical nodes that have one lower level of hierarchy are set to the color of that lower level node. Hierarchical groups with more than one lower level of hierarchy, as well as individual symbols, are not assigned colors. Individual symbols without assigned colors inherit the color of the lowest level of associated hierarchy.

You can change the colors of any hierarchical group using the Edit Colors command. If you assign a color to a symbol, that symbol is always shown in that color in both windows. If you assign a color to a hierarchical group, the colorless symbols under that node will appear in that group's color.

NOTE

You can remove color assignments using the Auto Assign button in the Colors dialog box.

The following sections describe using colors in the Design Hierarchy window and in the Floorplan window. The last section describes how to use colors to distinguish between floorplanned logic and place and routed logic.

In the Design Hierarchy Window

1. Select the hierarchical groups and symbols for which you want to change colors.
   
   
2. Select Edit Colors.
   
   This command opens the Edit Colors dialog box.
   
   
3. Click the button that displays the color you want to use.
   
   
4. Click Apply to change to the new color.
   
   

In the Floorplan Window

1. Select the logic by dragging out an area around the desired logic for which you want to change colors, or click the left mouse button on an individual symbol.
   
   
2. Select Edit Colors.
   
   This command opens the Edit Colors dialog box.
   
   
3. Click the button that displays the color you want to use.
   
   
4. Make sure the Apply to Symbols radio button is selected.
   
   
5. Click Apply to change to the new color.
   
   

Distinguishing Logic

You can use the Edit Colors command to distinguish placed and routed logic and floorplanned logic. You can change the color of the floorplanned logic to a color not used in the hierarchy. Then, when you view the placement window, the unique color distinguishes the placed and routed logic from floorplanned logic in the design.

1. Select all the logic in the design.
   
   
2. Select Edit Colors.
   
   
3. Choose a new color for the selected logic from the palette in the Edit Colors dialog box.
   
   

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   NOTE

   When colors are automatically assigned, the first two and the last two colors are not included. You can use one of those colors to make the logic distinguishable from the rest of the design.

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4. Click Apply.
   
   
5. Select the floorplanned logic by dragging the mouse pointer over the entire Floorplan window.
   
   
6. Choose a different color from the palette in the Edit Colors dialog box for the selected floorplanned logic.
   
   
7. Click Apply.
   
   
8. If the NCD file that was used to create the Floorplanner file contained placement information, selecting View Placement will show the entire placed design, with the Floorplanned logic in a different color than the non-floorplanned logic.
   
   

NOTE

You can use the Auto Assign button in the Edit Colors dialog box to return to a normal display.