Command Aliases

Using the command alias you can create your own ASCII command names that perform EPIC command streams. To execute an alias, you only need to enter the alias name in the EPIC Command Line dialog box. The alias command is described in the Command Line Syntax chapter. Default aliases for EPIC are in the epic.ini file. They are.

Alias	Action
save	Saves the design in the EPIC window to a file.
quit	Pops up the Exit dialog box.
exit	Pops up the Exit dialog box.
dull	In the EPIC editing area, makes local lines, long lines, and direct connects dark blue.
color	In the EPIC editing area, makes local lines grey, long lines magenta, and direct connects dark green.

Accelerators (Hot Keys)

For frequently used EPIC commands, you can program a key or combination of keys to execute any command from the Command Line Syntax. After the keys, called “accelerators” or “hot keys”, are set up, a certain command can be invoked by pressing the appropriate key(s) instead of typing the command in the EPIC Command Line dialog box. Default aliases for the keys are stored in a file called $XILINX/ xilinx/data/epic.ini. $XILINX is the path defined by the $XILINX environment variable.

On initialization, EPIC looks at the epic.ini file and reads the information stored there. In the sample file shown below, the first field represents the value (in hexadecimal) for a particular key or combination of keys. (How to find the value for a particular key is explained below). The second field is the EPIC command represented by the key(s). The third field is an optional comment giving the key name. Note that in every case in the key value field the first character in the alias is a zero (not the letter O).

A listing of all active hot key aliases will appear in the history area when you select List Aliases from the Miscellaneous pull-down menu in the editing area.

The aliases in the epic.ini file apply to all EPIC users. To set up your own default aliases you can create an epicuser.ini file. Then you can assign your own aliases as described below. On initialization, EPIC will first look for an epic.ini and epicuser.ini file in the current working directory, then in your home directory, then in the $XILINX/architecture/data directory, then in $XILINX/data.

alias 0x113   “pan left  75"                   #Left  arrow key.

alias 0x115   “pan right 75"                   #Right arrow key.

alias 0x111   “pan up    75"                   #Up    arrow key.

alias 0x117   “pan down  75"                   #Down  arrow key.

alias 0x153   “pan left  far”                  #Shift-Left  arrow key.

alias 0x155   “pan right far”                  #Shift-Right arrow key.

alias 0x151   “pan up    far”                  #Shift-Up    arrow key.

alias 0x157   “pan down  far”                  #Shift-Down  arrow key.

alias 0x20    “pan center”                     #' ' key. Center win about cursor

alias 0x5a    “zoom toggle”                    #'Z' key.

alias 0x7a    “zoom toggle”                    #'z' key.

alias 0x41    “post cmd”                       #'A' key.

alias 0x61    “post cmd”                       #'a' key.

alias 0x58    “post -n cmd”                    #'X' key.

alias 0x78    “post -n cmd”                    #'x' key.

alias 0x43    “setattr layer components view toggle”      # C - 'c'omponent

alias 0x63    “setattr layer components view toggle”      # c - 'c'omponent

alias 0x4e    “setattr layer ratsnests view toggle”       # N - rats'n'ests

alias 0x6e    “setattr layer ratsnests view toggle”       # n - rats'n'ests

alias 0x51    “pick -q”                                   # Q - 'q'uery cursor

alias 0x71    “pick -q”                                   # q - 'q'uery cursor

alias 0x52    “setattr layer routes view toggle”          # R - 'r'outes

alias 0x72    “setattr layer routes view toggle”          # r - 'r'outes

alias 0x53    “setattr layer sites view toggle”           # S - 's'ites

alias 0x73    “setattr layer sites view toggle”           # s - 's'ites

alias 0x54    “setattr layer text view toggle”            # T - 't'ext

alias 0x74    “setattr layer text view toggle”            # t - 't'ext

alias 0x15    “undo”                                      #Control+U

alias 0x5     “setattr main  edit_mode Read-Write”        #Control+E

alias 0x12    “setattr main  edit_mode Read-Only”         #Control+R

alias 0xe     “setattr main  edit_mode No-Logic-Changes”  #Control+N

The default hot keys contained in the epic.ini file are listed in the table below. In the table, “toggle” means that the visibility of a selected layer in the main EPIC window changes from ON to OFF and vice versa when that particular key is pressed.

Key Name	Action
Left arrow ( )	Pan left 75 % of one window width
Right arrow ( )	Pan right 75 % of one window width
Up arrow ( )	Pan up 75 % of one window height
Down arrow ( )	Pan down 75 % of one window height
Shift +	Pan to left edge of device
Shift +	Pan to right edge of device
Shift +	Pan to upper edge of device
Shift +	Pan to lower edge of device
Space bar	Center the window about the cursor
A,a	Posts the EPIC Command Line dialog box. The dialog box will have APPLY, OK, and CANCEL push buttons at the bottom.
C, c	Toggle the view of components
N, n	Toggle the view of ratsnest lines
Q, q	Display information about the object currently under the cursor
R, r	Toggle the view of routes
S, s	Toggle the view of sites
T, t	Toggle the view of text
X, x	Posts the EPIC Command Line dialog box. The dialog box will not have any push buttons at the bottom.
Z, z	Toggle the zoom
Control + E	Set edit mode attributes for the main window to Read-Write
Control + R	Set edit mode attributes for the main window to Read-Only
Control + N	Set edit mode attributes for the main window to No-Logic-Changes
Control + U	Undo last action

EPIC commands can be assigned to keys in two ways. You can use the alias command in the EPIC Command Line dialog box. In this mode, the aliases are executable during the current session only. Or you can assign the alias in the epic.ini file, using the format shown in the sample file above. In this mode, aliases are executable for all subsequent sessions.

To assign an alias from the EPIC window.

Ensure that the cursor (arrow) is in the editing area.
Hit the key(s) that you want to substitute for the EPIC command; (for example, q or Shift + q). The value for the key(s) will appear in the history area of the EPIC window with the format “Unknown input: 0xvalue” (Note that this is a zero in front of the x and not the letter O).
Move the cursor to the EPIC Command Line dialog box and type the following.

alias 0xvalue “EPIC command”

where:

<“EPIC command”> is one or more EPIC commands separated by semicolons. This string must be quoted.

To assign an alias in the epic.ini file.

Determine the key value as described in Steps 1 and 2 above.
Open the epic.ini file and use the appropriate text editor to enter the new information in the same format as shown in the sample epic.ini file above.

PCs and Hot Keys

On a PC, you have to position the cursor inside a particular window and click the left mouse button before that window and any commands applicable to it can be activated. For example, if your active window is the EPIC List dialog box, and you move the cursor to the editing area and type any hot key without first clicking in the editing area, the hot key will not work.