CATS' basic graphics is characterized by its simple, intuitive, operation, speed, and flexibility. Regardless of format, whether you are look at a structured library file or a fractured E-beam, optical PG, or inspection database, the graphic operations are the same. This substantially reduces training time and error rates. The interruptible draws mean that zooming, panning and measuring operations are fast and efficient.

CATS graphics supports standard and user-definable colors and fill patterns which may be applied on a per-layer or per-input file basis for enhanced clarity. Files and layers may be selectively enabled and disabled for display.

This feature may be defined as either node-locked or floating.

One Button Operation:

CATS graphics are mouse-driven. There are no commands to type, no extended sequences of commands and clicks to perform a simple draw of the data. One mouse button is all you need to zoom-in, zoom-out, or pan in any direction. And interruptible graphics means that you don't have to wait for the current display to "paint" before you zoom or pan again. Simply click the mouse button and the current draw stops and the next is begun.

Color/Stipple/Linestyle:

The user has control of color, stipple (fill) pattern, and linestyle. Data may be drawn such that different layers of a structured library file are displayed in different colors, fill patterns, and linestyles. Or, you may choose to draw each input file in its own color, stipple, and linestyle. The changes are fast and intuitive and lend to CATS overall ease of use and flexibility.

Zooming & Panning:

Perhaps the most important of CATS basic graphics features is the speed and ease with which the user can examine the data. Zooming-in is as simple as clicking & dragging the mouse around the area you wish to enlarge. Zooming-out is a similar operation. Panning is as simple as a single click of the mouse on the point you wish to move the center of the display window. In this manner, you can move half a window in any direction.

CATS draws only the data within your window, which means that unlike some other software you don't have to wait for the software to work through all of the data outside the window before drawing what you're interested in. This means that the graphics are fast!

Measuring:

CATS' measuring capabilities employ a snap-to-the-data technique which ensures that the measurement is accurate and not dependent on the user's technique. With the simple click of a mouse, a measurement point is set. The point automatically snaps to either a vertex or a line edge. When the second point is defined in a similar manner, CATS reports the X,Y locations of both points, the X distance, Y distance, and linear distance between them. You may even have CATS report the center between the two points if you wish.

Units & Coordinates:

All coordinates in CATS are displayed in the units defined by the user. This may be microns, nanometers, mils, inches, or one of several other available units. This improves verification capabilities by eliminating conversion calculations. Also, the coordinates may be displayed relative to one of several different coordinate system origins. This may include the origin of the input file, the origin of the output file, the center of data, any corner of the pattern or design file, or an arbitrary origin.

Picking (Figure Selection):

The user may "pick" or select any figure or polygon in the displayed window through a simple mouse click. This provides a means of gathering information about the figure or polygon.

In a library file, for example, the user may pick a polygon to learn the coordinates of the polygon, in which structure it is defined, and the path from that structure to the root structure or main cell. In a flat (fractured) file, picking a rectangle or trapezoid will return the coordinates of that figure, and if that figure is arrayed it will also display information about the array; how many array elements in both X and Y direction as well as the delta between elements.

Design Space Representation:

The ability to quickly and accurately represent the design data (GDS-II, DXF, Applicon, or CIF) as it was drawn is referred to in CATS as "draw mode input". There are several color modes which are helpful in drawing different layers in different colors, different datatypes in different colors, referenced structures in different colors, or even each unique structure in its own color.

CATS also has the unique ability to draw a library file as it will be when fractured. This is referred to in CATS as "draw mode output". Through an extremely fast pre-fracturing technique, CATS can display the polygons fractured into output primitive figures, as well as illustrate rounding to the fracture grid. It will even show which figures will be arrayed and which will not.

E-Beam Pixel Representation:

Another of CATS' graphical strengths lie in its ability to represent either design or fractured data as it will be digitized into the E-beam's pattern memory; as pixels. This representation helps makes data analysis and trouble-shooting that much easier. The technique clearly illustrates which pixels will be exposed and which will not.

Leica Master/Workfile Representation:

For users of Leica electron beam systems, CATS can also represent the data as a "masterfile" or as a "workfile" with its associated multiple stepping factor (MSF).