[Open-graphics] video head 0 module template

[Peter Lund]

On Thu, 2006-10-05 at 16:18 -0400, Timothy Miller wrote:

> May I please make some feature suggestions?
> 
> - Make the signal viewer able to run the synthesizer... that is
> although you wouldn't want ivi to be embedded into your viewer, make
> the viewer able to run various simulators in a way that appears
> seamlessly integrated to the user.

Definitely on the list already!

> - Allow the user to "rerun" the simulation without changing the signal
> view.  Say I'm looking through the results of the simulation and find
> a subtle bug.  What I'd really like to do is edit the RTL and rerun
> it, putting me right back where I was so I can continue looking for
> other bugs.

I think this one implicitly was on the list already but it's good to
make it explicit.

I already have a recent files list in the menu and I intend to store
bølge-related metadata associated with each file that says what the zoom
factor was, what signals were enabled, what order they were in, and what
part of the trace the user was looking at (i.e. the time offset and the
signal number offset).

The GTK+/Gnome libraries has a nice feature for associating per-program
metadata with files (actually any URL) in the form of key/value lists.

> There are certain things that, for instance, ModelSim does that I
> wouldn't ask for.  Actually, I hate ModelSim.  But one thing it can do
> is allow you to simulate for some period, and that appears in the wave
> viewer.  Then you can simulate some more, etc.  Don't bother trying to
> do that.  If the second suggestion requires a complete rerun of the
> simulation, fine... just give me the same signals, zoom ratio, view
> offset, and selection.

Ok.

> Thank you for working on a better viewer.

Well, don't we all hate ModelSim?

There are some things I don't think are very important -- but I don't
actually know.  Does *anybody* use Verilog events for anything?  How
about reals? (yes, OpenGraphics might actually at some point use reals
in some test benches, but isn't that exceptional?)  How about the
extended VCD files?

What about searching for specific values (or combinations of values)?
Split views?
Merging several VCD files into one view?
Fish eye (probably just cartesian)?
Ability to "lock" some signals on the screen so all the /other/ signals
move when you scroll?

-Peter