EDB Cutout

Overview

The Cutout class creates a clipped (cut-out) EDB cell from an existing layout. All new features, performance improvements, and bug fixes are delivered only through the gRPC back-end. The legacy .NET back-end is still present for compatibility; it is deprecated and scheduled for removal in a future release.

Quickstart

from pyedb.workflows.utilities.cutout import Cutout

cut = Cutout(edb)  # gRPC is selected automatically when edb.grpc == True
cut.signals = ["DDR4_DQ0", "DDR4_DQ1"]
cut.references = ["GND"]
cut.expansion_size = 0.001
polygon = cut.run()

Convenience entry point

Existing scripts continue to work without modification:

edb.cutout(
    signal_nets=["DDR4_DQ0", "DDR4_DQ1"],
    reference_nets=["GND"],
    expansion_size=0.001,
)

The edb.cutout method internally instantiates the Cutout class (gRPC-first) and returns the same clipped cell as in previous releases.

Complete parameter reference

The following table lists every public parameter accepted by both the class constructor and the convenience method edb.cutout. Defaults are shown in bold; physical values are in metres unless a *_units parameter is supplied.

Name	Type	Purpose
signal_nets (alias “signals”)	list[str]	Net names to retain in the cut-out (required).
reference_nets (alias “references”)	list[str]	Net names used as reference (required).
expansion_size	float | str	Additional margin around computed extent. 0.002
extent_type	str	Extent algorithm: “ConvexHull”, “Conforming”, “Bounding”.
use_round_corner	bool	Apply rounded corners after expansion. False
custom_extent	list[tuple[float,float]] | None	Closed polygon [(x1,y1), …] overriding automatic extent. None
custom_extent_units	str	Length unit for custom_extent. “mm”
include_voids_in_extents	bool	Include voids ≥ 5 % of extent area while Building clip polygon. False
open_cutout_at_end	bool	Load the resulting .AEDB into the active edb object. True
output_file	str	Full path where the clipped .AEDB is saved. “” (in-place)
use_pyaedt_cutout	bool	Use PyAEDT-based clipping instead of native EDB API. True
smart\_cutout	bool	Auto-enlarge expansion_size until every port has a reference. False
expansion_factor	float	If > 0, compute initial expansion_size from trace-width/dielectric. 0
maximum_iterations	int	Max attempts for smart_cutout before giving up. 10
number_of_threads	int	Worker threads for polygon clipping and padstack cleaning. 1
remove_single_pin_components	bool	Delete RLC components with only one pin after cut-out. False
preserve_components_with_model	bool	Keep every pin of components that carry a Spice/S-parameter model. False
check\_terminals	bool	Grow extent until all reference terminals are inside the cut-out. False
include_pingroups	bool	Ensure complete pin-groups are included (requires check_terminals). False
simple_pad_check	bool	Use fast center-point padstack check instead of bounding-box. True
keep_lines_as_path	bool	Retain clipped traces as Path objects (3D Layout only). False
extent_defeature	float	Defeature tolerance for conformal extent. 0
include_partial_instances	bool	Keep padstacks that only partially overlap the clip polygon. False
keep_voids	bool	Retain voids that intersect the clip polygon. True

Extent strategies

The cut-out boundary can be generated with three built-in algorithms:

• ConvexHull (default)–convex hull of selected objects plus expansion

• Conforming–tight follow of geometry contours

• Bounding–simple bounding box

Additional options control corner rounding, void inclusion, multi-threading, smart expansion, and user-supplied boundary polygons.

API reference

Cutout

pyedb.workflows.utilities.cutout

alias of <module ‘pyedb.workflows.utilities.cutout’ from ‘/home/runner/work/pyedb/pyedb/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pyedb/workflows/utilities/cutout.py’>

Legacy notice

The DotNetCutout class is exposed solely for backward compatibility. New code must use the gRPC-based Cutout class—or the edb.cutout convenience method—to ensure future support.