Slam-Edit: Linux-native layout editor for custom IC design

Slam-Edit is Stabie-Soft's professional layout editor, available in India through SkyCadEda, built for custom IC engineers who work with large GDSII and OASIS databases on Linux. It delivers fast hierarchy navigation, precise polygon editing, Tcl scripting hooks for workflow automation, and a responsive interface designed for multi-million-cell designs.

Slam-Edit serves as a cost-effective Virtuoso layout editing alternative for teams that need a lightweight, secure, and deployable-on-premises IC layout editing tool.

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Fig. 1 Illustration of a Slam-Edit session on X11, not a screenshotCropped: canvas and the m1.2 violation row; layer palette hiddenlayers not to scale

Datasheet

Slam-Edit at a glance

Platform: x86-64 Linux · X11
Formats: GDSII · OASIS
Threading: multi-threaded
Scripting: Tcl · edb* commands
Results viewer: Calibre · Assura · ICV · Hercules
Calibre RVE interface: written in Tcl
Latest release: 3.12.1 · Jul 2026
Vendor: Stabie-Soft
India sales & support: SkyCadEda

What the editor does

High-capacity GDSII and OASIS editing on x86-64 Linux; needs only an X11 display
Edit-in-place for cell changes without leaving the top-level view
Cross-section views of the layer stack, exportable to PDF
Programmable cells for parameterised geometry
Violation viewer that reads Calibre, Assura, ICV and Hercules results
Calibre RVE interface, written in Tcl

Engineering scope

01
GDSII and OASIS database support
Slam-Edit reads and writes both GDSII Stream and OASIS (Open Artwork System Interchange Standard) formats natively. OASIS support provides significantly smaller file sizes and faster load times for large custom IC databases, while full GDSII compatibility ensures interoperability with every foundry and EDA tool in your flow.
02
Fast hierarchy navigation and editing
Navigate deep custom IC hierarchy with instant cell instantiation and flatten-on-demand views. Slam-Edit optimized database engine handles multi-million-cell designs with low memory overhead, enabling smooth zoom, pan, and editing operations even on the largest analog, mixed-signal, and digital full-chip layouts.
03
Tcl automation hooks for layout workflows
Integrate Slam-Edit into automated layout flows using built-in Tcl scripting hooks. Automate repetitive tasks such as cell placement, polygon manipulation, layer filtering, DRC-clean cell assembly, and batch export. Tcl hooks enable custom IC teams to build repeatable, auditable layout workflows that reduce manual effort.
04
Secure on-premises Linux deployment
Deploy Slam-Edit on your own Linux infrastructure — no cloud dependency, no external license servers. Designed for defense, aerospace, and security-sensitive IC design environments, Slam-Edit supports air-gapped deployment, SSH-based licensing, and restricted-network operation for maximum IP protection.

Tcl API

Scripting the database

Slam-Edit exposes its layout database to Tcl through edb* commands. The vendor's own example walks every object in a cell and prints it: rectangles, polygons, paths, instances, pins, vias and text.

print_cell_info.tclSlam-Edit · Tcl

proc printCellInfo { cellId } {
    foreach type {
        rectangle polygon path instance pin via text
    } {
        edbSeq loopVar $cellId $type {
            puts [edbFetchObject $cellId $loopVar]
        }
    }
}

Fig. 2 Stabie-Soft's Tcl sample, type list wrapped to fitedbSeq · edbFetchObject

A deployment-ready result

Faster layout editing cycles with responsive GDSII and OASIS handling on Linux.
Reduced software licensing costs compared to full Virtuoso layout suites.
Automated layout workflows through Tcl scripting, cutting repetitive manual editing.
Secure, air-gapped deployment for defense and IP-sensitive custom IC programs.

Why choose a Linux layout editor for custom IC design?

Modern custom IC design teams increasingly run their flows on Linux workstations and compute servers. Slam-Edit is built from the ground up for the Linux environment, delivering native performance without the overhead of Windows compatibility layers or heavyweight EDA platform dependencies. For layout engineers working with GDSII viewer editor tools, Slam-Edit offers a focused, efficient alternative to full-suite custom IC layout platforms.

Whether you are editing full-chip layouts, performing incremental modifications to IP blocks, or preparing mask data for tape-out, Slam-Edit OASIS layout editor capabilities and GDSII editing tools give you the precision and speed you need. The integrated hierarchy browser, layer visibility controls, and measurement tools streamline daily layout engineering tasks.

Integration with the Stabie-Soft SLAM product suite

Slam-Edit works alongside Slam-View for layout review and sign-off, and Scheture for schematic capture and netlist translation. Together they cover schematic entry, layout editing and sign-off review. Tcl automation hooks connect Slam-Edit to external DRC/LVS tools, PDK utilities, and design flow scripts.

Around the editor, SkyCadEda also does the engineering work: physical verification on the results Slam-Edit displays, DRC/LVS runset development, and layout automation in Tcl or SKILL. The full suite is on the products page.

FAQ

Questions before engagement

What is Slam-Edit and who is it designed for?

Slam-Edit is a Linux-native layout editor for GDSII and OASIS custom IC databases. It is designed for layout engineers, physical design teams, and CAD groups who need a fast, lightweight, and secure layout editing tool for analog, mixed-signal, RF, and digital custom IC design — especially in environments where full Virtuoso licensing is unnecessary or impractical.

What is the difference between GDSII and OASIS layout formats?

GDSII (also called GDSII Stream) is the long-standing industry standard for IC layout data exchange, supported by virtually every EDA tool and foundry. OASIS is a newer, more efficient format that uses compression and smarter data representation to produce significantly smaller files and faster I/O. Slam-Edit supports both formats natively, so you can work with whichever format your foundry or design flow requires.

Can Slam-Edit replace Virtuoso Layout Editor for custom IC work?

Slam-Edit is well suited as a standalone layout editor for editing, reviewing, and manipulating GDSII/OASIS data. For teams that do not need the full Cadence Virtuoso environment for schematic-driven layout or advanced constraint-driven editing, Slam-Edit provides a cost-effective Linux layout editor alternative. It integrates with Stabie-Soft's Scheture schematic capture tool for netlist-driven workflows.

How do Tcl hooks work in Slam-Edit for layout automation?

Slam-Edit exposes a Tcl scripting API that provides programmatic access to the layout database, layer operations, cell hierarchy, and editing commands. Engineers can write Tcl scripts to automate cell placement, polygon generation, layer filtering, batch modifications, and export operations. These scripts can be run interactively, from the command line, or integrated into CI/CD-style layout automation pipelines.

Request a quote or an evaluation

Tell us your Linux platform, typical database sizes and the verification tools whose results you review, and we will reply with Slam-Edit licensing and evaluation details.