The Duplicate command is useful because a node may have been modified (rotated, scaled, etc.) and duplication preserves all of those changes. Using Copy and Paste does the same thing. Another way to create nodes that are nonstandard is to set creation defaults.

To do this, use the "New Nodes" preferences (in menu File / Preferences..., "General" section, "New Nodes" tab). The top part of the dialog controls primitive nodes. You can change the default size of any primitive node in the current technology by choosing the node and changing the values. |

The middle section of the dialog controls cells. The check box "Check cell dates during editing" requests that date information be used to ensure a proper circuit building sequence. When this box is checked, warning messages will be issued when editing a cell that has more recent subcell instances. Electric tracks cell creation and revision dates, and this information can be displayed with the Describe this Cell command and others in menu Cell / Cell Info (see Section 3-7-1).

The check box "Switch technology to match current cell" requests that the current technology automatically change whenever the current cell changes, so that the two match.

The check box "Place Cell-Center in new cells" requests that all newly created cells have a Cell-Center node placed at the origin (see Section 3-3 for more on Cell centers).

The bottom part of the dialog applies to all nodes.

The check box "Disallow modification of locked primitives" requests that all lockable primitive node instances be anchored. Once locked, these nodes cannot be created, deleted, or modified in any way. Typically, only primitives in "array" technologies are lockable (such as the FPGA technology, see Section 7-6-2), presuming that these components will be used to define the fixed circuitry that is then customized. Design of the fixed circuitry is done with this lock off, and then the customization phase is done with this lock on.

The check box "Move after Duplicate" allows duplicated objects to be positioned interactively. This is the default condition. However, if this is unchecked, then the Duplicate command (in menu Edit) will place a copy automatically, without allowing the new location to be specified by the cursor.

The check box "Duplicate/Array/Paste copies exports" requests that these node-copying operations also copy their exports. This includes the Duplicate, Array, and Paste commands (in menu Edit) . See Section 6-4 for more on arrays.

The check box "Extract copies exports" requests that extraction of cell instances also copy the exports. Extraction is done with the Extract Cell Instance command (in menu Cell). See Section 3-8 for more on extraction.