Patent ID: 8667455

Claim:
A method comprising: formatting for display on a computer screen a layout of integrated circuit design in a two-dimensional view, wherein the integrated circuit design is specified in an design database, the layout comprises multiple layers, and in the two-dimensional view, layers of the layout overlap when two or more layers cross each other on the screen; by using a computer, allowing the user to identify a portion of the layout of the integrated circuit design using a pointer; displaying on the screen a zoomed in view of the portion of the layout identified by the user; providing an option for the user to enable a three-dimensional view of the layout; after enabling the three-dimensional view option, allowing the user to select a center point of rotation in the two-dimensional view screen; after the center point is selected, while the user moves the pointer relative to the center point, showing on the screen and rotating, in real time, a three-dimensional view of the portion of the layout identified by the user, wherein the rotation is based on the movement of the pointer relative to the selected center point; allowing the user to select a feature of the layout on the screen with the pointer and request showing a property of that selected feature; and displaying a value for the property of the selected feature on the screen.