Create a new project from scratch

You do not need to create a sub-folder under your top-level folder. For example, regardless of how many layers are above or below your top-level folder my_project, if you open my_project as the top-level folder from the VSC Explorer, you can right-click below it to select DSim Desktop: New Project. The .dpf will be created under my_project, your top-level folder.

I guess the confusion is between your project's top-level folder and VSC Explorer's top-level folder. Eg. if your project's top-level folder is C:/work/my_project/ and you open C:/work/ as VSC Explorer's top-level folder (using Open Folder),then you would be able to right-click the my_project folder in the VSC Explorer. But if you opened C:/work/my_project/, you wouldn't be able to right-click my_project. You have to click below it, but not on a sub-folder if you wanted the .dpf to be created at C:/work/my_project/<project_name>.dpf.

Hi Shaun,

Thank you for your reply. 

I have got it (a UVM simulation) to run. The secret was to create a sub-folder inside my top-level folder. Right-clicking on the sub-folder did result in a menu with the " DSim Desktop: New Project" option. Once I had discovered this, it was all quite straight forward. 

I'm not really sure why I need this extra layer of hierarchy. I was trying it out with a course exercise from our (Doulos's) UVM course. The directory structure is flat: everything runs in one directory, because that is how the current version of EDA Playground likes files to be organised. I guess in Dsim's mind, a "project" is the directory you run your simulation in? 

Matthew

Hi Eda Playground. Thanks for your interest in DSim Desktop. To address your concerns:

1. By "main website", do you mean https://www.metrics.ca/? If so, the LOG IN option there is for users who have already signed up for a Metrics account, whether it be free or paid. The option will direct you to the DSim Cloud Portal.

The Support website https://help.metrics.ca/ is for users seeking technical support, and requires a valid email address to post, but not to view. This is to prevent spam and bots from posting. The fact that your name and email address is not a personal one resulted in your post ending up in our Spam folder before I moved it out. We will be using SSO in the future.

2. "navigate" is a common term in file explorers, including Visual Studio Code's (VSC) Explorer, and it means to (left) click on a folder or file of interest, expanding the upper level folders to reveal the folder/file of interest, if necessary. To familiarize yourself with VSC's interface, see the VSC User Interface documentation, as instructed in the DSim Desktop extension section.

3. All your design files must be accessible from VSC's Explorer, which is in the Activity bar as highlighted in all the DSim Desktop documentation.

VSC's Explorer is a file explorer, so it displays whatever you point it to. If your design's top-level folder is not visible in Explorer, then you'll have to Open Folder as described in Create a project.

4. I'm not sure what you mean by "load my code in before creating the project or after". All your code must be in files under a top-level folder that is open in VSC's Explorer. For example, if your design's top-level folder is called my_project, open my_project in Explorer, then right-click my_project in Explorer, and select DSim Desktop: New Project. This will create a DSim Project File (.dpf) under my_project, and this .dpf will be auto-populated when you add files to the project. "add files" means to tell DSim Desktop which files are required to compile and simulate your design, but they must already exist under my_project.

I encourage you to read the VSC User Interface documentation and watch the Introduction video.

I managed to install and run the adder tutorial. However, I cannot work out how to run my own code. (Nor could I work out how to log into this support part of your website: it seems to need different credentials to the main website. In the end I have had to use a Google account, which I didn't want to do.)

I went to https://help.metrics.ca/support/solutions/articles/154000147738-tour-of-dsim-desktop "Create a project". It isn't clear whether I'm supposed to load my code in before creating the project or after: it says "In the VSC Explorer, navigate to the folder where you want to create your DSim Project File " . What do you mean by "navigate"? Do you mean "Open Folder"? 

So, I tried that and my files appear on the LHS. Then it says " right-click the folder and select DSim Desktop: New Project. " OK, I right-click on the folder I've just opened, but there is no such option:

So, now I'm stumped.

Hi George! just as a comment, I could create a complete project from scratch. I followed  these instructions https://help.metrics.ca/support/solutions/articles/154000147738, it takes time to make everything work but these steps are fine. Make sure to create your libraries correctly, you will add all your sv/vhdl files and compile them and then configure a simulation. 

Of course those folders and files will not exist for your project or a new project. The Tutorial has to use an example design to show you how to create a project and add files to it. For a generalized approach, check out the Tour of DSim Desktop, which was a prerequisite of the Tutorial:

https://help.metrics.ca/support/solutions/articles/154000147738

I followed the instructions to the letter. Your instruction derives from the already existing project. You can go back to it and you will see:

"1. Navigate to the folder /VHDL_SystemVerilog, right-click the folder /sim and select DSim Desktop: New Project. "

A fresh project will not have a VHDL_SystemVerilog and sim folders.

What you are missing in your guide is how to start with a couple of SV files and have a project.

I managed to hack my way around by copying your project and removind/replacing your SV files as per my need, but that's not sustainable.

Did you read/follow the instructions under Create a project in the Tutorial? Or did you skip it by going to Open a project?

https://help.metrics.ca/support/solutions/articles/154000141163-tutorial-dsim-desktop