diff --git a/src/verilog_netlist.c b/src/verilog_netlist.c
index 7c8e95ee..f254535a 100644
--- a/src/verilog_netlist.c
+++ b/src/verilog_netlist.c
@@ -560,13 +560,22 @@ int verilog_block_netlist(FILE *fd, int i)
     }
     int_hash_free(&table);
     if(extra2) {
+      char *verilog_extra_dir = NULL;
+      const char *dir;
+      my_strdup2(_ALLOC_ID_, &verilog_extra_dir, get_tok_value(xctx->sym[i].prop_ptr, "verilog_extra_dir", 0));
       saveptr1 = NULL;
       for(extra_ptr = extra2; ; extra_ptr=NULL) {
         extra_token=my_strtok_r(extra_ptr, " ", "", 0, &saveptr1);
         if(!extra_token) break;
-        fprintf(fd, "  inout %s ;\n", extra_token);
+        dir = get_tok_value(verilog_extra_dir, extra_token, 0);
+        if(dir[0]) {
+          fprintf(fd, "  %s %s ;\n", dir, extra_token);
+        } else {
+          fprintf(fd, "  inout %s ;\n", extra_token);
+        }
         fprintf(fd, "  wire %s ;\n", extra_token);
       }
+      my_free(_ALLOC_ID_, &verilog_extra_dir);
     }
     dbg(1, "verilog_block_netlist():       netlisting %s\n", get_cell( xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0));
     err |= verilog_netlist(fd, verilog_stop);
diff --git a/src/xschem.tcl b/src/xschem.tcl
index 8ca77108..c773eca9 100644
--- a/src/xschem.tcl
+++ b/src/xschem.tcl
@@ -4013,8 +4013,10 @@ proc set_netlist_dir { change {dir {} }} {
     }
     if { $dir eq {} } {
       # set to default simulations/ directory.
-      if {$local_netlist_dir == 0 } {
+      if {$local_netlist_dir == 0  && $netlist_dir eq {}} {
         set initdir "$USER_CONF_DIR/simulations"
+      } elseif {$local_netlist_dir == 0 } {
+        set initdir $netlist_dir
       } elseif { $netlist_dir ne {} }  { 
         set initdir $netlist_dir
       } else {
@@ -7128,19 +7130,19 @@ proc build_widgets { {topwin {} } } {
   $topwin.menubar.option.menu.netlist add checkbutton -label "Split netlist" -variable split_files \
      -accelerator {} 
   $topwin.menubar.option.menu.netlist add radiobutton -label "Spice netlist"\
-       -variable netlist_type -value spice -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
+       -background grey60 -variable netlist_type -value spice -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
        -command "xschem set netlist_type spice; xschem redraw"
   $topwin.menubar.option.menu.netlist add radiobutton -label "VHDL netlist"\
-       -variable netlist_type -value vhdl -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
+       -background grey60 -variable netlist_type -value vhdl -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
        -command "xschem set netlist_type vhdl; xschem redraw"
   $topwin.menubar.option.menu.netlist add radiobutton -label "Verilog netlist"\
-       -variable netlist_type -value verilog -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
+       -background grey60 -variable netlist_type -value verilog -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
        -command "xschem set netlist_type verilog; xschem redraw"
   $topwin.menubar.option.menu.netlist add radiobutton -label "tEDAx netlist" \
-       -variable netlist_type -value tedax -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
+       -background grey60 -variable netlist_type -value tedax -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
        -command "xschem set netlist_type tedax; xschem redraw"
   $topwin.menubar.option.menu.netlist add radiobutton -label "Symbol global attrs" \
-       -variable netlist_type -value symbol -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
+       -background grey60 -variable netlist_type -value symbol -accelerator {Ctrl+Shift+V} \
        -command "xschem set netlist_type symbol; xschem redraw"
 
 
@@ -7181,11 +7183,11 @@ proc build_widgets { {topwin {} } } {
   $topwin.menubar.edit.menu add command -label "Rotate selected objects" -state normal \
       -command {xschem rotate} -accelerator {Shift-R}
   $topwin.menubar.edit.menu add radiobutton -label "Unconstrained move" -variable constrained_move \
-     -value 0 -command {xschem set constrained_move 0} 
+     -background grey60 -value 0 -command {xschem set constrained_move 0} 
   $topwin.menubar.edit.menu add radiobutton -label "Constrained Horizontal move" -variable constrained_move \
-     -value 1 -accelerator H -command {xschem set constrained_move 1} 
+     -background grey60 -value 1 -accelerator H -command {xschem set constrained_move 1} 
   $topwin.menubar.edit.menu add radiobutton -label "Constrained Vertical move" -variable constrained_move \
-     -value 2 -accelerator V -command {xschem set constrained_move 2} 
+     -background grey60 -value 2 -accelerator V -command {xschem set constrained_move 2} 
   $topwin.menubar.edit.menu add command -label "Push schematic" -command "xschem descend" -accelerator E
   toolbar_add EditPushSch "xschem descend" "Push schematic" $topwin
   $topwin.menubar.edit.menu add command -label "Push symbol" -command "xschem descend_symbol" -accelerator I
@@ -7327,13 +7329,13 @@ proc build_widgets { {topwin {} } } {
   $topwin.menubar.prop.menu add command -background red -label "Edit file (danger!)" \
      -command "xschem edit_file" -accelerator Alt+Q
   $topwin.menubar.sym.menu add radiobutton -label "Show symbols" \
-     -variable hide_symbols -value 0 \
+     -background grey60 -variable hide_symbols -value 0 \
      -command {xschem set hide_symbols $hide_symbols; xschem redraw} -accelerator Alt+B
   $topwin.menubar.sym.menu add radiobutton -label "Show instance Bounding boxes for subcircuit symbols" \
-     -variable hide_symbols -value 1 \
+     -background grey60 -variable hide_symbols -value 1 \
      -command {xschem set hide_symbols $hide_symbols; xschem redraw} -accelerator Alt+B
   $topwin.menubar.sym.menu add radiobutton -label "Show instance Bounding boxes for all symbols" \
-     -variable hide_symbols -value 2 \
+     -background grey60 -variable hide_symbols -value 2 \
      -command {xschem set hide_symbols $hide_symbols; xschem redraw} -accelerator Alt+B
   $topwin.menubar.sym.menu add command -label "Set symbol width" \
      -command {
@@ -7470,14 +7472,14 @@ proc build_widgets { {topwin {} } } {
     }
   $topwin.menubar.simulation.menu add checkbutton -label "Show netlist after netlist command" \
      -variable netlist_show -accelerator {Shift+A} 
-  $topwin.menubar.simulation.menu add radiobutton -label "set netlisting directory" \
-    -variable local_netlist_dir -value 0 \
+  $topwin.menubar.simulation.menu add radiobutton -indicatoron 1 -label "Use netlist directory" \
+    -background grey60 -variable local_netlist_dir -value 0 \
     -command {set_netlist_dir 1 }
-  $topwin.menubar.simulation.menu add radiobutton -label "Use 'simulation' dir in schematic dir" \
-    -variable local_netlist_dir -value 1 \
+  $topwin.menubar.simulation.menu add radiobutton -indicatoron 1 -label "Use 'simulation' dir in schematic dir" \
+    -background grey60 -variable local_netlist_dir -value 1 \
     -command {set_netlist_dir 1 }
-  $topwin.menubar.simulation.menu add radiobutton -label "Use 'simulation/\[schname\]' dir in schematic dir" \
-    -variable local_netlist_dir -value 2 \
+  $topwin.menubar.simulation.menu add radiobutton -indicatoron 1 -label "Use 'simulation/\[schname\]' dir in schematic dir" \
+    -background grey60 -variable local_netlist_dir -value 2 \
     -command {set_netlist_dir 1 }
   $topwin.menubar.simulation.menu add command -label {Configure simulators and tools} -command {simconf}
   if {$OS == {Windows}} {