diff --git a/src/token.c b/src/token.c
index 27d17d63..7e2d674a 100644
--- a/src/token.c
+++ b/src/token.c
@@ -697,11 +697,14 @@ static void print_vhdl_primitive(FILE *fd, int inst) /* netlist  primitives, 200
  my_strdup(514, &name, xctx->inst[inst].instname);
  fmt_attr = xctx->format ? xctx->format : "vhdl_format";
  if(!name) my_strdup(50, &name, get_tok_value(template, "name", 0));
-
  /* allow format string override in instance */
  my_strdup(1000, &format, get_tok_value(xctx->inst[inst].prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2));
- if(!format || !format[0])
+ if(!format && strcmp(fmt_attr, "vhdl_format"))               
+    my_strdup(1630, &format, get_tok_value(xctx->inst[inst].prop_ptr, "vhdl_format", 2));
+ if(!format)
    my_strdup(516, &format, get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2));
+ if(!format && strcmp(fmt_attr, "vhdl_format"))               
+   my_strdup(1631, &format, get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, "vhdl_format", 2));
  if((name==NULL) || (format==NULL) ) {
    my_free(1047, &template);
    my_free(1048, &name);
@@ -1126,9 +1129,13 @@ void print_vhdl_element(FILE *fd, int inst)
   xRect *pinptr;
   const char *fmt_attr = NULL;
   Int_hashtable table = {NULL, 0};
+  const char *fmt;
 
   fmt_attr = xctx->format ? xctx->format : "vhdl_format";
-  if(get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2)[0] != '\0') {
+  fmt = get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2);
+  if(!fmt[0] && strcmp(fmt_attr, "vhdl_format") )
+    fmt = get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, "vhdl_format", 2);
+  if(fmt[0]) {
    print_vhdl_primitive(fd, inst);
    return;
   }
@@ -1508,6 +1515,8 @@ void print_spice_subckt_nodes(FILE *fd, int symbol)
 
  fmt_attr = xctx->format ? xctx->format : "format";
  my_strdup(103, &format1, get_tok_value(xctx->sym[symbol].prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2));
+ if(!format1 && strcmp(fmt_attr, "format") )
+   my_strdup(1632, &format1, get_tok_value(xctx->sym[symbol].prop_ptr, "format", 2));
  dbg(1, "print_spice_subckt(): format1=%s\n", format1);
  if(format1 && strstr(format1, "tcleval(") == format1) {
     tclres = tcl_hook2(&format1);
@@ -1655,9 +1664,12 @@ int print_spice_element(FILE *fd, int inst)
   /* allow format string override in instance */
   fmt_attr = xctx->format ? xctx->format : "format";
   my_strdup(470, &format, get_tok_value(xctx->inst[inst].prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2));
-  if(!format || !format[0])
+  if(!format && strcmp(fmt_attr, "format") )
+    my_strdup(1633, &format, get_tok_value(xctx->inst[inst].prop_ptr, "format", 2));
+  if(!format)
      my_strdup(486, &format, get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2));
-
+  if(!format && strcmp(fmt_attr, "format"))
+     my_strdup(1634, &format, get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, "format", 2));
   if ((name==NULL) || (format==NULL)) {
     my_free(1015, &template);
     my_free(1016, &format);
@@ -2294,8 +2306,12 @@ static void print_verilog_primitive(FILE *fd, int inst) /* netlist switch level
   fmt_attr = xctx->format ? xctx->format : "verilog_format";
   /* allow format string override in instance */
   my_strdup(1186, &format, get_tok_value(xctx->inst[inst].prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2));
+  if(!format && strcmp(fmt_attr, "verilog_format") )
+    my_strdup(1635, &format, get_tok_value(xctx->inst[inst].prop_ptr, "verilog_format", 2));
   if(!format || !format[0])
     my_strdup(522, &format, get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2));
+  if(!format && strcmp(fmt_attr, "verilog_format"))
+     my_strdup(1636, &format, get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, "verilog_format", 2));
   if((name==NULL) || (format==NULL) ) {
     my_free(1054, &template);
     my_free(1055, &name);
@@ -2492,9 +2508,13 @@ void print_verilog_element(FILE *fd, int inst)
  int quote=0;
  const char *fmt_attr = NULL;
  Int_hashtable table = {NULL, 0};
+ const char *fmt;
 
  fmt_attr = xctx->format ? xctx->format : "verilog_format";
- if(get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2)[0] != '\0') {
+ fmt = get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2);
+ if(!fmt[0] && strcmp(fmt_attr, "verilog_format"))
+   fmt = get_tok_value((xctx->inst[inst].ptr + xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, "verilog_format", 2);
+ if(fmt[0]) {
   print_verilog_primitive(fd, inst);
   return;
  }
diff --git a/src/verilog_netlist.c b/src/verilog_netlist.c
index c5475b55..85fb4cc5 100644
--- a/src/verilog_netlist.c
+++ b/src/verilog_netlist.c
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ void global_verilog_netlist(int global)  /* netlister driver */
   if( type && (strcmp(type,"timescale")==0 || strcmp(type,"verilog_preprocessor")==0) )
   {
    str_tmp = get_tok_value( (xctx->inst[i].ptr+ xctx->sym)->prop_ptr , fmt_attr, 2);
+   if(!str_tmp[0] && strcmp(fmt_attr, "verilog_format"))               
+      str_tmp = get_tok_value( (xctx->inst[i].ptr+ xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, "verilog_format", 2);
+
    my_strdup(106, &tmp_string, str_tmp);
    fprintf(fd, "%s\n", str_tmp ? translate(i, tmp_string) : "(NULL)");
   }
@@ -468,6 +471,8 @@ void verilog_block_netlist(FILE *fd, int i)
      if( type && ( strcmp(type,"timescale")==0  || strcmp(type,"verilog_preprocessor")==0) )
      {
       str_tmp = get_tok_value( (xctx->inst[j].ptr+ xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, fmt_attr, 2);
+      if(!str_tmp[0] && strcmp(fmt_attr, "verilog_format")) 
+         str_tmp = get_tok_value( (xctx->inst[j].ptr+ xctx->sym)->prop_ptr, "verilog_format", 2);
       my_strdup(545, &tmp_string, str_tmp);
       fprintf(fd, "%s\n", str_tmp ? translate(j, tmp_string) : "(NULL)");
      }
diff --git a/src/xschem.tcl b/src/xschem.tcl
index b46f586f..fdf2313b 100644
--- a/src/xschem.tcl
+++ b/src/xschem.tcl
@@ -346,6 +346,29 @@ proc sframe {container} {
 }
 #### /Scrollable frame
 
+## convert engineering form to number
+proc from_eng {i} {
+  set str {}
+  scan $i "%g%s" n str
+  set str [string tolower $str]
+  if { [regexp {^meg} $str] } { set str {meg} } else {
+    set suffix [string index $str 0]
+  }
+  set mult [switch $suffix {
+    a         { expr {1e-18}}
+    f         { expr {1e-15}}
+    p         { expr {1e-12}}
+    n         { expr { 1e-9}}
+    u         { expr {1e-6}}
+    m         { expr {1e-3}}
+    k         { expr {1e3}}
+    meg       { expr {1e6}}
+    g         { expr {1e9}}
+    t         { expr {1e12}}
+    default   { expr {1.0}}
+  }]
+  return [expr {$n * $mult}]
+}
 
 ## convert number to engineering form
 proc to_eng {i} {
diff --git a/xschem_library/devices/pmos4.sym b/xschem_library/devices/pmos4.sym
index d021664d..84bf6b86 100644
--- a/xschem_library/devices/pmos4.sym
+++ b/xschem_library/devices/pmos4.sym
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ v {xschem version=3.1.0 file_version=1.2
 G {}
 K {type=pmos
 format="@spiceprefix@name @pinlist @model w=@w l=@l @extra m=@m"
+lvs_format="tcleval(@spiceprefix@name @pinlist @model w=@w l=@l @extra area=[expr [from_eng @w ] * [from_eng @l ] ] m=@m )"
 template="name=M1 model=pmos w=5u l=0.18u del=0 m=1"
 verilog_format="pmos #@del @name ( @@d , @@s , @@g );"}
 V {}