Once you have imported a netlist and compiled a design, you can save the design as an ADB file.
To save your design as an ADB file:
In the File menu, select Save or click the save icon in the toolbar.
Enter the File name and click Save. The default file name is the name you previously entered in the setup dialog box. The default format is adb. Make sure your save in the “.adb” format.
Once you have saved your compiled design as an ADB file, during any future Designer sessions, you can open the ADB file, skipping the compile step, and perform optimization on the design, including updating netlist and auxiliary file information.