Abstract: A method for creating a file of compressed data representing trace events produced in a circuit simulation. The method creates first and second arrays of value changes for a facility being monitored, and the time of the changes. The first and second arrays of data are compressed by identifying any data forming a repeating pattern, by the pattern and an iteration count. Each of these arrays have a common index, representing the position data for a facility as changed. Facility names are also compressed using a hashing algorithm which stores an index based on the hash result. The reproduction of the compressed data occurs without expanding the entire data file, by locating stored data by the facility name index which points to the position in the file of the stored facility data. The data is reviewed based on an inquiry which selects particular time intervals, which may be retrieved from the file along with the related values.