The viewport command in AutoCAD is a powerful tool that allows you to control the way your drawing is displayed on the screen. It determines the portion of your drawing that is visible in the drawing area. In this tutorial, we will explore how to use the viewport command and its various options.
Creating Viewports
To create a viewport in AutoCAD, follow these steps:
- Open your drawing file in AutoCAD.
- Select the layout tab where you want to create the viewport.
- Click on the “Layout” tab located at the bottom of the screen to activate it.
- Open the “Layout” ribbon tab.
- Click on the “Viewport” button in the “Layout Viewports” panel. This will display a dropdown menu with different types of viewports you can create.
- Select either “Rectangular”, “Polygonal”, or “Object” from the dropdown menu, depending on your preference.
- If you choose “Rectangular”, click and drag to define the rectangular shape of your viewport on the layout tab.
- If you choose “Polygonal”, click to define each corner of your custom-shaped viewport on the layout tab.
- If you choose “Object”, select an existing object in your drawing that you want to use as a viewport boundary. AutoCAD will automatically create a rectangular viewport around that object.
Modifying Viewports
Once you have created a viewport, there are several options available to modify its properties:
- Resize: To resize a viewport, select it and click on the grips that appear on the corners or edges. Drag the grips to adjust the size as desired.
- Move: To move a viewport, select it and click on the grip located at the center.
Drag the grip to reposition the viewport on the layout tab.
- Scale: To scale a viewport, select it and use the scale grip located at one of the corners. Drag the grip to increase or decrease the scale of the viewport.
- Rotate: To rotate a viewport, select it and click on the rotation grip located at one of the corners. Drag the grip to rotate the viewport to your desired angle.
Working with Multiple Viewports
In AutoCAD, you can have multiple viewports in a single layout tab. This allows you to display different views of your drawing simultaneously.
To create multiple viewports in a layout tab, follow these steps:
- Select an existing viewport on your layout tab.
- Type “MVIEW” in the command line and press Enter. This will activate the “Multiview” command.
- Select additional locations on your layout tab where you want to create new viewports. AutoCAD will automatically divide your layout into multiple viewports based on your selections.
Tips for Working with Viewports
- Naming Viewports: It is a good practice to give meaningful names to your viewports. To do this, double-click on a viewport to activate it and then type a name in the “Viewport Name” field in the Properties palette.
- Locking Viewports: To prevent unintentional modifications to a viewport, you can lock it.
Right-click on the viewport and select “Lock” from the context menu.
- Controlling Viewport Display: You can control the display of objects within a viewport by freezing or thawing layers. Double-click on a viewport to activate it, open the Layer Properties Manager, and select the desired layers to freeze or thaw.
With the viewport command in AutoCAD, you have full control over how your drawing is displayed. By creating, modifying, and managing multiple viewports, you can effectively communicate your design intent and improve your productivity.
Now that you have learned about the viewport command’s basic usage and options, start experimenting with it in your own AutoCAD projects!