Editing Viewports in AutoCAD 2020: A Step-by-Step Guide
AutoCAD is renowned for its robust features in drafting and design, and managing viewports is essential for presenting your work effectively. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to edit viewports in AutoCAD 2020.
Selecting the Viewport
To begin editing a viewport, navigate to the layout tab that contains the viewport you wish to modify.
- Click on the Main Viewport: Select the main viewport frame by clicking on it once. This indicates that you are ready to resize or adjust it.
Resizing the Viewport
To change the dimensions of the viewport:
- Adjust the Size: Look for blue squares (handles) around the viewport. Click and drag these handles to resize the viewport as needed.
- Finalize the New Size: Once you have adjusted it to the desired size, click again to confirm the resizing.
Moving Viewport Elements
After resizing, you may need to adjust adjacent arrows or other elements within your layout:
- Select an Arrow: Click once on an arrow to select it.
- Drag to Move: Now, drag this arrow to reposition it as necessary.
Changing Viewport Properties
To modify properties associated with your viewport:
- Access Layer Settings: If applicable, set the current layer to one designated for layout viewports. This is useful for organizing and managing layers effectively.
- Insert New Viewport:
- On the Layout tab, find the Layout Viewports panel and click on Insert View.
- Choose from the available options for viewport placement and scale.
Clipping a Viewport
Clipping a viewport helps focus on specific areas of your drawing.
- Find the Clip Option: Go to the Layout Viewports panel and select the Clip option.
- Select Viewport: Click on the viewport you wish to clip.
- Optional Deletion: If you want to remove an existing clipping boundary, you can enter d for Delete.
- Define New Boundary: You can now specify points for a new polygonal clipping region by entering p.
Modifying Viewport Scale
To manage the scale of your viewport:
- Select the Viewport: Click on the viewport to highlight it.
- Open Properties: Right-click and select Properties from the context menu.
- Adjust Display Settings: Ensure that Display Locked is set to No if you wish to make changes.
- Choose Standard Scale: Navigate to the Standard Scale setting in the Properties palette and select your desired scale from the dropdown list.
Unlocking and Freezing Viewports
Sometimes, you might find that a viewport is locked or frozen.
- Unlocking: To unlock a viewport, type lock in the command line, select Off, and choose the viewport.
- Freezing Layers: To manage layers, double-click within the viewport to make it active, then adjust layer settings in the Layer Properties Manager.
Removing Viewport Borders
If you want a cleaner look without borders:
- Command for Viewport: Enter mview in the command line.
- Turn Off Borders: When prompted, type off, select the viewport, and press ENTER.
Creating New Viewports
To create a new viewport:
- Navigate to View > Viewports > New Viewports.
- In the dialog that appears, name your new viewport and select from the list of available standard viewports.
- Click OK to finalize the creation of your new viewport.
FAQ
Q1: What should I do if my viewport does not display correctly after resizing?
If your viewport does not display correctly after resizing, ensure that the layer containing the viewport is not frozen or locked. You may also want to check that the viewport scale is correctly set.
Q2: How can I ensure consistent viewport settings across multiple layouts?
To maintain consistent settings, you can use the Viewport Settings dialog. First, go to File > Settings > Viewport, then apply your desired configurations to all relevant viewports.
Q3: Is it possible to create a non-rectangular viewport?
Yes, you can create a non-rectangular viewport by selecting a closed polygonal shape or line structure and converting it into a viewport. Use the Polygonal Viewport option in the Viewports menu to define your custom shape.
