How to Not Plot Viewport Border in AutoCAD

Understanding Viewport Border Management in AutoCAD

Introduction to Viewports

AutoCAD provides layout viewports to present different views from the model space in paper space. Managing these viewports effectively is crucial for a clean and professional presentation of designs, especially when preparing prints. One common task is ensuring that viewport borders do not appear in the final output.

Turning Off the Viewport Border

To stop the viewport border from printing, follow these steps:

1. Access Layout Tab:
   Begin by navigating to the layout where your viewport is located.

2. Activate MVIEW Command:
   On the command line, type mview and hit Enter. This command allows you to adjust the properties of the viewport.

3. Set Viewport Border to Off:
   When prompted, type off to indicate that you want to turn off the border.

4. Select the Viewport:
   Click on the viewport frame you wish to deactivate and press Enter. The border should now be hidden and will not appear in print.

Hiding the Viewport Boundary

To remove the visibility of the viewport boundary entirely:

1. Switch to Layout View:
   Go to the layout tab that contains the viewport border you want to hide.

2. Access Object Properties:
   Locate the Object Properties toolbar and click on the Layers button.

3. Create New Layer:
   Open the Layers dialog and create a new layer specifically for viewport boundaries. Name your new layer appropriately.

4. Freeze the New Layer:
   Select the Freeze option for your new layer to prevent it from appearing in any output.

5. Confirm Changes:
   Click OK to apply these configurations in your AutoCAD environment.

Customizing Viewport Border Visibility

Configuring viewport borders can help manage what is visible in your layout:

1. Set Current Layer:
   Before starting, ensure you are on a layer meant for layout viewports. This helps manage visibility settings more effectively.

2. Use the Layout Viewports Panel:
   From the Layout tab, choose the appropriate viewport type (Rectangular, Polygonal, or Object) to create your desired layout.

3. Modify Properties:
   Once created, adjust the viewport properties in the Properties palette to control the visibility of borders more precisely.

Steps to Unhide a Viewport Frame

If your viewport frame has been hidden and needs to be restored:

1. Open Layer Properties Manager:
   Ensure the layer containing the viewport is not turned off or frozen within the Layer Properties Manager.

2. Review Layout Tabs:
   Navigate to the specific layout tab where the viewport is located.

3. Use Quick Select:
   In the Properties palette, utilize the Quick Select feature to filter for viewport objects specifically.

4. Restore Frame Visibility:
   After selecting the viewport from the dialog box, confirm that it is visible and update any necessary settings to make it show during printing.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I create an irregular viewport?
To make a non-standard shaped viewport, draw a closed polyline to your desired shape, then use the mview command. When prompted, choose the Object option and select the polyline you created.

2. What if I want to remove a viewport completely?
To delete a viewport, go to the View tab and open the Viewports panel. Select the viewport you wish to delete in the Named Viewports dialog, and press the DELETE key to remove it.

3. How can I adjust the scale of a viewport?
Select the desired viewport, then visit the Properties palette. Under the viewport properties, you can adjust the scale settings to ensure your view is presented at the correct size for your layout.