Multiple layouts from a single model with viewports

[RichardLloyd]

Hi all, firstly, apologies for my lack of technical terms on this, please bear with me whilst I try to explain what I am struggling with!

 

Right, I have got a drawing of a school that we are designing the fire sprinkler layout on. For the initial approval drawings, I have printed it to scale an A0 paper which is fine. However, I am now looking at doing the construction issue drawings following the approval and I want these on no larger than A1 paper and a larger scale for ease of use on site. This is where my problem comes in.

 

A colleague has previously split the original layout of another drawing up on the modal tab which worked, however, he was missing things when he made changes on one as he didn't move it straight over to the next saved area on another file. Therefore, I have seen it done before but not sure how, where it is a single model for the entire drawing, and then multiple layouts that show a pre-selected area on the model drawing to different layout pages.

 

Does anyone have any advise on how to do this or a tutorial that I could read etc. I assume I would make a new layer for viewports and draw over the main drawing the areas where I want the splits, create my page layouts and then pick the referenced areas that I drew on the viewport layer?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[Dadgad]

There is a really good thread that ReMark posted a few years ago, talking about his approach to the use of paperspace viewports.

 

It sounds like it will really help you to quickly come to grips with your situation.

 

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?72972-Things-you-should-know-about-Viewports.

 

When you start creating your layouts, you will be able to define the view, and the scale of what is shown in each one, and they can all be different.

Just pick an appropriate scale, once you have the view more or less how you want it in the viewport, then be sure to LOCK the viewport.

You can also VIEWPORT freeze any layers that you don't want to show in a particular viewport.

I am quite sure ReMark discusses that, I haven't read this post in a long time, but it is quite comprehensive.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Dadgad

[RichardLloyd]

I've had a good look at that article and while it is very informative, it doesn't exactly tell me what I think is possible. Is there anymore advice available? I'm sure it is possible to draw the viewports on the model tab on a separate layer set not to print and then link or clip the viewports on separate paper layouts? I'm sure some drawing I've had sent to me are done like this but I don't know how it is done.

[Dadgad]

While there certainly are other approaches, I see no reason why they might be better. This is the same system which I have used for the last 8 years quite successfully.

I suppose you could create VIEWS, with saved layer snapshot, instead, by creating a NEW VIEW in your View Manager, which is another trick I use sometimes, when I want to set up easily accessible custom perspectives for repeatability.

[Cad64]

If I understand correctly, you want to create viewports in paper space based on predefined outlines that you have drawn in model space? I have never known Autocad to have this sort of functionality, but I did some digging around online and found this: http://drive-cad-with-code.blogspot.com/2014/06/open-viewport-from-modelspace.html. There is some pretty extensive coding involved, but apparently it can be done. If you scroll to the bottom of the page there is a video that shows how the code works.

[BIGAL]

A dwg I have has 88 layouts of one 18 street design. So different scales etc its easy.

 

1st step and a must insert your title block in a layout in paperspace at 1:1 scale ie A1 ours is 801x554mm

 

2nd make a viewport inside your title block use mview etc. Double click inside it and as a first go Zoom E

 

3rd Make sure you have the "viewports" tool bar on, metric is a dream here for scale. Zoom in roughly to the area of interest and get a view about how you like it. Look at the viewport toolbar a number appears in the right hand box, this is the zoom scale factor. If I get say 2.365 I type in the box 2 this is exactly 1:500 for a metre metric plan.

 

4th just plot your title block on a A1 sheet at 1:1 scale if you want A3 then just set it to 1:2

 

We work in metres so a quick scale lesson 1000/500=2 1:500 1000/250=4 1:250 it takes us seconds to set a sheet to the view required.

 

Need a bit to the right. Copy the layout stretch the mview window to the right shrink the left and just move the whole window back to the middle of the sheet. Scale is still correct.

 

5th Just copy the layout as many times as you like, click on the viewport border, then right click and set Display Locked to Yes to prevent accidental zooming.

[RichardLloyd]

Thank you for the suggestions. Unfortunately my boss won't buy the full package yet so coding is not an option I don't think on LT, but I will take a look at the other ways. What is viewport clipping all about out of interest, and what about named viewports?

 

I was wondering if it was a case of creating the vp boundary, naming it in model space, then inserting a named viewport in the paper space layout.

[BIGAL]

Everything I have posted is supported by LT !

 

I think your reading stuff into using layouts and making it complicated. Again try my steps.

[RichardLloyd]

I thought coding wasn't available on LT, I will have to read more into it and take a look. I always used to use paperspace to print before I moved company, and then they had a different view and did everything on pre-scaled model templates. It's OK until you get an architectural drawing sent over which doesn't fit on a single page and then you have to split the dwg up. This is how things are getting missed when we have to do revisions.

Edited May 2, 2016 by RichardLloyd
Spelling

[ReMark]

Richard: I don't see where you are getting the reference to "coding" from the suggestions provided by BIGAL in post #6.

 

I suggest that you attach a copy of the drawing you are working on to your next post so someone here can take a look at it.

[RichardLloyd]

I was mentioning it in relation to the post before that one ReMark. I will post the file up in a bit when I get on the computer, just on the tablet at the minute.

[Cad64]

Sorry, I missed that you are using LT. Disregard my previous post.

[rkent]

Working with the entire model in model space and then using mulitple viewports in paper space is very basic and how most folks work these days. As for getting an exact area in model space to be an exact viewport size in a layout is another matter and is probably not worth doing through coding.

 

Here is what I do when I know I will have more than on viewport in layouts showing portions of the whole. From paper space I will get my title block inserted and then filled out. Create a viewport, get it scaled to the scale desired. Pan through the viewport to show the portion I want for this page. Adjust the size of the viewport to only show the model area for page 1. While still in page 1 and in PS create another viewport approximately the same size touching the first one. Use VPSYNC to exactly line up and scale the second viewport to the first one. Continue for the number of pages desired. LT may not have VPSYNC so see the alternate listed below which is almost as good.

 

Finally copy the layout for the number of pages needed, rename those. Go to each one and delete the viewports not needed for each page, move the viewport inside the title block. Touch up each title block with the page number, description, etc.

 

Instead of the VPSYNC command you can also copy the first viewport in place on top of itself. Then pick on it, grab the grips to the left side and pull beyond the right side which gives you a viewport lined up exactly where needed and of course at the correct scale. Continue however many times necessary.

 

I think this is what you are after.

[ReMark]

This might work although it is a bit convoluted.

 

In model space draw a box around the area you are interested in using a single continuous polyline. Copy it to the clipboard. Switch to your layout. Paste the box into the layout. Scale the box. Invoke the MVIEW command and using the Object option select the scaled box. Activate the viewport and find the box you created back in model space. Do a zoom > window picking two diagonal corners of the model space box. The model space box should now fill the entirety of the layout box.

 

I could swear someone created a lisp routine that addresses your unique problem but I can't seem to locate the thread at the moment. I'll keep searching.

[RichardLloyd]

No worries Cad64, hopefully we will upgrade to full soon and I can start using code

[Dadgad]

This might work although it is a bit convoluted.

 

In model space draw a box around the area you are interested in using a single continuous polyline. Copy it to the clipboard. Switch to your layout. Paste the box into the layout. Scale the box. Invoke the MVIEW command and using the Object option select the scaled box. Activate the viewport and find the box you created back in model space. Do a zoom > window picking two diagonal corners of the model space box. The model space box should now fill the entirety of the layout box.

 

I could swear someone created a lisp routine that addresses your unique problem but I can't seem to locate the thread at the moment. I'll keep searching.

 

Might you be referring to this lisp by Lee Mac?

 

http://www.lee-mac.com/vpoutline.html

 

Thanks Lee!

Edited May 3, 2016 by Dadgad

[BIGAL]

A similar to a box, is to pick a point as the centre in model then go to layout do a "enter scale", "zoom c adjusted scalefactor" and then a "zoom vpscale/xp", uses lisp to work out the variables.

[ReMark]

Might you be referring to this lisp by Lee Mac?

 

http://www.lee-mac.com/vpoutline.html

 

 

That's the one. Thanks Dadgad. My memory chips must be on low power. Think I need another cup of java to recharge them.

[danglar]

This approach can convert layout with multiple viewports to multiple layouts, but in semi automatic way (need to give name to each layout and select appropriate objects for separation). Probably it can help you

Layout Separate - LS.lsp

[Cad64]

The OP is using Autocad LT, so lisp routines will not work.