Clone viewport from one file to another

[Francois Levy]

One cannot currently copy a viewport from one file to another. In order to do so, one would have to copy the design layer from the source file, create a new sheet layer, create a new viewport, then copy annotations from one viewport to another, carefully positioning them in place. Very tedious if one has a sheet with a dozen or more viewports! Workgroup References will not reference sheet layers, unfortunately.

Does anyone know of or have a script that allows copying or cloning viewports (or even entire sheet layers, viewports and all) from one file to another?

[jfmarch]

why not use the 'save as..' feature?

[Francois Levy]

Thought I responded but my earlier reply didn't appear. Hopefully this isn't a duplicate post. If so, I apologize.

Save As won't allow me to integrate two files. For example, if in one project file I've developed details (Viewports) from wall sections (Design Layers), and I want to import them into a new file in order to reuse said details, I have to manually copy and paste Design Layer contents, create new VPs, copy and paste Annotations, etc. Even Workgroup References won't allow the kind of importing I've describe. Furthermore, in CA, I like to have all my drawings in a single file, even if during CDs the set was broken up in two or more files, and Referenced.

[Guest]

The eyedropper tool works on Viewports in VW 12.5

You can pick up the attributes of a viewport and place them on another viewport either in the same file or another file.

The only thing you would have to create is the sheet layer and empty viewport. Use the eyedropper tool to pickup from one vp and put down on the newly created vp

Now, if you want the information on the design layers to also copy to the new file, then you'll need to workgroup reference in the design layer information.

[Francois Levy]

I'll give it a whirl. THANKS!!

[Francois Levy]

Katie,

Tried the eyedropper; it only saves me one step. It does allow me to set the scale, view, render mode, and source layer(s) of a new viewport to match that of another viewport in another document, assuming both files have like-named source layer(s). It doesn't transfer annotations or crop, which is the time consuming part. Still not quite what I'm looking for.

[Guest]

Francois,

In the eyedropper preferences, make sure all the eyedropper options for Viewports are checkmarked. It sounds like "Other Properties" for Eyedropper Preferences - Viewport section is not checkmarked.

You are right, the annotations will not copy over.

The benefit is that all the properties - scale, view, render mode, etc are all pasted over.

The source layers names need to be the same since that's part of the defintion of a Viewport. Yes, the layer names need to be the same. The eyedropper tool copies the object definitions from one object to another. Certain conditions need to exist for the value of using the eyedropper tool on viewports.

It sounds to me like you are looking for VW to create the viewport for you, assume the layer references, and copy all the information within the viewports to other files.

The first two are relative objects, so there's no getting around that. The third may be best used with copy and paste, or using document templates that have symbols of the detail information you are looking to place in each of your drawings as repatitive information.

[Jonathan Pickup]

i try not to put annotations in viewports...

[Francois Levy]

Maybe that works for you. Naturally, I need to dimension details, and obviously dimension strings have to be annotations.

Looks like I need to cross-post this over on wishlist.

[jfmarch]

I agree with archoncad, I also do not like to put annotations in viewports. If the file gets corrupted, all that info is lost during rescue. I conceptually view (pun?) the Sheet Layer as strictly presentation tools within each file. Except for crops, all the info going to the sheet is done on design layers.

What I do is create a 'Notes' layer where I know I will be using viewports. This layer can be used with layer links as well if there is a scale change.

What you might consider doing is creating a template.sta file for your details with all the proper settings and info, and using that for each project. You can WG Reference the titleblock layer from you project file. Or, maintain a master detail file for all your work, knid of like a databse for details that grows with your practice.

That eydropper tool is something, though...

Edited November 2, 2006 by jfmarch

[lljonno66]

If you group a viewport or viewports, then you can copy and pasted them from one project sheet layer to another (note - classes will stay selected but you will need to add layers to the viewport when you ungroup the viewport/s). 

 

[Boh]

I’m glad they finally got a good solution! It was worth the wait! 😋