Viewports

[ericjames]

I have been using Vectorworks for quite a few years now. However, when printing, I have always chosen the page size and then simply placed the page indicator over my drawing and hit print. I know that using viewports can give you many more options when printing, but I am having a hard time understanding them using the Vectorworks help file.

Can anyone offer advice on getting more information with viewports

Thanks!

Eric

[Horst M.]

There are some Tutorials on Youtube

Some Tips are here

http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=59732

and there

http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/826/Creating+Viewports

I remember that I was ver happy when Viewports were implemented.

Just Don't remember when it was to have a look at the old Tutorila DVD's

have fun using Viewports

Horst M.

[Jonathan Pickup]

Viewports have their own:

Scale

crop

view

layer settings

class settings

class over-rides

lighting

rendering

and so on.

this allows you to create a drawing (sheet layer) that shows the same view with different settings, or to create different views of the same object.

[Benson Shaw]

Hey, Eric - I suggest creating some DL objects and a few viewports in a new file, then trying some of the options and features just to see what they can do. I did not see the need for VPs when they were introduced many versions ago, because I used your method of drawing scale and page indicator to create printouts. Now I find VPs essential.

Here are some startup comments. Hopefully you discovered all this already, but just in case:

1. In a VW file with several or many layers, possibly at different scales, changing location of the page indicator can cause all kinds of organizational and printing problems. It is often difficult to back out of these page location changes. It's usually best to avoid changes to location of the page indicator.

2. Use a crop object to create the VP (often a rectangle, but any 2d shape may be used). This helps plan how the VP, and subsequent copies of the VP will be used. Size and attributes of the crop object can be edited later as needed in each copy of the VP.

3. At creation, a VP will appear in its assigned sheet layer at same x/y distance from origin as the crop object on the design layer. This VP location is not necessarily inside the sheet layer page boundary. To move the VP into the page boundary, select the VP and adjust its OIP location coordinates, or drag it, or cut/paste. Then rescale the VP if necessary in the OIP via the VP scale pulldown (or via Modify>Scale Objects).

Post again with specific requests or problems.

Good luck.

-B

[ericjames]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all help. I'm crazy busy at the moment, but once I have time to play around I will repost if I have additional questions.

Thanks again!

Eric

[ericjames]

I played around with viewports for a bit last night. Those links were very helpful. THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Eric