Watch out with referenced viewports!

[Dieter @ DWorks]

I have encountered a bug today that made my throw my entire presentation plan in the bin and made me make it again from the beginning. I submitted this bug as it's a very critical one because it makes referenced viewports useless.

The problem is the following:

When adding new classes to the source file, they don't show up in the referenced viewports class list. So you can't manipulate them. I have found no other way to work around this.

So if you want to use referenced viewports, only use them when the source documents are completely finished! So for example, it's ok to use them with imported dwg, because they don't change, but don't use them for other things that can still change.

This bug still exists in VW2012!

Edited September 27, 2011 by DWorks

[IanH]

I always use reference viewports and have never seen this issue. I quite often change the underlying source file, including manipulating classes.

I have however just tried as you said and witnessed this anomaly, however the class is recoverable and I personally don't think its a critical issue in normal use.

What I witnessed was with my standard creating of two files: survey and design.

design contains a design layer viewport which references survey.

I then added a new class to survey but did not assign anything to the class, saved the file, updated the out of date reference in design and looked at the class list of the viewport. As you say, no sign of the new class.

I then went back into survey, assigned an object the newly created class, saved the file, updated out of date reference in design. This time, the new class was in the viewport dropdown but, as I would have expected, it was hidden. Changing visibility of the new class to visible, the viewport contents reappeared.

So from what I can see, a new class that is not assigned to any objects does not show in the viewport. But a class that is assigned to an object, which is what I do much of the time, will appear in the viewport list, but will be invisible.

Tested on VW2011 but I do this sort of thing all the time so probably similar back to 2008. Somewhere deep in my grey matter I have a vague memory of new empty classes not appearing in viewport. But if I create a class, I normally assign it to an object, so its never an issue as the class always appears when it is assigned to any object.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

So from what I can see, a new class that is not assigned to any objects does not show in the viewport. But a class that is assigned to an object, which is what I do much of the time, will appear in the viewport list, but will be invisible.

You are correct. I see that now, but I still got the problem.

I did further tests and see the following:

It appears that classes that have a very long class name, never appear, even if there are objects drawn in it.

I'll do a bugsubmit again with this specific find.