Create a custom viewport

How can I create a custom viewport in AutoCAD LT 2007? Is this possible? I ran a search in the forums and nothing popped up and then I checked google. _mview did not work.

Thanks, folks!

Custom? As in an odd shape or something like that? Draw the shape you want, mview, object, select. Or mview, Polygonal, draw any shape. Or are these not options in LT?

What shape are you after, there are easy ways for simple shapes, like a "T" shaped viewport.

rkent,

See attached.

hrmmm...

I'm not sure about AutoCAD LT 2007, I'm using LT 2010 and follow the method outlined by rkent for creating custom viewports. This could be a newer feature? I don't know when it was first introduced. Make sure that the shapes you've drawn above are closed polylines, rather than individual lines/curves. They won't be converted to viewports if the polylines aren't closed. That's the only reason I can think of as to why mview>object wouldn't work...

Any luck since posting?

-mw

No luck, bassmaster_m. I even used the spline tool to make a viewport and all I seem to be able to create is boring old rectangular viewports.

This is what I get with the drop down menu with MVIEW.

hrmm... I'm guessing perhaps that using objects to create custom viewports is a newer feature. I'm using 2010 LT and the drop down menu has both "polygon" and "object" options. (see attached) You might be out of luck with using 2007 LT.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, I'll keep looking into it and let you know what I find.

best regards,

-mw

bbankston,

Read "Finally...AutoCAD LT 2009 has Nonrectangular Viewports!" at http://lynn.blogs.com/lynn_allens_blog/2008/04/more-autocad-20.html. As you can see, unfortunately, it wasn't possible to create non-rectangular vports in AutoCAD LT before the 2009 release.

Also check out http://www.hyperpics.com/commands/. Just fyi, it lists all of the AutoCAD commands and Aliases and shows when they were introduced/changed. I find it a useful reference sometimes.

Hope this clears up the mystery,

-mw

Thanks, bassmaster_m! So now I know. AutoCAD LT 2007 does not support non-rectangular viewports. 'Preciate the help.

Any time, glad to help!

cheers,

-mw

If this is something that you would use more than once (ie create a template with these vports set up), you could make the polyline outline you want over a vport, then send the dwg to someone with full cad to clip it for you (post it here, I'm sure someone could do it). I believe that you would be able to use the clipped VP, it's just that LT doesn't allow you to create them.

Maybe not a bad idea, chulse. I've attached a DWG file containing a layout with two viewports similar to the ones you sketched earlier, bbankston. Try to see if you can make use of them. You technically should be able to change the shape using the polyline grips, and copy/paste the viewports into other drawing files. I'll be interested to see if your AutoCAD will recognize the shapes as viewports, or just polylines.

Give'r a try!

-mw

Polyline Viewports.dwg

should look like this: