Help with layers

and who said AutoCAD wasn't easy to learn!?

I'm just having a little fun with that comment. I can relate to the frustration. I just got through my first (and maybe last) real drawing set package.

It's not the understanding of what the viewports are intended to be that was frustrating for me. It was the understanding how to tell AutoCAD what I wanted to show to actually show. Like, if you have the layer with the boxes around the viewports off, then dimensions you chose show in the scale of your paperspace. So you have to make sure the viewports layer is on to get dimensions showing on the paper space that give the dimension of the model space. But if you happen to click in the viewport and activate model space before you dimension, you will get the dimension of the model as intended, but it ends up in every single viewport them (go back to the model tab and check... it's in there too!!). And then finally, a subtlety I noticed was if I used the tab button to move from snap point to snap point when trying to place my dimension leaders, I got a different result than if I just hovered and found one that was acceptable. Haven't figured that one out completely yet.

But yes, MikeScott's description of what a viewport represents is a very good one. Think about that first, and make sure you know what you want in each viewport. Then, and only then, focus on how you are going to get AutoCAD to control those viewports.

From what I see, I would do this.....

1. At 0,0,0, make all, let's say, 80 profiles, each on a separate layer.

2. Turn off 79 of those layers.

3. On your paper space, lay out a grid with some construction lines to orient your boxes later to those snap points.

4. Create your first viewport looking at profile #1

5. Scale, zoom, rotate, etc. until you get the view you like.

6. Lock the Viewport as noted previously (VERY IMPORTANT!!)

7. Save

8. You might save a named view at this point, but I don't know if they go from viewport to viewport or not.

9. Click on, but not in the viewport, such that your viewport box goes from a thin line to a dotted line with grips on the corner, and not to a heavy dark line around it.

10. Do a copy or array to put your first viewport into all 80 spots. These can (and should) all be on the same layer, maybe called 'viewports'.

11. Now the fun starts, click on vp #2, open layer manager, and turn of layer #1 and turn on layer #2... Others have talked about freezign and thawing, but I think that might not be necessary and that on/off will also work.

12. Save

13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 78 times.

this project actually sounds kind of fun and theraputic to me:geek:, and once I got past the initialy frustration, Ithink should move along fairly smoothly.

Good luck.

11. Now the fun starts, click on vp #2, open layer manager, and turn of layer #1 and turn on layer #2... Others have talked about freezign and thawing, but I think that might not be necessary and that on/off will also work.

You aren't familiar with the system.

To clarify:

If you are trying to "turn off/turn on" a layer in a viewport, you only have the option to freeze or thaw it. Everything else is "global" and will affect all viewports, rather than selected ones. (though you might have to regen to see it take effect in other viewports)

I suggested VPLAYER because it deals directly with that to avoid confusion, and with less steps involved.

However, if you run the layer manager (while on a layout tab), and press the "show details" button when you have a layer selected, you will see the freeze options there too. (" Freeze in all viewports", "Freeze in Current Viewport", "Frieze in New Viewpoints")

There is no option to "turn on/turn off" a layer in a viewport.

You are correct.. freezing is used to stop items on a layer from showing up. What you COULD do is rotate the view within a specific viewport, rather than rotating the actual object, so it's untouched in the other viewport. (which is what this topic originally started out as)

 

 

 

You were right the first time, that's not how it works. You CAN do a slideshow, which is somewhat similar in terms of being an image of the model as it appeared when you took "took the picture", but it has nothing to do with freezing anything. Instead, you use MSLIDE, VSLIDE, etc.. check on them in your help (F1 button) to see how they work.

I see the light, I see the light. The simple phrase "Rotate the view, not the object" done it for me.

Thank you, MikeScott.

Now all I need is several more grand to upgrade to 3D here in my semi-retired home office.

 

There is no option to "turn on/turn off" a layer in a viewport.

No, you are correct. I didn't open the software to double check what I was talking about... a light bulb for on/off vs. a sun for freeze/thaw.... I was thinking of the column to the right side of the layer manager that is for individual layers, but I just goofed on the terminology.