viewport not visible or selectable

Helping a colleague with CAD file from retired source. DWG has viewports on layout tabs, but the viewports are not visible. The viewport can be open, edited as established, but if you pan or zoom, the paperspace layout moves and not model space. In model space, viewport frame does not highlight.

All layers on, unfrozen, and plottable.

Have done extensive internet search to find soution, found others with same problem, have found no one with a solution.

Not extremely CAD literate, basically self taught, but until this problem, I've been knowledgeable and resourceful solving problems.

Any solutions out there?

The viewports wouldn't happen to be on layer defpoints would they? Is layer 0 on and thawed?

Could they be the same color as the background?

Can you select the viewport border with QSelect?

Thanks for replying, but unfortunately, no, no, and no

File originally generated with a viewport layer, and printer icon "x" out, but changing layer color, printer icon, achieved nothing.

EDIT: SLW types and thinks faster than me.

I suspect that the viewport frames may be on the defpoints layer and/or the layer is locked, or maybe it is the same color as the background, or it is precisely under the drawing border line, if there is one. Try changing the draworder of the border line, send it to the back to see if there is anything under it.

People have been known to use the viewport frame as part of the drawing border line as well, on the same layer as the title block, same color, same lineweight.

Some of us older draftsmen used to put things they didn't want plotted on the defpoints layer back in the day, because there was no other way to do it.

Try selecting everything in the area where part of the viewport frame should be with a crossing window, right to left, right click, select properties. Check the dropdown list of objects selected at the top of the properies box to see if viewport(s) is on the list. If so, pick it to see what is up with the thing.

Whether or not the viewport is on the defpoints layer, once you can select it, move it to a new bright colored layer named viewports or something logical, and mark it no plot.

In the layer manager look for a padlock icon in the lock column. It is never a good idea to use the defpoints layer for anything. It can cause major problems. The AutoCad program uses that layer for its own purposes.

Since you say the frame is not selectable, I am not sure how to get it off there if the layer is not locked, or frozen, and on to a reasonable layer, if that is where it is.

You are panning and zooming paperspace because the viewport display is locked. If the viewport is selectable, you can select it and right click then unlock or lock it. You can also do that on the properties dialog. Caution, zooming through an unlocked viewport will change the scale.

Can you make a copy of the drawing, delete everything that's not necessary to demonstrate the problem, then attach the sample dwg here?

Nestly I would love to send you an edited copy of the file, unfortunately not sure how to attach file. Have it edited, and even zipped, but "copy-paste" does not seem to be the way.

To attach a drawing to a post start by clicking on the Go Advanced button just below the lower right hand corner of the Reply box. At the next screen click on the Paperclip icon. You should be able to handle it from there.

Thank you ReMark. Had no idea that was a paper clip

file edit.dwg

Paperspace moves because the VP's are locked. While in MS on the Layout tab, use CTRL+R to toggle between the two VPs and unlock them. They seem to behave normally, except for being invisible.

The viewports appear to be clipped, so my guess is that their associated polyline got deleted. I vaguely recall a procedure to recover them, but if they're just simple viewports without a lot of customizations, it may be easier to just delete and recreate them (QSELECT will select the invisible VP's from PS)

oops, are you actually using AutoCAD2005? I have the dwg open in 2011 at the moment, but I do have 2005 installed as well.

nestly, thank you so much for your assistance, I can only do my best to pay it forward.

I to came to the conclusion it's not worth the agravation and faster to recreate the layouts, but if it's possible to recreate this problem, it seems like a great way to protect a file.

Keep the Faith,

This is not the topic I was looking for, but here's another semi-related topic, I believe the the posts by irneb (post #22 & 23) may describe what was done to your drawing. If you want/need additional help, just ask.

Aha. You can also qselect in the layout tab, select viewports from the dropdown at the word multiple, click OK and just erase them, then re-do them. A do-over looks like the only way out.

You can re-vclip a viewport to a new polygon, but the danged viewports have to be individually selectable within the vpclip command. I tried several times to come up with a sequence so vpclip might see the selection set of the 2 viewports from qselect, but I never got it to work. I thought that I somehow vclipped both viewports to the same rectangle once. I moved my new rectangle and both views moved with it at the same time. I never could re-create it or get it done right. I think the problem is that there are two viewports and no way to deselect one of them.

It is entirely possible that vpclip and qselect may work together if there is only ONE viewport in the layout for qselect to find in the first place.

:lol:This is going on my list of things to fire people for.

.... but if it's possible to recreate this problem, it seems like a great way to protect a file.

 

Keep the Faith,

It is entirely possible that vpclip and qselect may work together if there is only ONE viewport in the layout for qselect to find in the first place.

If you want to pursue, you can select the objects (viewports) individually by their handle. QSELECT both VP's and LIST them to get their handles, then use SELECT > (HANDENT "HandleID") With only one selected, use the Properties palette to make it unique, such as changing it's layer.

If you want to pursue, you can select the objects (viewports) individually by their handle. QSELECT both VP's and LIST them to get their handles, then use SELECT > (HANDENT "HandleID") With only one selected, use the Properties palette to make it unique, such as changing it's layer.

For the moment, my camel is perfectly happy jammed only half way through the needle. Thanks. That's a pretty esoteric move that may well prove to be handy for something else down the line.

Your funny!

Thank you for all the effort, I do appreciate everyone's assistance and the support has been overwhelming

Finally finished all the revised layouts

Keep the Faith,