Centre Viewports Accurately

[KATIE0801]

:oops:I have created a floorplan - one with furniture and one with the lighting fixtures.

 

I am planning to print these so that the lighting plan overlays the furniture floorplan.

 

I have used 'pan' to centre them in both (in the two separate viewports) but this is hard to do by vision only and i am always a few mm out.

 

Is there a setting to centre these automatically??

[Tiger]

Under the command MVSETUP there is an Align option, you can use that to align the viewports both horizontally and vertically to each other.

[KATIE0801]

Thanks. The two plans are in different documents, I should have mentioned this. Can I still do this? If so, how? Or do I need to do something diefferent?

[ReMark]

Xref the floor plan into the drawing for the lighting plan.

[KATIE0801]

Ok - how do you do that??

[Tiger]

Thanks. The two plans are in different documents, I should have mentioned this. Can I still do this? If so, how? Or do I need to do something diefferent?

 

Ah, then no, for the Align -command to work the Viewports need to be on the same layout.

 

What Remark says will help, but you still need to position the Viewport at exactly the same location in both files.

 

I have been scorned for my way to do this before, but I still think it is a good way so here it goes.

 

1. Decide on a size of the viewport, and a location. In my case, this size is as large as the paper I want to plot on to simplify things.

2. Decide on a scale at which to plot. I always plot at the same scale, so it's easy for me, always 1:200.

3. Multiply your viewport-size with your scale (in my case, 200 times bigger)

4. Draw a rectangle in the floorplan at the new, bigger size. Place the rectangle as you want your viewport to be placed.

5. X-ref the floorplan into the lighting plan.

6. Go to Layout and create a Viewport in the aforedecided size and location.

7. Activate the Viewport by clicking inside it and use the command Zoom > window and pick the rectangles corners.

8. If you have calculated correct and drawn the rectangle correctly, your viewport should now be at the correct scale.

 

Since you have the same rectangle on the floor plan as the lighting plan and the viewport in the Floor plan and the lighting plan are placed at the same location on the paper, the drawings will overlap perfectly.

[ReMark]

Via the Insert > External Reference commands. Pick the Attach button and when the Select File dialog box appears locate the file you wish to Xref into your drawing. You'll be asked if you want to attach or overlay the file, include a path or not, the location and scale. Make your choices then click on the OK button.

 

Before proceeding it might be best to get a general overview of working with Xrefs by consulting your User's Guide or AutoCAD Help.

 

I've used Xrefs very sparingly so at this point I'll defer to those who work with them more often and therefore know more than I.

[f700es]

Honestly, if the plan is really simple I probably would have just drawn all of it in just one drawing and just had them on different layers. This way you can simply turn on and off the needed layers for each print/plot/layout. This would have also made the need to center items a non issue as they would have been drawn on top of the plan any way. Now for larger and more complicated plans you can always make a base plan and then xref this into a master drawing for your electrical, rcp, foundation plan or whatever.

[KATIE0801]

Great, thanks for all the help. I have got it sorted. Katie

[ReMark]

That is good news. Thanks for updating us Katie. I hope it wasn't too difficult.

[MikeScott]

Ah, then no, for the Align -command to work the Viewports need to be on the same layout.

 

What Remark says will help, but you still need to position the Viewport at exactly the same location in both files.

 

I have been scorned for my way to do this before, but I still think it is a good way so here it goes.

 

1. Decide on a size of the viewport, and a location. In my case, this size is as large as the paper I want to plot on to simplify things.

2. Decide on a scale at which to plot. I always plot at the same scale, so it's easy for me, always 1:200.

3. Multiply your viewport-size with your scale (in my case, 200 times bigger)

4. Draw a rectangle in the floorplan at the new, bigger size. Place the rectangle as you want your viewport to be placed.

5. X-ref the floorplan into the lighting plan.

6. Go to Layout and create a Viewport in the aforedecided size and location.

7. Activate the Viewport by clicking inside it and use the command Zoom > window and pick the rectangles corners.

8. If you have calculated correct and drawn the rectangle correctly, your viewport should now be at the correct scale.

 

Since you have the same rectangle on the floor plan as the lighting plan and the viewport in the Floor plan and the lighting plan are placed at the same location on the paper, the drawings will overlap perfectly.

 

Nice! I like it.. thanks!