Viewport Borders

[Lithium]

I have created one viewport to plot on an 8.5x11 sheet. I have selected the viewport (the rectangle with the four grips) and put it on a layer called Viewport. Then in Layer Properties I froze the Viewport layer and selected No Plot.

 

The viewport border still prints.

 

Talk to me. What do I need to do to keep it from printing?

 

P.S. I also set the linewidth to .020 and it prints ~.004. If I could get the viewport to print at .020 I'd let it be and not create my own border. (No title block involved). Or maybe not, sometimes I need a title block.

[CarlB]

Since you froze it I assume the display shows no border? If it does you might have a polyline over the viewport, which might also explain the different plot width.

[Lithium]

In Preview it shows.

 

I have never drawn a polyline in this drawing.

 

I can stretch it to outside the print area--that is how I have been getting around the problem.

[CADDict]

Why not just put the viewport on Defpoints?

[Phiphi]

Yes, DEFPOINT is the right layer for all view ports if do not want printing borders.

[Cad64]

No, Defpoints is not the "right" layer for viewports. It is an option, but not one that I would recommend. Putting your viewports on a "Viewport" layer, that is set to "No Plot", is a much better way to handle your viewports. I'm not sure why it's still showing up though?

 

Does this happen in any other drawings, or just this one?

Can you post the drawing?

[uddfl]

Why not just put the viewport on Defpoints?

 

Yes, DEFPOINT is the right layer for all view ports if do not want printing borders.

 

Fail. Don't put anything on DefPoints.

[Tiger]

Fail. Don't put anything on DefPoints.

 

As long as you know what so special about the Defpoint layer (i.e. that it never will be printed) it's not bad to use it. I put stuff on there that I absolutely do not want to show, stuff that are for my eyes only.

[Lithium]

Okay. I'll have to take my lumps on this one. I was mistaken when I said the viewport was on the Viewport layer. I was mislead by the fact that when I selected the viewport the word "Viewport" appeared in the Properties Dialog top line (where you see "No selection" if nothing is selected.)

I looked down to Layer and saw it saying 0. Changed it to Viewport layer and now everything is fine.

 

I think to avoid this I will not call a layer by the same name as the object, maybe "HideViewport" for the layer name.

 

Thanks for the responses.

[Tiger]

Glad it worked out for you

[CADTutor]

Oh, and I was just enjoying the exchange about what layer viewports should be on. As a web designer, I can tell you that viewpoints should NOT be on the defpoints layer. It's a semantic issue - semantics is a massive issue in web design. They should be on a layer called "viewports" or something similar and then set to no plot. The defpoints layer is for - well, defpoints and nothing else...

 

...unless you'd like to argue that all your steelwork should be on a layer called "wood". :wink:

[CADDict]

To each his own, I suppose. I just use Defpoints for everything I don't want plotted. In what I do for a living there's no sense creating separate non-plotting layers.

Of course, then again the only things I ever have on my drawings that I don't want plotted are the viewports and notes to myself.

[Lithium]

Just so that I am clear on this, let me ask a follow-up question or two.

 

What is bothering me is that the viewport, if printed, is a fine line. I have tried to make it a thick line but have not been able to do so.

 

Should I even be trying to use the viewport as a border? If that is acceptable, is there some way to make it print as a thick border line?

[Cad64]

Are you printing using a ctb plot style? If so, then just set your viewport layer color to be one with a heavier lineweight.

[Lithium]

I was not familiar with cbt so had to learn about it using Help.

 

What I came away with is that it seems to be something used when plotting with pens. Have I got that right?

 

I am actually 'printing' on an inkjet printer.

[Cad64]

There are two types of plot styles. CTB and STB. If you are doing plotting, of any kind, you are using one or the other.

 

Have a look here for a pretty in-depth explanation of the two: http://www.cadmasters.com/techsupp/acad/pltstyle.html

[Tiger]

I was not familiar with cbt so had to learn about it using Help.

 

What I came away with is that it seems to be something used when plotting with pens. Have I got that right?

 

I am actually 'printing' on an inkjet printer.

 

well....it's not really pens per say... from what I know (and I'm sure there's someone here that can explain it better *caugh*boarddrafters*caugh*) it comes from when the drawings were done on boards, and different pens were used for the different line weights, there's still talk about the different pens, but now it just referes to line weights.

[Lithium]

I got my brain in gear and solved my problem....

 

I just draw polylines, using the viewport grips to locate them. Set the polylines to .020 and slide one corner of the polyline rectangle up so I can delete the viewport, and slide it back. Nice wide borders.

 

Thanks everyone.

[GCarr78]

As long as you know what so special about the Defpoint layer (i.e. that it never will be printed) it's not bad to use it. I put stuff on there that I absolutely do not want to show, stuff that are for my eyes only.

 

 

I agree, I typically use the Defpoint layer for my viewports because I KNOW if someone else works on my drawings, that a "Viewport" layer might get to confusing, "stupid proof" is what I call it

[YZ]

I think to avoid this I will not call a layer by the same name as the object, maybe "HideViewport" for the layer name.

 

Our Viewports are on a layer called "VPORT", which of course is set to not plot, and cannot be mistaken for the word "Viewport" in the properties dialogue box. I have, until now, been convinced that that is a good system.

 

I agree, I typically use the Defpoint layer for my viewports because I KNOW if someone else works on my drawings, that a "Viewport" layer might get to confusing, "stupid proof" is what I call it

 

I get frustrated when people put things in separate layers in order to keep objects of different types separate. It is easy to Quick Select by object within a layer, so that all objects can stay on one relevant layer (for eg various objects which all need to not be plotted).

 

I now realise that my VPORT layer has a tendency to be doing the very thing I get frustrated with. (Because there are only ever Viewports in there). It would be like having all of my polylines in a POLYLINE layer.

 

However, it leaves me with a further question: What does the label "Defpoints" even mean?! I never use that layer and RENAME and PURGE it out of all my templates.

 

And for us it is a dangerous habit to have things in the drawing file that we do not want to plot, because we email our .dwg files as frequently if not more than printing. And once other consultants get that file, you do not want anything on there that is not for others to see.