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You might know that viewports can
be clipped in AutoCAD and you might know that you can use non-rectangular
viewports in AutoCAD 2000 and newer versions, but did you know that you can
also clip or mask other portions of a viewport as well as the outside
border?
Well you can and here's how my friends.
Enter a Paperspace tab.
Typically when I use this scenario I will draw a
rectangular viewport that is used as the template for tracing where the
final shaped viewport will be. After the shaped viewport is complete I
erase the layout viewport that doesn't have the irregular shape.
Create a rectangular viewport and set the correct scale.
Now simply create a closed polyline of the exterior shape for the final
viewport by tracing over the corresponding geometry of the layout viewport.
Next you will trace over the geometry that needs to be masked with a closed
polyline. You can have more than one closed polyline within the
exterior border.
Now for the secret weapon, start the Region command, select all of your
polylines, issue a return, and all of your closed polylines are now Regions.
To cut the masked areas from the region start the Subtract command and
choose the exterior region first, then issue a return and then select the
other regions to cut them from the outer Region.
Type -vports at the command line to start the command line version of the
Vports command. (You could also use the Convert Object to Viewport
button on the Viewports toolbar). Use the Object option and select
your region.
The new region now is a Viewport!
Double click inside the Viewport and match the view scale to that of the
initial layout Viewport. You may need to Pan the view to match the
layout viewport.
Use the -pan command and use the same Osnap spot for each viewport to align
them perfectly!
Last but not least, erase the layout Viewport.
This is the last installment for the
Tips of 2003.
Enjoy your holidays, and look for new tips and tricks for 2004 in January! |
