learning objectives - media.scc.losrios.edumedia.scc.losrios.edu/.../bk_autocad_2008_ch06.pdf ·...

Learning Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to do thefollowing:/ Magnify a small part of a drawing to work on details.

Move the display window to revealportions of the drawing outside theboundaries of the monitor.

Explain the differences between the REDRAW command and the REGENcommand.

Createnamed views that can be recalled instantly.Create multiple viewports in the graphics window.Control display order.

You can view a specific portion of a drawing using the AutoCAD displaycommands. The ZOOM command magnifies objects so that you can see them moreclearly. The portion ofa zoomed drawing that isdisplayed on-screen can be changedusing the PAN command. Use the View Manager to create and namespecific views ofthe drawing. When further drawing or editing operations are required, the view canbe quickly and easily recalled.

While you work on a drawing, you may need to refresh the screen display. Thischapter discusses the options for refreshing the screen and optimizing both displayspeed and drawing quality.

c Getting Close to Your Work

Zooming is the process of making objects appear bigger or smaller on the screenwithout affecting their actual sizes. Zooming gives designers the ability to createextremely small items, such as the electronic circuits found in a computer. The ZOOMcommand is a helpful tool that you will use often. The various options of the ZOOMcommand are discussed in the next sections.

zooming: Makingobjects appearbigger or smaller onthe screen without

affecting their actualsizes.

195

o

N Eflife:^

ZOOM

z

View

> Zoom

196

The Zoom OptionsEach of the ZOOM options can be accessed by selecting the option in the Zoom

cascading menu from the View pull-down menu. If you are working in the AutoCADClassic workspace, the options are also available as a Zoom flyout in the Standardtoolbar. All the buttons in the Zoom flyout are also found in the Zoom toolbar. SeeFigure 6-1.All ZOOM options except In and Out are available when Z or ZOOM is typed:

Command: Z orZOOMJ

Specify corner of window, enter a scale factor (nX or nXP), or[All/Center/Dynamic/Extents/Previous/Scale/Window/Object] <real time>:

3The Zoom buttons are not available on the Standard Annotation

toolbar in the 2D Drawing and Annotation workspace. However,the Realtime, Window, and Extents options are available in the2D Navigate control panel of the Dashboard.

The ZOOM options are as follows:• Realtime. This interactive zooming is the default option. Zooming is done by

holding down the left mouse button while moving the cursor up or down.• All. Zooms to the edge of the drawing limits. If objects are drawn beyond the

limits, the All option zooms to the edges of your geometry. Always use thisoption after you change the drawing limits.

Figure 6-1.ZOOM command options. A—The Zoom flyout button on the Standard toolbar. B—The Zoomcascading menu. C—The Zoom toolbar.

Zoom Window

Zoom Dynamic

Zoom Scale

Zoom Realtime

Zoom Window

Zoom Dynamic

Zoom Scale

Zoom Center

Zoom Object

Zoom In

Zoom Out

Zoom All

Zoom Extents

Flyout

Zoom Extents

Zoom All

tenter / \ Zoom Out

Zoom Zoom

Object In

C

EZ3 Zoom

\f Redraw

Regen

Regen AH

cascading/ menu

Pan •

Orbit •

Camera *

Walkand Fly •

Aerial View

QJ Realtime

^ Previous

@, WindowC^ Dynamic$1 Scale@, Center<Sk, ObjectClean Screen CTRL+0

Viewports *

© Named Views...3D Views •

fcjuj Create Camera

©.Out

^ ExtentsShowAnnotative Objects •

-> HideVisual Styles •

Render *

^ Motion Path Animations...

Display *

Toolbars...

B

AutoCAD and Its Applications—Basics

• Center. Zooms the center of the display screen to a picked point. If you wantto zoom to the center of an area of the drawing and want to magnify the viewas well, then pick the center and height of the area in the drawing. Rather thana height, a magnification factor can be entered by typing a number followedby an X, such as 4X. The current value represents the height of the screen indrawing units. Entering a smaller number enlarges the image size, while alarger number reduces it.

• Dynamic. Allows for a graphic pan and zoom with the use of a view box thatrepresents the screen. This option is discussed in detail later in the chapter.

• Extents. Zooms to the extents (or edges) of the geometry in a drawing. This isthe portion of the drawing area that contains drawing objects.

• Window. Allowsyou to pickopposite cornersofa box. Objectsin the box enlargeto fill the display. The Window option is the default if you pick a point on thescreen upon entering the ZOOM command.

• Scale. The following prompt appears when you select the Scale option:

Enter a scale factor (nX or nXP):

The nX option scales the display relative to the current display. To use thisoption, type a positive number, then X, and then press [Enter]. For example,enter 2X to magnify the current display "two times." To reduce the display,enter a number less than 1. Forexample, if you enter .5X, objects appear half aslarge as they did in the previous display.

The nXP option is used in conjunction with model space and paper space.It scales a drawing in model space relative topaperspace and is used primarilyin the layout of scaled multiview drawings.

Both of the Scale options can be entered at the initial ZOOM commandprompt. For example, enter the following sequence to enlarge the currentdisplay by a factor of three:

Command: Z orZOOMJ

[All/Center/Dynamic/Extents/Previous/Scale/Window/Object] <real time>: 3XJCommand:

• Previous. Returns to the previousdisplay. You can go back ten displays, one ata time.

• Object. Allows you to select an object or set ofobjects. The selectionis zoomedand centered to fill the display area.

• In. This option is available only on the toolbar and the pull-down menu. Itautomatically executes a 2X zoom scale factor.

• Out. This option is available only on the toolbar and the pull-down menu. Itautomatically executes a .5X zoom scale factor.

View Transitions

When you use the ZOOM command or any of its associated options, the zoomoperation is performed in a smooth transition from the current display to the newdisplay. Thisfeature iscontrolled bytheVTENABLE system variable. To turn offsmoothtransitions, type VTENABLE and entera value of0. To turn on smoothtransitions, typeVTENABLE and enter a value of 3,which is the defaultsetting.

The VTENABLE system variable also is used to change the smooth transitionsfor changes of view angle and for scripts. This variable can be changed in the ViewTransitions dialog box, which is accessed by typing VTOPTIONS. See Figure 6-2.

Chapter 6 Display Options 197

realtime zoom:

A zoom that can

be viewed as it is

performed.

198

Figure 6-2.The View Transitions

dialog box is usedto change thesmooth transitions

for zooming andpanning operations,changes of viewangle, and scripts.

Turn smooth

transitions -

on and off

View Transitions

•0 Enable animation loipan&zoom

0 Enable animation whenviewrotates

Q Enable animation during scripts

Transition Speed

Slow

Approximate time 750 milliseconds

Performance

Minimum frames per second (fps) for showingview transitions

LlO

OK Cancel Help

Speed controlfor transitions

Performing Realtime ZoomWhen using the command line, the default option of the ZOOM command is

Realtime. A realtime zoom can be viewed as it is performed. It is activated bypressing [Enter] at the ZOOM command prompt, by picking the Zoom Realtimebuttonin the 2D Navigate control panel of the Dashboard or in the Standard toolbar, by pickingView > Zoom > Realtime, or by right-clicking in the drawing area and selecting Zoomin the shortcut menu.

Realtime zooming allows you to see the model move on the screen as you zoom.The Zoom cursor (a magnifying glass icon with a plus and minus) is displayed whenrealtime zoom is executed. Press and hold the left mouse button (pick button) andmove the pointer up to zoom in (enlarge) and down to zoom out (reduce). When youhave achieved the display you want, release the button. If the display needs furtheradjustment after the initial zoom, press and hold the left mouse button again andmove the pointer to get the desired display. To exit realtime zooming, press the [Esc]key or the [Enter] key, or right-click and pick Exit.

If you right-click while the Zoom cursor is active, a shortcut menu is displayed.This menu appears at the Zoom cursor location and contains six viewing options.

• Pan. Activates the PAN Realtimeoption. This allows you to adjust the placementof the drawing on the screen. If additional zooming is required, right-clickagain to display the shortcut menu and pick Zoom. In this manner you cantoggle back and forth between PAN and ZOOM Realtime to accurately adjust theview. A detailedexplanation of the PAN commandis givenlater in this chapter.

• Zoom. Activates the ZOOM Realtime option. A check appears to the left of thisoption if it is active.

• 3D Orbit. This option is used tomove around a 3Dobject. When this is selected,your point of view around the drawingcan change. A detailed explanation of3D Orbit is provided later in this chapter.

• Zoom Window. Activates the ZOOM Window option and changes the cursordisplay. See Figure 6-3. You canpick opposite corners ofa window but,unlikethe typical zoom window, youmustpressand hold the pick button whiledragging the windowbox to the opposite corner, then release the pickbutton.

• Zoom Original. Restores the previous display before any realtime zooming orpanning occurred. This is a handy function if the current display is not toyour liking, and it would be easier to start over rather than to make furtheradjustments.


Figure 6-3.The cursor changes when Zoom Window is selected from the shortcut menu.

C

*•

Zoom Extents. Zooms to the extents of the drawing geometry. This can also beaccomplished by double-clicking a wheel mouse.

AutoCAD supports most mice that have a scroll wheel. This isa wheel between the two mouse buttons that usually scrolls thedisplay up or down. Within AutoCAD, the scroll wheel has thesebasic functions:

• Roll the wheel forward (away from you) to zoom in.• Roll the wheel backward (toward you) to zoom out.• Press and hold the wheel button and move the mouse to pan.• Double-click the wheel to zoom to the drawing extents.The ZOOM FACTOR system variable controls the incremental movement of the wheel. By default, the zoom factor is set to 60 percent.

Accurate Displays with a Dynamic ZoomThe ZOOM Dynamic option allows you to use a view box to specify the portion of

thedrawing youwant todisplay. Thisviewbox isproportional to the sizeof thedisplayarea of your screen. If you are looking at a zoomed-in view when ZOOM Dynamic isselected, the entire drawing is displayed on the screen.

Topractice using this command, load any drawing into AutoCAD.Then select theZOOM Dynamic option. The screen is now occupied by three boxes. See Figure 6-4.The third box (panning view box) changes to a zoomingview boxduring the process.Each box has a specific function:

• Drawing extents, (bluedotted line) This boxshows the area of the drawing thatis occupied by drawing objects. It is the same area that is displayed with ZOOMExtents.

• Current view, (greendotted line)This is the view that was displayed beforeyouselected ZOOM Dynamic.

• Panning view box. (X in the center) Move the pointing device to find the centerpoint of the desired zoomed display. When you press the pick button, thezooming view box appears.

• Zooming view box. (arrow on right side) This box allows you to reduce orenlarge the area you wish to zoom. Move the pointer to the right to increasethe size of the box. Move the pointer to the left to shrink the box. You can alsopan up or down with the zooming view box. The only restriction is that youcannot move the box to the left.

The ZOOM Dynamic command isnot complete until you press [Enter]. Ifyoupressthe pick button toselect the zooming view box, you can resize the viewing area. Pressthepick buttonagainand the panning view box reappears. Thepanning viewbox canthenbe repositioned overthe areadesired. In this manner, youcanfine-tune the exactdisplay needed. This is also helpful in defining permanent views, which is discussedlater in this chapter.

Chapter 6 Display Options

view box: A small

box that allows youto adjust the currentzoom magnificationvisually.

199

panning: Movinga zoomed drawingaround so that

different parts ofit are visible on

screen.

realtime pan: Apanning operation inwhich you can seethe drawing moveon the screen as

you pan.

2D Navigate> Pan Realtime

Pan Realtime

View

• Pan

> Realtime

200

Figure 6-4.Features of the ZOOM Dynamic option.

Drawingextents -

View box-

Current

view """

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Aerial View is a navigation tool that uses a separate window tospecify the display. The Aerial View window is accessed by pickingView > Aerial View. Use the box displayed within the Aerial Viewwindow to define the display. Realtime zooming and panning aretypically more effective and do not occupy any of your screen area(as the Aerial View window does).

Exercise 6-1Complete the exercise on the Student CD.

Moving around the Display Screen jThe PAN command is used to move your viewpoint around the drawing without

changing the magnification factor. Panning is similar to looking through a cameralens and moving the camera across the drawing. It is typically used in conjunctionwith the ZOOM command to change the display.

Performing Realtime PanA realtime pan allows you to see the drawing move on the screen as you pan.

It is the quickest and easiest method of adjusting the view around the objects on thescreen.Toactivaterealtime panning, pickView >Pan >Realtime, pick the Pan Realtimebutton on the 2D Navigate control panel of the Dashboard, or type P or PAN.


The Realtime Pan button is also available on the Standard toolbar

in the AutoCAD Classic workspace. It is not available on theStandard Annotation toolbar in the 2D Drawing and Annotationworkspace. Instead, it is located in the 2D Navigate control panel ofthe Dashboard.

After starting the command, press and hold the pick button and move the pointingdevice in the direction you wish to pan. The pan icon of the hand is displayed whena realtime pan is used. A right-click displays the same shortcut menu available forrealtime zooming.

Using Scroll Bars to PanThe scroll bars at the bottom and to the right of the drawing area can also be used

to pan the display. See Figure 6-5. Pick the arrows at the end of the scroll bar to panin small increments. Select the scroll bar itself to pan in larger increments. Positionthe cursor over the box in the scroll bar, pick and hold the left mouse button, and thenmove the mouse to see realtime panning in the horizontal or vertical direction.

CThe drawing area scroll bars can be activated and deactivated byselecting the Display scroll bars in drawing window option in theWindow Elements area of the Display tab of the Options dialog box.To access this dialog box, select Tools > Options... from the pulldown menu or right-click in the drawing area and select Options...from the shortcut menu.

Figure 6-5.The drawing areascroll bars can be

used for panningoperations.

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in progress.

202

Undoing Pan and Zoom OperationsThere are times when you are working in one area of a drawing and you need to

referenceanother area for information. It may take a few zoom and pan operations toget to the other area. By using the UNDO command, you can get back to the workingarea of the drawing in just one undo. This is because AutoCAD groups together panand zoom commands that are operating at the same time. This allows you to pan andzoom around the drawing and then get back to the original view quickly. To use thisfeature, select Edit > Undo, pick the Undo button from the Standard Annotation toolbar,type UNDO, or right-click and select Undo from the shortcut menu. This feature iscontrolled by the Combine zoom and pan commands option in the Undo/Redo areaof the User Preferences tab of the Options dialog box. Deactivating this option makeseach pan and zoom operation count as an individual undo even if they are performedat the same time.

JAutoCAD provides two additional panning tools: pan displacement and pan presets. These options are available in the View> Pancascading menu. You specify the pan displacement by picking twopoints, with the drawing panning so that the first point is relocatedto the second point. Pick the Point option to specify a pan displacement. The pan presets options—Left, Right, Up, and Down—panthe drawing in the selected direction by a set increment. Realtimepanning is more efficient than pan displacement and pan presets.

Using Transparent Display CommandsTo begin a new command, you usually need to complete or cancel the current

command. Most menu picks automatically cancel the command in progress beforeinitiating the new one. However, some commands function without canceling anactive command.

A transparent command temporarily interrupts the active command. After thetransparent command is completed, the command that was interrupted is resumed.Therefore, it is not necessary to cancel the initial command. Many display commandscan be used transparently, including REDRAW, PAN, and ZOOM.

Suppose that while drawing a line, you need to place one end somewhere offthe screen. One option is to cancel the LINE command, zoom out to see more of thedrawing, and select LINE again. A more efficient method is to use PAN or ZOOM whilestill in the LINE command. Todo so, begin the LINE command and pick the first point.At the Specify next point: prompt, pick the Pan or Zoom button or use the wheel mouseto pan and zoom. When the drawing is displayed correctly, pick the second point ofthe line.

j

The Pan and Zoom buttons and pull-down menu selections activate commands transparently. The wheel mouse also workstransparently.

You can also activate commands transparently by typing. To do so, type an apostrophe (') before the command name. For example, to enter the transparent ZOOMcommand, type 'Z or 'ZOOM.


cA transparent redraw is executed when Redraw is picked from theView pull-down menu. Commands such as GRID, SNAP, and ORTHOcan be used transparently, but it is quicker to activate these modeswith the appropriate function keys or from the status bar.

c Redrawing and Regenerating the Screen 3The REDRAW command is used to refresh the display of objects. To redraw the

screen, select View > Redraw or type R or REDRAW. The REDRAW command simplyrefreshes the current screen. To recalculate all drawing object coordinates and regenerate the display based on the current zoom magnification, regenerate the screen withthe REGEN command. For example, if you have zoomed in and curved objects appearas straight segments, use REGEN to smooth the curves. Toaccess the REGEN command,pick View > Regen or type RE or REGEN. The screen is immediately regenerated.

c Setting View Resolution jAutoCAD can save you time on zooming and panning at the expense of display

accuracy. AutoCAD can also provide a highly accurate display at the expense of zoomand pan speed. The main factor is the view resolution.

The view resolution controls the number of lines used to draw circles and arcs.

High resolution valuesdisplay smoothcircles and arcs. Low resolution values displaysegmented approximations of circles and arcs. The view resolution can be set in theOptions dialog box. To access this dialog box, pick Tools > Options... from the pulldown menu and pick the Display tab. In the Display resolution area in the upper-rightcorner of the dialog box is the Arc and circle smoothness text box. This contains thecurrent VIEWRES setting. See Figure 6-6.

The VIEWRES setting can vary between 1 and 20000. The default setting is 1000,which produces relatively smooth circles. A number smaller than 1000 causes circlesand arcs to be drawn with fewer vectors (straight lines). See Figure 6-7. A numberlarger than 1000 causes more vectors to be included in the circles.

It is important to remember that the VIEWRES setting is a display function onlyand has no effect on the plotted drawing. A drawing is plotted using an optimumnumber of vectors for circles and arcs. In other words, even if a circle you draw lookslike a polygon in the drawing area before REGEN is used, it will still look like a circlewhen the drawing is plotted.

cYou can change the VIEWRES setting by typing VIEWRES. A Do youwant fast zooms? prompt appears. This prompt is no longer useful,but remains in AutoCAD so programs written for earlier versionswill still function properly.


REDRAW

BBEBffiEB

Redraw

view resolution: A

setting that controlsthe number of line

segments AutoCADuses to create

circles and arcs.

203

204

Figure 6-6.The view resolution

(VIEWRES variable)can be set in the

Options dialog box.

Figure 6-7.The higher theVIEWRES value, thesmoother a circle

will appear.

0 Display scroll bars indrawing window

0 Display Drawing statusbar

EJ Display screen menu

O Uselarge buttons for Toolbars

0SbowToolTips

0 Showshortcut keysinToolTips

Colors..

Layout elements

0 Display Layout andModel tabs

0 Display printable area

0 Display papei background0 Display papershadow

0 ShowPageSetupManager for newlayouts

0 Create viewpoit innewlayouts

Crosshair size

-o-

Change number to changethe view resolution (VIEWRES)

Display reBI non

:--, 1000 1 Arc and circle smoothness

:-„ 8 Segments in a polyline curve

a I0-5 Rendered object smoothness

. am Cgntour linesper surface

Displayperformance

I IPan and zoom withraster &OLE

—^ 0 Highlight raster image frame only

|5 0 Apply solid fill-5 0 Show text boundary frame only

I I Draw due silhouettes for solids and surfaces

Reference Editfading.intensity

Hm .

OK Cancel Apply Help


c Creating Your Own Working Views )On a large drawing with a number of separate details, using the ZOOM and PAN

commands can be time-consuming. Being able to specify a certain part of the drawingquickly is much easier. This is possible with the View Manager, which allows you tocreate named views of any area of the drawing. A view can be a portion of the drawing,such as the upper-left quadrant, or it can represent an enlarged area. After the view iscreated, you can instruct AutoCAD to display it at any time.


View ManagerThe View Manager can be accessed by picking the Named Views button in the View

toolbar, selecting View > Named Views... from the pull-down menu, or typing V, VIEW,or DDVIEW. The left side of the View Manager contains a list of view types, or nodes. SeeFigure 6-8. Each node can be expanded, except Current, to reveal any saved views:

• Current. Displays the properties of the current view.• Model Views. Contains a list of saved model views.

• Layout Views. Contains a list of saved layout views.• Preset Views. Lists all preset orthogonal and isometric views.Picking one of the view nodes displays information about the view type. The right

side of the View Manager contains buttons to control or modify the selected view orview type. These actions are also available in a shortcut menu when you right-click onthe view or view type. Select the New... option to open the New View dialog box.

Picking one of the view names causes the middle area of the dialog box to displayinformation related to the current view. See Figure 6-9. The first section, General,contains details such as the name of the view, layer settings saved with the view, andother settings pertinent to the type of view. This section is not visible while the Currentnode is selected. The settings in the View section include camera position, target position, and perspective status. The Clipping section controls front plane and back planelocation and the clipping status. Some of these items will be covered in more detailin this chapter; others are reserved for later chapters, where the information is morerelevant.

The lower-right corner of the View Managershows a preview image of the selectedview. This image is only visible when one of the named model or layout views isselected.

Preset views

The Preset Views node is used to choose one of the ten preset views. Noticein Figure 6-9 that the icons highlight the side of the drawing that will be viewed.The orthogonal views include Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, and Right. Picking any ofthese icons and pressing the Set Current button changes the view in AutoCAD soyou are looking at your drawing from the selected direction. The preset isometric

Figure 6-8.The view nodes of the View Manager dialog box help organize saved and preset drawing views.

View nodes

View Manager

Current View: Current

Views

H, CurrentEB R Model Views

• Layout ViewsSJ rv Preset Views


Update U

Camera X

Camera Y

00000

0.0000

CameraZ

Target X

TargetY

Target2

1.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

Rollangle 0

Height 327817

Width 45.6384

Perspective Oil

Lens length (m. 50 0000

Field of view 40

'-:•'• Boursa

Cancel •'•• • Help

VIEW

v

DDVIEW

View

Named Views

View

Named Views...

205

206

Figure 6-9.Select a named view to see its properties and a preview image.

Ea View Manager

Current View: Current

Views

m^ Current3 [Q Model Views

tBEJEESHIa [3 Layout Views

Q My layout viewS (^ Preset Views

Top

Bottom

Left

Right

Front

Back

SW Isometric

SE Isometric

NE Isometric

MW Isometric

Name

Category

UCS World

Layer snapshot Yes

Annotation scale <None>

VisualStyle 2D Wireframe

BackgroundoLive Section

Camera X

Camera Y

Camera Z

TargetX

TargetY

TargetZIloll dng'e

Height

Width

<None>

<None>

0.0000

0.0000

1.0000

0.0000

0.0000

0.0000

10.3141

17.7506

Perspective Oil

Lens length (m... 50.0000

Field of view 40

Frontplane 0.0000Back Plane 0.0000

Clipping Oil

Cancel

Preview

Apply Help

views include Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, and Northwest. These views can alsobe selected from the View > 3D Views cascading menu or from the View toolbar. SeeFigure 6-10.Selecting any of these icons displays a 3D (isometric) view of the drawing.Orthogonal and isometric views are covered in greater depth in AutoCAD and ItsApplications—Advanced.

New view

If you want to save the current display as a view, pick the New... button to accessthe New View dialog box. Type the desired view name in the View name: edit box.TheCurrent display radio button is the default. See Figure 6-11. Click OK to add the viewname to the list. AutoCAD creates a view from the current display.

If you want to use a window to define the view, pick the Define window radiobutton in the New View dialog box and then pick the Define view window button. Picktwo points to define a window. After the second corner is selected, the NewView dialogbox reappears. When you pick the OK button, the View Manager is updated to reflectthe new view.

If the named view is associated with a category in the Sheet Set Manager, the category can be selected from the View category drop-down list. The Sheet Set Manager isdiscussed in Chapter 29.

When you save a new view, you can save the current layer settings with it. Theselayer settings are recalled each time the view is set current. To do this, check the Savelayer snapshot with view check box.


Figure 6-10.Preset orthographic and isometric views can also be selected in the 3D Views cascading menuin the View pull-down menu or from the View toolbar.

Isometric

views

View Control

drop-down

Camera

NW Isometric

NE Isometric

SE Isometric

SW Isometric

Back

Front

Right

Figure 6-11.In the New View dialog box, you can save the current display as a view or define a window tocreate a view.

§3 NewView

Defines new

view ascurrent ~~display

Check to

save the /current layersettings with

the view


Viewcategory:

Boundary

My New View

) Current display O Define window

Settings

J&\ Savelayersnapshot with view

UCS:

Live section:

Visualstyle:

Background

Default

IO World

• Save sun propertieswithview

Current override:None

Cancel

Enter name

for a new

view

\ Used with

X the SheetSet

s^ Manager

^ Define viewwith a

window

Help

207

f3L-

It is possible to save a named UCS (user coordinate system) to anew view when it is created. The UCS command is introduced in

Chapter 8 of this textbook and covered in depth in AutoCAD andIts Applications—Advanced.

}

To display one of the listed views, pick its name from the list in the Views areaof the View Manager and pick the Set Current button. The name of the current viewappears in the Current View: label above the Views area. Pick the OKbutton to displaythe selected view. You can also select a named view using the drop-down list in the2D Navigate control panel of the Dashboard.

c

JPart of your project planning should include view names. A consistent naming system guarantees that all users know the view nameswithout having to list them. The views can be set as part of thetemplate drawings.


Tiled Viewports )The model space drawing area can be divided into various viewports. These

tiled viewports: viewports are called tiled viewports. Another type of viewport, floating viewports,modei0spaceeated'" can ^e created in a layout tab. Tiled viewports are created in model space; floatingtioatin view orts- viewPorts are created in paper space. Floating viewports and layouts are described inViewports created in Chapter 25.

By default, there is only one viewport in the drawing area. Additional viewportscan be added. The edges of tiled viewports butt against one another like floor tile.Tiled viewports cannot overlap.

Viewports contain different views of the same drawing, displayed at the sametime. Only one viewport can be active at any given time. The active viewport has abold outline around its edges. See Figure 6-12.

Creating Tiled ViewportsViewports can be created using the Viewports dialog box. See Figure 6-13. You

can access this dialog box by picking the Display Viewports Dialog button from eitherthe Layouts or Viewports toolbar. You can also type VPORTS, or select View > NewViewports > Viewports... from the pull-down menu.

The New Viewports tab is shown in Figure 6-13. The Standard viewports: listcontains many preset viewport configurations. The configuration name identifies thenumber of viewports and the arrangement or location of the largest viewport. Theseconfigurations are shown in Figure 6-14. When you select one, a preview appears in thePreview area. Select *Active Model Configuration* to preview the current configuration.

paper space.

View

> Viewports> New

Viewports.

208 AutoCAD and Its Applications—Basics

Figure 6-12.An example of three tiled viewports in model space. All viewports contain the same objects,but the display in each viewport can be unique.

Three

viewports

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Figure 6-13.Specify the number and arrangement of tiled viewports in the New Viewports tab of theViewports dialog box.

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Changenamed view

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Change thevisual style ofthe selected

viewport

Ifnoneof the presetconfigurations fits yourneeds, youcan create a unique viewport configuration and save it. Enter a name in the New name: text box. When youpick the OK button, the new named viewport configuration is recorded in the NamedViewports tab. Use a descriptive name. For example, ifyou are going to configure fourviewports, you might name this as FourViewports.

TheApply to: drop-downlistallows you tospecify whether theviewportconfiguration is applied to the graphics window or to the active viewport only. Select Displaytohavethe configuration applied to the entiredrawing area.Select Current Viewport toapply thenew configuration in the active viewport only. See Figure 6-15.

Chapter 6 Display Options 209

210

Figure 6-14.Preset tiled viewportconfigurations areavailable in the New

Viewports tab of theViewports dialogbox.

Figure 6-15.You can subdivide

a viewport bychoosing CurrentViewport in theApply to: drop-downlist. Here, the top-left viewport wasfurther subdivided

using the Two:Vertical presetconfiguration.

One Viewport Two Viewports

Single

Three: Right

Three: Left

Four: Equal

Two: Vertical

Three Viewports

Three: Horizontal

Three: Vertical

Four Viewports

Four: Right

Configuration applied toactive viewport

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The default setting in the Setup: drop-down list is 2D. When this is selected, allviewports show the top view of the drawing. If the 3D option is selected, the differentviewports display various 3D views of the drawing. At least one viewport is set upwith an isometric view. The other viewports have different views, such as a top viewor side view. The viewpoint is displayed within the viewport in the Preview image. Tochange a view in a viewport, pick the viewport in the Preview image and then selectthe new viewpoint from the Change view to: drop-down list.

The Named Viewports tab displays the names of saved viewport configurationsand gives you a preview of each. See Figure 6-16. Select the named viewport configuration and pick OK to apply it to the drawing area. Named viewport configurationscannot be applied to the active viewport only.

You can also select a viewport configuration from the View > Viewports cascadingmenu, shown in Figure 6-17. The following configuration options are available:

• 1 Viewport. This option replaces the current viewport configuration with asingle viewport.

• 2 Viewports. When you select this option, you are prompted to select a verticalor horizontal arrangement. The arrangement you choose is applied to theactiveviewport only. This configuration does not replace the current viewportconfiguration.

• 3 Viewports. The following options are available: Horizontal, Vertical, Above,Below, Left, and Right. The arrangement you choose is applied to the activeviewport only. This configuration does not replace the current viewportconfiguration.

• 4 Viewports. This option creates four equal viewports within the activeviewport.

Once you have selected the viewport configuration and returned to the drawingarea, move the pointing device around and notice that only the active viewportcontains crosshairs. The cursor is an arrow in the other viewports. Tomake a differentviewport active, move the pointer into it and pick.

As you drawin oneviewport, the image isdisplayed in allviewports. Trydrawinglines and other shapes and notice how the viewports are affected. Use a displaycommand, suchas ZOOM, in theactive viewport and notice the results. Only the activeviewport reflects the use of the ZOOM command.

Figure 6-16.The Named Viewports tab displays custom viewports.

List of named

viewportconfigurations

IViewports

NewViewports NamedViewports

Current name: Fourviewports-left haltwithtwoon top

Named viewports:


0! Help

Preview of

selected

configuration

211

212

Figure 6-17.Some Viewportsoptions are availablefrom the View pulldown menu.

o' Redraw

Regen

Regen Al

Zoom

Ban

Orbit

Camera

Walk and Fly

Aerial View

Clean Screen

tQ Named Views...2D Views

ftU Create Camera

Show Annotative Objects

'> Hide

VisualStyles

Render

$> Motion Path Animations...

Display

Toolbars...

Named Viewports...

New Viewports...

i Viewport

2 Viewports

2 Viewports

4 Viewports

Object

Access Named

Viewports tab

_ Access NewViewports tab

_Select presetconfiguration

Combine two

viewports

If you want to join two viewports together, you can do so by picking View >Viewports > Join. AutoCAD prompts you to select the dominant viewport. Select theviewport that has the view you want to keep in the joined viewport. Next, select theviewport that you want to joinwith the dominant viewport. AutoCAD "glues" the twoviewports together and retains the dominant view.

JThe two viewports you are joining cannot create an L-shape viewport. In other words, the adjoining edges of the viewports must bethe same size in order to join them.

Uses of Tiled ViewportsViewports in model space can be used for both 2D and 3D drawings. They are

limited only by your imagination and need. The nature of 2D drawings, whethermechanical multiview, architectural construction details, or unsealed schematicdrawings, lend themselves well to viewports. See AutoCAD and Its Applications—Advanced for examples of tiled viewports in 3D.



c Redrawing and Regenerating Viewports DSince each viewport is a separate screen, you can redraw or regenerate a single

viewport at a time without affecting the others. In fact, the REGEN and REDRAWcommands work only in the current viewport. To redraw all viewports, use theREDRAWALL command or pickView>Redraw. Ifyouneed to regenerateall viewports, usethe REGENALL command or pick View > Regen All.

Controlling Automatic RegenerationWhen developing adrawing,youmayuseacommand thatchanges certainaspects

of the objects. When this occurs, AutoCAD does an automatic regeneration to updatethe objects. This may not be of concern when you work on small drawings, but thisregeneration may take considerable time on large and complex drawings. In addition,it may not be necessary to have a regeneration of the drawing at these times. If this isthe case, set the REG EN AUTO command to off.

Command: REGENAUTOJ

Enter mode [ON/OFF] <current>: OFFJCommand:

Some of the commands that may automatically cause a regeneration are PLAN, HIDE,and VIEW Restore.

c Controlling the Order of Display 3Drawingscan haveobjects that overlap eachother, but sincemost objects are made

of thin lines, the overlap is unseen. Controlling the orderofdisplay is better illustratedwith an objectthat has some width, such as a donut. See Figure 6-18. The bracket wasdrawn beforethe donuts were added. The donuts, and all other objects, can be movedabove or belowselected objects and to the front or back of all objects.

Figure 6-18.The orderofobjects canbe changed to put them in under or above the other objects.

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above the

bracket

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213

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214

To change the order of an object, use the DRAWORDER command, pick Tools >Draw Order from the pull-down menu, pick a button in the Draw Order toolbar, ortype DR or DRAWORDER. You can also just pick an object to select it, right-click, andselect Draw Order from the shortcut menu. The order and arrangement functions arehandled by the following DRAWORDER options:

• Above objects. The selected object is moved above the reference object.• Under objects. The selected object is moved below the reference object.• Front.The selected object is placed at the front of the drawing.• Back. The selected object is placed at the back of the drawing.

c Clearing the Screen 3The AutoCAD window can become crowded in the course of a drawing session.

Eachtoolbar and palette displayed reduces the sizeof the drawing area. As the drawingarea gets smaller, less of the drawing is visible. This can make drafting difficult. Youcan quickly maximize the size of the drawing area using the Clean Screen tool.

This tool clears the AutoCAD window of all toolbars, modeless dialog boxes, andtitle bars. See Figure 6-19. The Clean Screen tool is accessed by picking View > CleanScreen or using the [Ctrl]+[0] (zero) key combination. You can also pick the CleanScreen button at the right end of the status bar. To return to the normal display, usethe [Ctrl]+[0] (zero) key combinationor pick the Clean Screen button in the status bar.

)The Clean Screen tool can be helpful when you have multiple drawings displayed. Only the active drawing is displayed when the CleanScreen tool is used. This allows you to work more efficientlywithinone of the drawings. You can use the Window pull-down menuoptions to switch between drawings.

Figure 6-19.Using theClean Screen tool. A—Initial display with toolbars and Dashboard displayed.B—Display after using the Clean Screen tool.

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Template Drawing templates are easier to use if they show the entirelevelffDlfient drawing extents when they are first opened. View resolution

may also need to be increased for some drawing applications.Chapter 6 Refer to the Student CD for detailed instructions to incorporate

these elements into your mechanical, architectural, and civildrawing templates.

Chapter TestAnswer thefollowing questions. Write your answers on a separate sheet ofpaperor complete the electronic chapter test on the Student CD.

1. Give the proper command option and value to automatically zoom to a 2X scalefactor.

2. What is the difference between ZOOM Extents and ZOOM All?3. During the drawing process, when should you use ZOOM?4. How many different boxes are displayed during the ZOOM Dynamic command?5. When using the ZOOM Dynamic option, what represents the current view?6. What is the purpose of the PAN command?7. Explain how scrollbars can be used to pan the drawing display.8. How is a transparent display command entered at the keyboard?9. What is the difference between the REDRAW and REGEN commands?

10. What is view resolution!

11. In which dialog box is circle smoothness set?12. How do you createa named view of the current screen display?13. How do you display an existing view?14. How would you obtain a listing of existing views?15. What type of viewport is created in model space?16. What type of viewport is created in paper space?17. What is the purpose of the Preview area of the Viewports dialog box?18. Explain the procedures and conditions that need to existwhen joiningviewports.19. Which command regenerates all of the viewports?20. Which command changes the order in which objects aredisplayed in a drawing?

Chapter 6 DisplayOptions 215

216

Drawing Problems1. Open the drawing named 3D House.dwg found in the AutoCAD 2008\Sample

folder.

Perform the following display functions on the drawing:A. ZOOM Extents.

B. Create a view named Rendering.C Replace the view with the Top view.D. Create a view named Plan using Define Window in the New View dialog box.E. Use realtime pan and realtime zoom to create a display of the dining room in

the top-right area of the Plan view.F. Create a view of this display named Dining Room.G. Display the view named Rendering.H. Save the drawing as P6-1.

2. Use the Select Template dialog box to load the Tutorial-iMfg.dwt template or anothermechanical template you have access to that contains a border and titleblock.Dothe following:A. Zoom into the title block area. Create and save a view named Title.

B. Zoom to the extents of the drawing and create and save a view named All.C. Determine the areas of the drawing that will contain notes, parts list, and

revisions. Zoom into these areas and create views with appropriate namessuch as Notes, Partlist, and Revisions.

D. Divide the drawing area into commonly used multiview sections. Save theviews with descriptive names such as Top, Front, Rightside, and Leftside.

E. Restore the view named All.

F. Save the drawing as P6-2.

3. Use the SelectTemplate dialog box to load the Tutorial-iArch.dwt template or anotherarchitectural drafting templateyou have access to that contains a border and titleblock. Do the following:A. Zoom into the title block area. Create and save a view named Title.B. Zoom to the extents of the drawing and create and save a view named All.C. Determine the area of the drawing that will contain notes, schedules, or revi

sions. Zoom into these areas and create views with appropriate names suchas Notes, Schedules, and Revisions.

D. Restore the view named All.

E. Save the drawing as P6-3.


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