DesignSeries00015.pngCreating a Referenced Design Layer Viewport

Referencing allows you to use information from other Vectorworks files in your file, including design layers, classes, and resources (such as hatches, worksheets, or symbols). There are two ways to reference design layers that are in other Vectorworks files:

    The default method in the Vectorworks Design Series products is to create a design layer viewport and then reference the desired design layers from the master file into the viewport, as described here. One advantage to this method is that all of the layers, classes, and resources from the master file are not automatically imported into the target file.

    In the Vectorworks Fundamentals product, design layers are imported into the target file when they are referenced. For backward compatibility, the Vectorworks Design Series products support this method. See Adding and Editing Layer Import References.

A reference for a design layer viewport can be created when the viewport is created, or it can be created ahead of time from the References tab of the Organization dialog box.

To create a design layer viewport that references a design layer in another file:

  1. If the current file uses layer import referencing, switch to design layer viewport referencing. (From the References tab of the Organization dialog box, click Settings, and click the Design layer viewports option from the Reference Settings dialog box. Any existing referenced layers are automatically converted into referenced design layer viewports.)

  2. Select View > Create Viewport. Alternatively, from either the Organization dialog box or the Navigation palette, select the Viewports tab, and click New.

  3. The Create Viewport dialog box opens. Enter a Viewport Name and Drawing Title, and then select the design layer on which to create the viewport.

  4. Click Select Source to open the Select Viewport Source dialog box, and enter information about the referenced document.

  5. Click OK in the Select Viewport Source dialog box to return to the Create Viewport dialog box.

  6. Specify the design layers and classes to display in the viewport (see Changing the Layer Properties of Sheet Layer or Design Layer Viewports and Changing the Class Properties of Sheet Layer or Design Layer Viewports).

  7. Click OK.

The viewport is created on the designated design layer, and the design layer becomes active. The viewport can be cropped, as described in Cropping Existing Sheet Layer or Design Layer Viewports.

The master file displays on the References tab of the Organization dialog box; for details about how to edit, update, or delete references, see Workgroups and Referencing.

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Creating Design Layer Viewports

Viewport Properties

Modifying Viewports

Viewport Status

Updating Viewports

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