Creating Sheet Layer Viewports

Creating a Sheet Layer Viewport from a Design Layer

To create a viewport from a design layer:

1. Set the view to display in the viewport. If you are creating the viewport from a clip cube (see Creating a Sheet Layer Viewport from a Clip Cube), leave the clip cube active when selecting the command for easy access if you need to edit it later.

2. Select the command.

The Create Viewport dialog box opens. The viewport parameters are initially set to be the same as those of the design layer that is currently active, but they can be changed here. After the viewport has been created, additional parameters become available; see Viewport Properties.

For Vectorworks Design Series products, the Create Viewport dialog box has additional functionality for creating design layer viewports; see Creating a Design Layer Viewport from an Internal Design Layer.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Name Viewport as Dwg No./Sheet No. (Design Series required)	Select this option to automatically set the Viewport Name to be a combination of the Drawing Number and the Sheet Number assigned to this viewport. Deselect this option to enter a custom Viewport Name.
Viewport Name	If Name Viewport as Dwg No./Sheet No. is not selected, enter a descriptive name for the viewport; this name must be unique in the document
Create on Layer	Select the sheet layer where the viewport will be created, or select New Sheet Layer to create a sheet layer. If there are no sheet layers present and a new one is not created now, you will be prompted to create a sheet layer after clicking OK.
Create Drawing Label (Design Series required)	Select this option to create a drawing label in the annotation space of the viewport
Drawing Number (Design Series required)	The next sequential drawing number available on the selected Sheet Layer defaults automatically. This number displays on any drawing label in the viewport’s annotations. This number must be unique on this sheet layer.
Drawing Title	Specifies a descriptive title for the viewport. This name displays as the drawing title for any annotation objects (drawing labels, and title block borders, etc.) that are added to the viewport. The drawing title name is limited to 63 characters. If Use Automatic Drawing Coordination is selected in document preferences, a change to this field for the viewport automatically changes the field for the viewport’s drawing label, and vice versa.
Layers	Specifies which design layers will be visible in the viewport
Display Planar Objects	Select to display 2D planar objects, for all viewport view settings; when deselected, 2D planar objects display only in Top/Plan view
Project Screen Objects	Select to display 2D objects associated with the screen plane as planar objects
Display with Clip Cube	Select to associate the viewport with a clip cube. If there is an active clip cube when the viewport is created, the clip cube view displays in the viewport. If there is no active clip cube when the viewport is created, a clip cube is added that bounds all visible objects. Access the clip cube to change its dimensions when editing the viewport’s design layer. Each viewport created with this option is saved with its own, editable, clip cube configuration.
Display 2D Components	Displays 2D components (when available) for all instances of symbols and plug-in objects positioned normal to the viewport’s screen plane; see Concept: 2D Components for Symbol Definitions and Plug-in Objects. When the object has no 2D component for the view, the 3D component displays. This applies only to viewports with hidden line rendering and set to a 3D view in orthogonal projection.
Classes	Specifies which classes will be visible in the viewport
Scale	Specifies the viewport scale relative to the page; select a scale or choose Custom and enter the scale value in Custom Scale
Detail Level	Select the detail level for symbols and plug-in objects in the viewport; see Customizing Detail Levels for 2D and 3D Components of Symbol Definitions and Plug-in Objects. Wall, slab, and roof components display at settings Medium and High.
View	Specifies the orientation of the design layers displayed in the viewport; select a cardinal view or choose Custom and then click Set View to specify the view
Set View	When a custom view is selected, click Set View to open the Rotate 3D View dialog box for the entry of custom view parameters (see Rotating Precisely for more information)
Rendering	Specifies the render mode for the viewport; some modes enable the Render Settings button, to specify rendering parameters
Render Settings	Available when the selected Rendering mode requires parameters to be set. See the following: ●        Sketch settings: Applying Sketch Styles to Viewports ●        OpenGL settings: OpenGL Options ●        Custom Renderworks settings: Custom Renderworks Options ●        Artistic Renderworks settings: Artistic Renderworks Options ●        Hidden Line, Dashed Hidden Line, and Final Shaded Polygon settings: Line Render Options
RW Background	Select a Renderworks background from a library or the current file to use as a background for the viewport; see Creating Renderworks Backgrounds. If the Renderworks Background choices are not available, the background selection is controlled by the Renderworks style in effect. Set the background in the Renderworks style instead; see Renderworks Styles.
Projection	Select the projection type for the viewport (see Projection)
Perspective Type	For Perspective projection, select the type of perspective, or choose Custom and specify the Perspective Distance

3. Enter the desired parameters and click OK.

4. If a sheet layer does not already exist in the file, the New Sheet Layer dialog box opens automatically to create one.

The viewport is created on the designated sheet layer, and the sheet layer becomes active.

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Creating a Sheet Layer Viewport by Cropping

Linking the Camera View to a Sheet Layer Viewport

Viewport Properties

Modifying Viewports

Viewport Status

Updating Viewports

Concept: Layers Overview

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