About Layout Viewports

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Oct 13 2017In-Product View

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Applies to 2018.1 Update and later

Layout viewports are objects that display views of model space. You create, scale, and
place them in paper space on a layout. Once you create the viewports, you can change
their size, their properties, and also scale and move them as needed.

On each layout, you can create one or more layout viewports. Each layout viewport is
like a closed circuit TV monitor of a view of the model at a scale and orientation that you
specify.

Create Layout Viewports

When you use the MVIEW command to create a new layout viewport, you specify the
view that you want to display in it with one of several methods:

Click the diagonal corners of a rectangular area, and the extents of model space are displayed
automatically.
 Specify an option to use a previously saved model-space view to display.
Specify an option that lets you temporarily access model space to define a rectangular area to
display.
Note: It is important to create layout viewports on their own layer. When you are ready
to output your drawing, you can turn off that layer to without the boundaries of the layout
viewports.

Modify Layout Viewports

After you create a layout viewport, you can change its size, properties, and also scale
and move it as needed.

For control of all the properties of a layout viewport, use the Properties palette.
For the most common changes, select a layout viewport and use its grips.

Note: Because they're objects, you can also use editing commands such as COPY,
MOVE, and ERASE on layout viewports.

Locked Layout Viewports

To prevent accidental panning and zooming, each layout viewport has a Display Locked
property that can be turned on or off. You can access this property from the Properties
palette, the right-click menu when a layout viewport is selected, a button on the Layout
Viewports tab on the ribbon, and a button on the status bar when one or more layout
viewports are selected.
LEARNING

AutoCAD Video of the Month: Back to Basics:

Introduction to Layouts and Viewports
Leslie Feldman
http://blogs.autodesk.com/autocad/introduction-to-layouts-and-viewports-video-tutorial/

September 14, 2016

(1)

Save

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT users more or less live inside one of two working environments
model space and paper spaceso it behooves you to nail down the fundamentals of each.

Here, in our hour-long video introduction to layouts and viewports, we give you the 2D half of
the story. By default, AutoCAD starts you off in model space, which is a limitless 3D drawing
area. You then switch to 2D paper space, with its layouts and viewports, when youre ready to
print or plot.

Now, about those paper space layouts and viewports .

As noted above, a layout is a 2D environment. There you can specify the size of your drawing
sheet, add a title block, display multiple views of your model, and create dimensions and notes
for your drawing.

On each 2D layout youll create viewports that display different views of what you created in 3D
model space. Each layout viewport is like a picture frame into model space; the view displays the
model at the scale and orientation you specify.
By definition, viewports are entities in Paper Space, so that is the space in which they are
created or modified. When you use the MV command to create a viewport, make sure that the
current layer is the one that you want your viewport entities to be in.

http://academics.triton.edu/faculty/fheitzman/space.html

Autocad Drawing "Space"

Model Space And Paper Space
Viewports

There are two modes of drawing in AutoCAD, also called "SPACE." The
normal mode and the default is called "Model Space." This is the space you
will use almost all of the time. It is the normal 3 dimensional world in which all
of your buildings are drawn, both in 2-dimensions (plans, elevations, sections)
and in 3-dimensions (perspectives or axonometrics). In this space, objects are
always drawn in real world units, full size.

The other mode of drawing or space is called "Paper Space." This space
permits only a 2-dimensional world, and can be visualized as a flat sheet of
paper. Paper Space is a 2-dimensional drawing mode in which you can group
various "views" of a 3-dimensional drawing in "holes" of the paper called
"viewports" for plotting. It is useful for plotting several views of an object at
different scales, or for putting orthogonal drawing titles on a perspective or
axonometric drawing. There is no other method in AutoCAD of combining
drawings of different scales on the same sheet of paper, without changing the
actual size of the objects or plotting each detail separately. When in Paper
Space, the word "PAPER" appears in STATUS BAR at the bottom of the
AutoCAD desktop, and a 30-60 degree triangle with the letter "W" within it
appears at the lower left corner of the drawing.

A "Viewport" is a rectangular area or hole in the paper through which you

view your "Model." There is no limit to the number of viewports you may have
in any drawing. Viewports can be copied, moved, erased, and stretched to
give you just the right appearance. Only one viewport can be active in Model
Space at a time. To make a viewport active, switch to model space and click
within the viewport you want to make active with the pick button of the mouse.
Watch Out! You could have several viewports laying on top of one another,
without you even being aware of it. If you have a viewport within another
viewport, you can switch from viewport to viewport either by clicking in each
viewport or by holding down the <Ctrl> key and typing the letter R. As you
continue to type <Ctrl> R, you will toggle from viewport to viewport, making
them each active one at a time, in the order they were created.

Each viewport may have a different view of the model within it. For instance,
when you have drawn a 3-dimensional drawing of a building, you can have its
plan shown in one viewport, its front elevation in another one, its side
elevation in another one and a perspective view of it in another one. When the
3d model is later revised, all viewport appearances are updated automatically
to reflect the changed model. Thus, you can draw the building only once, but
view it in many forms and from many directions.

By definition, viewports are entities in Paper Space, so that is the space in

which they are created or modified. When you use the MV command to create
a viewport, make sure that the current layer is the one that you want your
viewport entities to be in. Normally you do not want the actual rectangle which
surrounds the viewport to plot or print. To prevent this, you could place your
viewports on a layer that could be frozen just before plotting, such as the layer
"A-ANNO-VPRT." Alternatively, some drafters create viewports on the
"DEFPOINTS" layer. The "DEFPOINTS" layer is a special layer which
AutoCAD automatically creates for its own use to place dimension definition
points (which are points at the ends of extension lines from which the
dimension is measured). The unique thing about that layer is that it can be
visible on the screen (unless it is frozen), but it never will show up on a plot or
print.

Each viewport is able to display the model at different zoom scale factors (i.e.
larger or smaller), is able to show the model from different points of view
(horizontal, vertical, or obliquely, and is able to freeze or thaw layers
individually within each viewport separately. In other words, you may freeze
the A-NOTE layer in one viewport, but have it thawed in another. You cannot
change the color or linetype characteristics of a layer from one viewport to
another, however (more's the pity!).

To go to paper space, click on a tab at the bottom of the drawing which is not
the "Model" tab. These are layouts and when you open a new drawing there is
at least one layout tab. The layouts can contain viewports. You can think of a
layout as a sheet which will be plotted that has holes cut into it (called
"viewports") through which you can see your model drawing in various scales
and directions.

What Should Be Drawn in Paper Space?

The following is a list of entities which are typically drawn in Paper Space. All
other entities should be drawn in Model Space:

1. Viewports (on either A-ANNO-VPRT layer, or DEFPOINTS layer)

2. Sheet border and title (on A-ANNO-BORD layer)
3. Individual drawing titles, scales and North Arrows (on A-ANNO-NOTE
layer)
4. Revision "clouds" and revision numbers in triangular symbol (on A-
ANNO-REVS layer)

Scale
Autocad does not use a scale -- you always draw everything FULL
SIZE. You have an unlimited size drawing board in AutoCAD which can
grow with the physical size of the building. You normally would
determine the scale at the time you plot the drawing out. However, in
order for certain items like text and dimensioning to have a good size
relationship to the lines of the drawing, you will need to have a final
scale in the back of your mind before you start a drawing.

Scale in Paper Space

Normally, you will draw a so-called "model" of your building in standard
AutoCAD "Model Space," which is the world of three dimensions. In
order to plot various views of this three dimensional "model" on the
same sheet of paper and to some scale, you will normally create several
"viewports" in AutoCAD "Paper Space" which is a two-dimensional
composing area, as described in the previous pages. In Paper Space
you can mix various scales, plans with elevations and perspectives,
without changing the actual model. Paper Space is simply a way of
consolidating several views on the same plot. The model itself is drawn
always at full size, but when inserted into the plotted sheet in a viewport,
each viewport is "scaled" to its proper plot scale factor.

The great advantage of paper space drawings is that they can be

plotted at 1 to 1 (that is, no scale reduction). However, if you want the
drawings you do of the "model" to be plotted to a scale, you have to
assign a scale to each viewport. Scale is one of the properties of a
viewport. Click on the viewport rectangle and set its scale through the
properties palette. Or, you may double click inside the viewport and set
the scale by typing Z <RET> 1/48xp <RET> (that is the example for 1/4" =
1'-0" scale)

The table below lists proper viewport scale factors for plotting models in
paper space to a scale.
Be very careful to include the "xp" at the end of the zoom factor.

Zoom Factors For Paper Space

Scaling

Architect's Scales Viewport Zoom Factor (in Model Space)

1/16"=1'-0" 1/192xp

3/32"=1'-0" 1/128xp

1/8"=1'-0" 1/96xp

3/16"=1'-0" 1/64xp

1/4"=1'-0" 1/48xp

3/8"=1'-0" 1/32xp

1/2"=1'-0" 1/24xp
 3/4"=1'-0" 1/16xp

1"=1'-0" 1/12xp

1 1/2"=1'-0" 1/8xp

3"=1'-0" 1/4xp

Half Size 1/2XP

Full Size 1xp

Engineer's Scales Viewport Zoom Factor (in Model Space)

1"=1000'-0" 1/12000xp

1"=500'-0" 1/6000xp

1"=100'-0" 1/1200xp

1"=50'-0" 1/600xp

1"=30'-0" 1/360xp

1"=20'-0" 1/240xp

1"=10'-0" 1/120xp

Metric Scales Viewport Zoom Factor (in Model Space)

1:10 1/10xp

1:20 1/20xp

1:50 1/50xp

1:100 1/100xp

1:500 1/500xp

Size of text and dimensions in Model

Space
Most architectural plans and elevations for houses and small buildings
are traditionally drawn at 1/4" = 1'-0" scale. Other buildings use 1/8" =
1'-0" scale. Details are drawn at 1 1/2" = 1'-0" or 3" = 1'-0" scale. Each
of these drawing scales will need to have a corresponding text size and
dimensioning scale (the "DIMSCALE") set. In other words, if you want
the final text size on a plotted drawing to appear to be 1/4" in height,
and you plot the drawing at 1/4" = 1'-0" scale, you will have to draw the
actual text at a 12" height in AutoCAD. This is a difficult idea to get used
to, but is a natural result of drawing everything at full size.

Size Multipliers for Text and

Dimensions

Scale of Plotted Drawing Text and Dimension Size Multiplier

1/16"=1'-0" 192

3/32"=1'-0" 128

1/8"=1'-0" 96

3/16"=1'-0" 64

1/4"=1'-0" 48

3/8"=1'-0" 32

1/2"=1'-0" 24

3/4"=1'-0" 16

1"=1'-0" 12

1 1/2"=1'-0" 8

3"=1'-0" 4
 Half Size 2

Full Size 1

Engineer's Scales Text and Dimension Size Multiplier

1"=1000'-0" 12000

1"=500'-0" 6000

1"=100'-0" 1200

1"=50'-0" 600

1"=30'-0" 360

1"=20'-0" 240

1"=10'-0" 120

Metric Scales Text and Dimension Size Multiplier

1:10 10

1:20 20

1:50 50

1:100 100

INTEGRATION OF SCALES ONTO ONE SHEET

IN MODEL SPACE
(Note: The following will not be necessary if drawings
are always plotted in Paper Space)
If you do not intend to make use of Paper Space to plot several views of
a model, but instead have several independent two-dimensional
 drawings which need to be combined on the same sheet of drawings,
you may choose to change the relative sizes of some of the details so
that they appear to be drawn at a larger or smaller scale. Although this
process is not recommended for many reasons, you may find occasion
to use this technique.

If you want to include a detail or other drawing on a model space plotted

sheet along with other drawings which will be plotted at another scale,
you should work on the detail separately first in its full size mode and
then insert the finished detail onto the sheet you want it to appear,
scaling while inserting. The scale conversion factors are as follows:

Drawing plot scale Detail scale desired Conversion Factor

(insert detail at
this scale)

1"= 20'-0" 1/8" = 1'-0" 2.5

1/4" = 1'-0" 5

1/2" = 1'-0" 10

3/4" = 1'-0" 15

1"= 1'-0" 20

1 1/2" = 1'-0" 30

3" = 1'-0" 60

Half size 120

Full size 240

1/8" = 1'-0" 1/4" = 1'-0" 2

1/2" = 1'-0" 4

3/4" = 1'-0" 6

1"= 1'-0" 8

1 1/2" = 1'-0" 12

3" = 1'-0" 24

Half size 48
 Full size 96

1/4" = 1'-0" 1/4" = 1'-0" 0.5

1/2" = 1'-0" 2

3/4" = 1'-0" 3

1"= 1'-0" 4

1 1/2" = 1'-0" 6

3" = 1'-0" 12

Half size 24

Full size 48

3/4" = 1'-0" 1/4" = 1'-0" 0.1666

1/2" = 1'-0" 0.3333

3/4" = 1'-0" 0.6666

1"= 1'-0" 1.3333

1 1/2" = 1'-0" 2

3" = 1'-0" 4

Half size 8

Full size 16

The formula for calculating the model space scale conversion factor
is Main Drawing Plot Scale Factor divided by the Detail Desired Plot
Scale Factor.

Add notes and dimensions after the detail has been inserted into the
sheet on which it will appear. To get dimensions to produce the correct
sizes on the scaled detail, set the variable DIMLFAC equal to the
reciprocal of the conversion factor (that is, 1 divided by the Conversion
Factor) prior to doing any dimensioning of the scaled detail. For
instance to dimension a detail whose desired scale is 1/2" = 1'-0"
inserted into a sheet plotted at 1/8" = 1'-0", set the DIMLFAC at 1/4). To
set this variable, at a Command: prompt, type
dimlfac<RET> [1/conversion factor] <RET>

Do not forget to change the DIMLFAC back to 1 when you are

through dimensioning the detail. Also, remember that since the detail
has been scaled, you can no longer directly measure the size of that
detail using the DIST command, since it is no longer full size, but some
multiple of full size. If you want to calculate the distance, use the DIST
command and divide it by the conversion factor.
 OVERVIEW
GETTING STARTED
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About Model Space and Paper Space

Products and versions covered

By:
Help
Dec 16 2015In-Product View

SHARE

ADD TO COLLECTION

There are two distinct working environments, called "model space" and "paper space,"
in which you can work with objects in a drawing.

By default, you start working in a limitless 3D drawing area called model space. You begin
by deciding whether one unit represents one millimeter, one centimeter, one inch, one foot,
or whatever unit is most convenient. You then draw at 1:1 scale.
To prepare your drawing for printing, switch to paper space. Here you can set up different
layouts with title blocks and notes; and on each layout, you create layout viewports that
display different views of model space. In the layout viewports, you scale the model space
views relative to paper space. One unit in paper space represents the actual distance on a
sheet of paper, either in millimeters or inches, depending on how you configure your page
setup.

Model space is accessible from the Model tab and paper space is accessible from the
layout tabs.
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/getting-
started/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-990538B6-DDA1-4190-BCC0-
BB5BA94C9879-htm.html