Lock Those Viewports
By Rick Ellis,
Cadapult Software
Solutions, Inc., February 13, 2003
Have you ever had a layout set up perfectly, only to have the
scale and orientation of the viewport destroyed by someone
(maybe even yourself) using a pan or zoom command while the
viewport is active? I know, it’s not the end of the world, but
it is very annoying, and it can be prevented. The secret here is
a new option that came along in AutoCAD 2000 that allows you to
lock your viewports. When a viewport is locked you are still
allowed to pan and zoom. But if you pan or zoom while the
viewport is active, or while you are working in the model space
viewport, then the pan or zoom actually takes place in paper
space.
Three ways to lock
Now let’s look at the process. As with most things in AutoCAD
there are several ways to lock a viewport. I won’t try to list
all of them here but I will show you three of the most common.
1. Right-Click
a. Select the Viewport
b. Right-click
c. Select Display Locked >> Yes
2. Use the Properties Command
a. Select Modify >> Properties to
open the Properties window
b. Select the Viewport
c. Change the Display Locked
property of the viewport to Yes
Note: You can also set the scale of the viewport in
the Properties window.
3. Use the Command Line
a. Type MVIEW or -VPORTS at the
command line
b. Then type L for the option
Locked
c. Next type ON to turn locking on
Finally, you will be prompted to select the viewport you wish
to lock.
How to unlock
You can unlock the viewport if you need to by using the same
procedure and just setting the lock option to No. The hardest
part seems to be just getting in the habit of remembering to use
the lock option. Other than that it is an easy thing to do and
it can be a big time saver.
About the Author
Rick Ellis is the co-founder of Cadapult Software Solutions,
Inc., a member of the Autodesk Developer Network; and author of
several AutoCAD training manuals, including “Digging into Land
Desktop.” He teaches classes focusing on AutoCAD, Map, Land
Desktop, Raster Design, MXRoad and MXRenew for skill levels
ranging from beginner to advanced users. Consulting services
range from installation support to the implementation of
standards.
If you have any questions about this article or for more
information you can call Rick at (503) 829-8929, email
rick@cadapult-software.com, or visit the Cadapult website at
www.cadapult-software.com. |
