I am working in Civil 3d 2012 and I want to create a polygonal viewport. Simple enough: View, Viewports, Polygonal viewports, and then I draw my viewport. The view comes in as expected, but when I click on the viewport to change the properties (scale, locking), it only gives me propoerties of a polyline. If I delete the "viewport", it leaves the view but deletes the polyline border.
What am I missing?
Caryn
Is it possible that it's creating the viewport on a frozen or off layer?
I generally already have a viewport, and then make it polygonal afterwards by drawing a polyline and using the VPCLIP command. You could test out that method to see if it makes a difference.
Mark Green
Working on Civil 3D in Canada
Nope, I checked the layer and still the same thing. I did wind up using CLIP instead and that will work, but I don't understand why polygonal viewport wouldn't work the way a normal viewport works.
Glad you got something to work.
I don't have 2012 and I don't use that command, so I really can't comment. Maybe someone else will help you more.
Mark Green
Working on Civil 3D in Canada
Caryn,
I think you will find if you select the viewport with a crossing you will be able to edit it in the change prop box.
When you create a clipped viewport either by selecting a polyline or by drawing one after initiating the command, Autocad creates a viewport that is associated with the polyline. You will note that if you draw a crossing window over the polyline you will actually select both the polyline and the associated viewport (look at the properties palette to see there are 2 entities selected). Autocad has behaved this way for as far back as I know.
As has been mentioned, use selection cycling to select the viewport (most efficient), or use the crossing window and then select the viewport object in the properties palette. You can also use display order to bring the viewport object to front if you want to make it the first object selected.
FYI, you can manipulate the viewport clip by modifying the polyline with PEDIT. You can add or remove vertices and drag the grips to adjust the clip boundary.
I think there is something deeper than that going on with the original poster's machine. mnyrac said that using the VPCLIP worked, drawing polygonal didn't. Also that deleting the polyline kept the view, ie the view of model space still there. From this you can see that the polyline and viewport are not associated with eachother as they should be.
If all is working correctly, you shouldn't need a crossing window. As long as I remember (not as long as others here, I know) you just click on the viewport/polyline once, and both objects are selected. New for 2011: the viewport is automatically the active options in the properties pallete, rather than displaying "All (2)" and requiring the user to select Vewport in the drop-down. The polyline is still in the selection set and can be selected from the drop-down if wanted.
It was clear to me that the OP was not getting either of these two options, and that OP understood how it should be working, and that it wasn't. Have you ever deleted the polyline without the view disapearing? There is something deeper going on here than a user who doesn't know how to select the right object.
Mark Green
Working on Civil 3D in Canada
Thanks for the information. I wouldn't doubt that there is something else going on within my Autocad, because I have also had issues with not being able to print raster images (to any printer or to a pdf).
When inserting a regualar viewport, it works as expected. When I insert a polygonal viewport is when I can't select the viewport. I have cycling on and it shows the viewport in the selection, but it doesn't allow me to select it. Only the polyline.
I was able to manipulate the viewport after using Vclip. It seems as though the problem remains strictly within the polygonal viewport command.
Caryn
When playing with it again this morning I will take back what I said earlier. Cycling DOES work and also when I window around it, I can select both the polyline and the viewport to get properties and delete it.
So I get the extent of the issue is that the polyline and the viewport are not connected.
I recently got a new computer, with a brand new license of Civil 3d 2012. I am still having issues with viewports. When I create a polygonal viewport, it separates the polyline and the viewport if I click on them individually. It must be a setting somewhere?
Caryn
I am unable to replicate the issue in C3D 2012 or C3D 2013. Every time I create a polygonal viewport and select it I get both a polyline and a viewport in Properties Palette though the vewport is the default object visible in the Properties Palette unless I use Selection Cycling to choose polyline.
Tom Richardson
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@C3D_TomR wrote:
I am unable to replicate the issue in C3D 2012 or C3D 2013. Every time I create a polygonal viewport and select it I get both a polyline and a viewport in Properties Palette though the vewport is the default object visible in the Properties Palette unless I use Selection Cycling to choose polyline.
^^^^^^^^^^^^ I agree with the above.
Also -- I didn't test it, but if either the polyline or viewport is on layer "Defpoints" and layer 0 is frozen - there is no telling what sort of side effects may occur.
I have attached a test drawing with a polygonal viewport in it. What I have found is that as long as I have cycle selection on, I can choose the viewport. But the viewport and the polygon border remain separate.
If you all say that's the way it is, no problem. I can work with it. But it just seems odd to me that they would be separate.
Caryn
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