re-create viewport rotation in dwg created in Autodesk LDD 2000

[Moreveggies]

I am working in Autcocad map 3d 2014. I would like to print and save pdf files of layouts in a set of drawings that were created in 2000. Fortunately I have plot style table, so that's good. But I have a problem with the viewports no longer working in whatever rotation and scale they were set at. The scale is no problem since I have a scale bar to check. The north arrow doesn't help because it's rotation is not correct. 

I am familiar with using dview twist, but my issue with it is that I have to try so many angles and I am still not getting things to line up exactly to match notes in paperspace. Does anybody know any secrets to help me? Is there a reason why viewport info disappeared in software versions between LDD 2000 and Map 2014?

I found instructions in help for a command that is new to me VPROTATEASSOC, but the instructions dont make sense to me after Step 2...not enough info. Step one and 2 cover changign the system variable. But then what? I hope the Autocad Help writers could fix this and make instructions more clear.

My first problem with these instructions is at Step 3, I guess I select the viewport frame in paperspace? I think that is the only place where I can select it, but when I select the viewport frame , I can rotate the whole viewport frame, which is not what I want to do.

the help item I found begins with :

To Rotate a View Within a Viewport

1. At the Command prompt, enter VPROTATEASSOC.
2. Set the value to 1.
3. Select the viewport with the view you want to rotate.
4. Enter r (Rotate) to rotate the view to a specified angle or with two points.
5. Specify a base point for the rotation.
6. Specify the rotation angle or specify a second point to determine the angle of rotation.

   The entire view rotates within the viewport.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

may I ask for the beginning to:

>> I would like to print and save pdf files of layouts in a set of drawings that were created in 2000

Do you say, that when you open a 2000-format drawing you can't plot the existing layouts? If so ... why not (I have not understand the need to manipulate a drawing just for plotting).

- alfred -

[Moreveggies]

Thanks for your interest. It is interesting to me that I need to explain that part of my post (the part that seemed least significant to me), especially to someone who is an "expert elite"....there is always something new to consider. 🙂

so, since you asked i will add more explanation for you. I have copies of drawing files from another party, which just happens to be a company I used to work for. I am using their drawings as source information to map components in a geodatabse I am creating in an ArcGIS format. I need the digital document so I can export objects. But I also need a hard copy of the final drawing in the same condition in which it was printed by the company that produced it, since the printed sheets (which contain viewports in paperspace) show notes with inoformation I need to be sure and read/incorporate. It would have been best if the company had provided me with their own prints or pdfs or jpgs of final sheets in the plan set, but they do not have the time or budget to do so. Thus, I am doing for myself.

The issue is that the viewports in the layouts/sheets need to be re-set, ( I dont know what the best term would be), they no longer seem to have the scale and rotation information they once had. The north arrows were not set at proper angle, so I can't use north arrow angle to identify the rotation in the viewport.

I discovered (after posting) a command to convert old drawings to newer format, 2010 was the newest I saw available, the drawings I am trying to print and/or save as pdfs  were produced in 2000, I am not exactly sure which version of Autodesk LDD, probably the version that was newest at that time.  I am using a student version of Autocad Map 3d 2014, and apparently unable to use the convert utility I found, so I don't know if that utilty might take care of the problem, or if there is some other reason why veiwports lost there integrity somewhere, somehow.

I managed to fix the viewports well enough already, and save pdfs and make prints, but still wondering if anyone has info I need to know, as the problem may come up again for me.