topic Viewport Center in AutoCAD Forum

Viewport Center

maramuresul — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 12:37:07 GMT

Hi,

Is there a way to center my viewport in Layout to a certain point from ModelSpace ?

I know that in AutoCAD Mechanical 2014, I could choose a middle point reference from my ModelSpace

then I could choose what scale I wanted, selected point remained in the middle

Is there something similar in AutoCAD 2017?

Thank you.

Andrei

Re: Viewport Center

Kent1Cooper — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 12:55:26 GMT

Get into Model Space in the Viewport [assuming its display is not locked] and use ZOOM's Center option. If the Zoom level is already as you want it, accept the offered default magnification/height, but you can also change that in the process, if you want to.

Re: Viewport Center

murray-clack — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 13:39:24 GMT

Here's a method I use, albeit a long-winded process, but goes quickly once you get the hang of it.

In Modelspace, enter the following code at the command prompt including the brackets (setq P1 (getpoint)) and then pick a point on your screen that you want to to represent the center of the viewport.
Then, in paperspace, make sure the desired viewport is unlocked.
With the cursor inside the viewport, enter the command -pan (note the hyphen) and when prompted for a basepoint, enter !P1 (which retrieves the saved pick point).
When prompted to specify a second point, enter the following code at the command line including the brackets (getvar "viewctr") and press the enter.
Now, if need be, scale the viewport to the desired scale factor.

Re: Viewport Center

Kent1Cooper — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 18:47:10 GMT

@murray-clack wrote:

Here's a method I use, albeit a long-winded process.....

You can make that shorter-winded.... Instead of setting a variable, just use the ID command in Model Space and pick the point you want to be the center of a Viewport. Then get into Paper Space, and into the Viewport, and do:

ZOOM C @

The @ uses the point you picked in the ID command, and ZOOMing to that as a Center point gives the same result as PANning from there to the middle of the Viewport's viewing area. No Lisp functions required, and a lot fewer key-strokes.

Re: Viewport Center

murray-clack — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 18:56:34 GMT

Ooohhhh! Nice one. I like that idea too.

Re: Viewport Center

teh_victor_reyes — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 15:08:30 GMT

Mr. Cooper,

Thank you very much for that strong tip. It doesn't seem like much but it made my life a whole lot easier.

Re: Viewport Center

beyoungjr — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 15:35:00 GMT

Very strong tips here that are directed well at your query.

I'll offer another idea in case you never tried and it may help in other applications for viewport adjustments...

Make your viewport active and use Zoom->Object (pre-select or post-select the object/s) to maximize and center a selected object or grouping of objects in the viewport. That center position is irrelevant in this case as you only would ensure precise centering of the selected object or group of objects.

** This works like Zoom->Extents but only for selected items. **

Once maximized and centered you can set your viewport scale to the desired and it will shrink or expand while maintaining the center position. Then deactivate the viewport of course.

I hope that is helpful you as well,

Blaine

Re: Viewport Center

teh_victor_reyes — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 21:33:46 GMT

Mr. Young,

Thank you as well for the tip. As a matter of fact that's the command I would use for a good while but for some strange reason it stopped completely centering the objects. If I would put my objects in equal boxes, then try to center each box in their respective viewport, some of them would center while for others you would see the edges of the boxes in the viewport. Not sure if I'm explaining myself but if so, I'm wondering if you know the cause of this.

Similarly in Rhino, I would zoom>selected and it would always center upon zoom.

Thank you.

Re: Viewport Center

beyoungjr — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 21:39:13 GMT

Your description doesn't quite help me understand. Maybe a screenshot or a dwg with this shown?

I have seen a viewport display incorrectly for this when accidentally choosing objects in 3D but not quite as you describe.

Blaine

Re: Viewport Center

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 01:15:11 GMT

Create your paper in corect size.

Create a "Bord viewport" in paperspace. Use command " CHSPACE" to acroos to modelspace.

Open vieiwport, unlock is necessary.

Zoom > Window>;

In the viewport press "shift" and press "right bottom mouse", chose "Endpoint"; click in a first End point of "Board Viewport".

Realize to next End point of Board Viewport, press "shift" and press "right bottom mouse", chose "Endpoint"; click in a secund end ponit of " Board Viewport.

it can:

Center, scale and extends your drawing.