Rotating 2D Model Space "view" / Rotating "ortho"

[Anonymous]

I'm working on a map (north is up). It fits better on an 11 X 17 sheet if it's tilted a bit, which I can do in a layout viewport.

I'd like to be able to also tilt (rotate? reorient?) the map in model space so it fits on the screen easier (and looks the same as in the tilted viewports)

How do I do this? (I just want it to look tilted, but not have any of the coordinates change, not actually rotate any objects, etc.)

I've been looking for some widget or some command that will tell me how many degrees the model space view is tilted, and that would allow me to input "23 degrees" or something, but I can't find it.

ALSO  (bonus question  .  .  .  ) if I work in the "tilted" model space, is there a way to set ortho so that it doesn't tilt with the map? (so that even if the map is tilted, I can draw a rectangle that is straight "up/down left/right" on my screen.

Thanks for your help,

David

AutoCAD Map 3D 2010/2011

[leothelion999]

Hello Badams,

                    Does this method work in AutoCad 2007. I tried but could not do this.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Pretty sure I was using this method in the 2007 version back when I was with ADSK    Where is this method failing you?  Is the viewport locked?  

[AllenJessup]

I don't know what didn't work. But you may need to change VPROTATEASSOC . If it's set to 0. The modelspace view will not rotate.

[Anonymous]

Hello Badams,

I'm a little late to this rotation party. I have been a Microstation user for over 25 years (and only used autocad when dealing with client files) and now I'm working for a engineering firm that unfortunately uses Autocad. I can't honestly believe people use this program for civil engineering and land development. But I'm still tryin to get over this fact so bare with my sarcasm. Anyway, In Microstation we most always worked in a "rotated" view, (that changed nothing to the real world coordinates or the reference files attched). But this task was much easier to do in Microstation. Anyway, I like working in my model space and only use my viewports/layouts for my plotsheets. I also think that setting your job up from the beginning with the proper rotation angle in model space is the way to go? and then any layout created going forward will match the model rotation. My company doesn't use xrefs unfortunately, So one drawing file will hold the entire job, with 6000 layers and 40 tabs. lmao (this drives me up a wall). Anyway, I want my files as clean as possible and Im searching for the proper way to rotate a drawing without effecting all of the other coordinate issues. 

thanks

Anthony

[Anonymous]

Hi Anthony,

I feel your pain.  It seems like every user I run across tries to over complicate this issue.

1.  Never ever ever.. rotate ...any objects in Model space. Always keep the model objects on true north.

2.  Always set up your drawings to a known coordinate system and set the drawing to match that coordinate sysem. And place your objects on the proper lats and longs

3   Now go to paper space  and rotate and size your vport window to the angle you need for plotting.

4.  Set your vport UCS (User coord system) to the View and type "plan".  This will set the angle of your axis to the proper angle for drafting through the vport.

5. Save the UCS to a unique name for drafting in model space if req'd.  (it's best to draft through the vport for annotation scaled abjects.)

Hope this helps but I know most casual ACAD users, and especially MX users always get lost in the PS vs MS and rotated views.  But never ever rotate objects in modelspace...just rotate the vport and size it accordingly in PS and you should be good to go.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the quick response. And working in the vport seems to be a common theme in autocad. Something I will have to get use to. Also the whole linestyle scaling thing is a whole other can of worms for me too. lol Again, too many variables, Ltscale, Linestyle scale, vport scale, etc. Anyway thats a topic for another day, again thanks for your help.

[Anonymous]

Anthony. Send me your e-mail address and I'll link you to a screen cast I created showing my workflow precedures

[Anonymous]

Hello, I'm extremely new to AutoCAD and have noted your responses to previous issues with the 'rotate' command. 

Previously, I have utilised rotate with not issues, selecting a base point and pivoting images/objects by eye, however, now when I try to use the 'rotate' command it essentially just moves the image around a 360 axis although the orientation of the image does not change?

It essentially wont pivot the image at all?

I've tried to troubleshoot using varying image types. Could it be an issue with the way they are imported in or the rotate command itself?

Kind regards,
Jess

[AllenJessup]

The Rotate command is for rotating entities in the 2D plane.  Orbit (3DOrbit) is for changing the view. Once in the Orbit command there are many choices in the Shortcut Menu.

[drusselle · Accepted solution]

I have been using this dview and twist combo for 30 years and it works great but I have recently found an issue where I will dview in model space but the viewports in layout will not mirror the model space and the drawings are not twisted.???

[AllenJessup]

That's correct. A layout view will maintain it's viewtwist unless changed in the viewport. If that weren't the case. You couldn't have individual viewports with different twists. If I make a change in the position of rotation in modelspace that I want to be reflected in a viewport. I save a view in modelspace and restore it in the paperspace viewport.

[Anonymous]

Could you please send this procedure to me too?

dce@jcmtelecom.com

Thanks,

Doug

[Anonymous]

I know this is a really old post, but i'm looking for the same solution you were.  I've used dview, twist to rotate my drawing so that I have horizontal and vertical lines vs. the civil engineer's rotated angle, and I want to be able to now draw with horizontal and vertical lines, and can't figure out how to rotate my x & y curser without now inverting my drawing back to what it was.  I DONT want to go to Paper space to work on my model space, that's something I tell people never to do particularly when playing with turning layers on and off, so why would I want to encourage this behavior.  I'm POSITIVE there is a safe way to do this, but I too, cannot figure it out!  was hoping you finally did, and might be able to post a resolution. (i'm currently using AutoCAD 2016)

[Anonymous]

Easy solution... once you have your view the way you want. Type “ucs” select “view’ enter and, viola, the axes are set to your new ucs. You can save and restore that ucs using the same command. ‘UCS’ COMMAND IS Very important...especially in 3D modeling.

In model space type ucs > restore > restore the ucs you created in layout mode. If your view was twisted already you should be set. If not type . ‘Plan’> ‘enter’ This will twist your view to a Plan view for the ucs currently set.

To change ucs to match a twisted view in modelspace type>ucs>type ‘3’ for three point. . Select 3 points on your drawing one upper left top “y’ then in ortho mode directly below bottom ‘y’ pick a point in ortho mode then directly to the right ‘x’ direction pick a point in ortho mode. That should set your axis in a right angle to your twisted view. Save your ucs.

To return to world ucs type ‘ucs’ > ‘w’

Regards
Bruce

[AllenJessup]

The variable that controls that is SNAPANG. You can calculate the value manually from your VIEWTWIST or you can use the lisp I posted in post #2.

;;Sets the cursor Snap Angle parallel to the viewtwist. By Allen Jessup.
;;This is a very basic routine. It contains no error trapping. But being simple
;;it doesn't need much
(defun c:snag (/ VANG SANG) 
        (setq VANG (getvar "viewtwist"))  
        (setq SANG (- (* 2 pi) VANG))
        (setvar "snapang" SANG) !
)

[leilani.gnall-gregory]

An old topic, but still relevant.   I wanted to share my experience and hopefully this helps you and others as well.

I've been all thru this thread, and tried the variants of snapang, lisp routines etc.  What works for me is as follows. 

I use Civil backgrounds that are always at some goofy angle because that's true north,  to create my architectural siteplans.  I have to then share my files with those civil engineers and landscape and utilities consulants.  I want to be able to work in horizontal and vertical dimensions, (in MODEL space), and not mess with the absolute zero or rotation of the original civil backgrounds.  So here's what I found to work, consultants using the same method should be able to insert my drawing at 0,0 with no rotations, and my file lands just where it needs to. 

1. start a fresh file, set to the same UNITS as the civil drawing I will be working with.  2. Xref that Civil background in at 0,0,0,  0 rotation.  3. Dview, enter for default (dviewblock), Twist, enter negative angle of the line I want to be horizontal (example -25.46 degrees).  4. UCS, View

Wahla!  my horizontals and verticals are just the way I like it, my text is straight, my rectangles are straight.  and when I xref my file back into the civil engineer's drawing, I use 0,0 insertion, and it lands just where it needs to goofy angle and all! 

[Anonymous]

I'm not understanding the posted solutions, and maybe they are the same as mine, but I think I have a simpler way to explain, for anyone else who isn't "getting it":

-Type UCS in command line

-Select "Z" (which is the axis you will be rotating around, if you are in 2D.  It will rotate the whole model space view)

-then select the degrees of rotation.

-To change back, type "UCS", and select "World".

Works for me. 

[Anonymous]

I have a route like on picture 1 and I put rectangles on route and make layouts. And in viewport I use dvpick and it rotates to the right angle for 1., 3., 4. quadrant. And for 2 quadrant it rotates to the horizontal but it change direction. I want to read route from left to the right (picture 3), not from right to the left (picture 2). Thanks

[AllenJessup]

Try picking the entity that you're selecting in dvpick nearer the other end. Entities have a direction and where on the line or pline you pick will affect the angle.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. It helps.