{"id":13832,"date":"2023-10-31T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com/blogs\/autocad\/?p=13832"},"modified":"2023-10-26T15:46:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T22:46:23","slug":"how-to-create-a-viewport-in-autocad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com/blogs\/autocad\/how-to-create-a-viewport-in-autocad\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create a Viewport in AutoCAD: Tuesday Tips With Frank"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are always beginners in AutoCAD who are just starting out to learn the very basics. Learning how to create a viewport in AutoCAD is one of them. So, if you\u2019re a beginner or a veteran who could use a refresher, let\u2019s review some viewport basics that every AutoCAD user should know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viewport Basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I find that most beginners understand layout viewports to be kind of a magic window that looks back at model space. They\u2019ve learned to double-click in it to activate it, where they can pan, zoom, and work just like you would from the model tab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easily scalable with the handy drop-down menu (the down triangle grip). They realize it\u2019s an object, and it can be copied, moved, stretched, etc., just like most other objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being just another object, it will also plot unless you tell it not to. That\u2019s typically done by putting your viewports on a specific, non-plotting layer (please don\u2019t use Defpoints for this. Just say no).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deeper Dive Into Viewports<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If viewports are already created, new users may not be aware of all their creation options and how to create a viewport in AutoCAD. When you activate a layout tab, you also get a contextual ribbon menu tab. But unlike most contextual tabs, it doesn\u2019t become the active tab. You have to click on it yourself. For that reason, a lot of users tend to overlook it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within it, you\u2019ll find a Layout Viewports panel. The largest icon is also the newest, and I might argue, the coolest. If you have named views in model space, you can use this tool to drop them into paper space. It creates a viewport sized the same as the view, and it even does its best to pre-scale it for you. You don\u2019t use named views? No problem, it will let you define one on the fly (or define one that\u2019s not in your current view list).<\/p>\n\n\n\n