Viewports

Viewports can display entire, as well as cropped, views of a drawing, with specified layer and class visibility settings, projection, render mode, and orientation parameters (complete with details, annotations, dimensions, and title blocks). Viewports can show other parts of the active document, or even portions of other documents. If the drawing changes, update the viewports to reflect the changes.

There are several different types of viewports, depending on whether you have the Vectorworks Fundamentals product or one or more Vectorworks Design Series products.

In both the Vectorworks Fundamentals and Vectorworks Design Series products, you can create one or more viewports on a sheet layer, and each viewport can show one or more design layers from this document. Sheet layer viewports, often created for presentation purposes, are created on special layers called sheet layers. Sheet layers retain their own print settings, including print area, resolution, and printer setup parameters. For more information on sheet layers, see Creating Layers. A sheet layer viewport can also be linked to a Renderworks camera.

Vectorworks Design Series products allow you to create one or more viewports on a design layer, and the design layers shown in the viewports can be either from the current document, or referenced from another document. Like a sheet layer viewport, a design layer viewport can display design layers from the current file in a full or cropped view; unlike a sheet layer viewport, it can include one or more design layers that are referenced from another file.

A section viewport creates a cross section view of a model, but leaves the model intact. A section viewport can be created from a design layer, another non-sectioned viewport, or a clip cube on a design layer; it can be placed on a design layer or sheet layer.

Interior elevation viewports are section viewports that allow you to simultaneously create as many as four interior elevation viewports from a selected room or area of the model. An interior-elevation marker automatically placed on the design layer allows you to edit which views you display and maintains coordination between the drawing and the viewports. These viewports can be placed on either a design layer or a sheet layer.

A detail viewport is a cropped sheet layer viewport that shows a detail view of any part of a drawing. A detail viewport can be created from a design layer, another sheet layer viewport, or a section viewport. The crop object used to create the detail viewport becomes a callout object that is linked to the detail viewport for easy navigation between layers.

The Viewports tab of the Organization dialog box differentiates among the various types of viewports.

Creating Sheet Layer Viewports

Creating a Sheet Layer Viewport from a Design Layer

2 The Create Viewport dialog box opens. The viewport parameters are initially set to be the same as those of the design layer that is currently active, but they can be changed here. After the viewport has been created, additional parameters become available; see “Viewport Properties” on page 1641.

Parameter	Description
Name Viewport as Dwg No./Sheet No. (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Select this option to automatically set the Viewport Name to be a combination of the Drawing Number and the Sheet Number assigned to this viewport. Deselect this option to enter a custom Viewport Name.
Viewport Name	If Name Viewport as Dwg No./Sheet No. is not selected, enter a descriptive name for the viewport; this name must be unique in the document
Create on Layer	Select the sheet layer where the viewport will be created, or select New Sheet Layer to create a sheet layer. If there are no sheet layers present and a new one is not created now, you will be prompted to create a sheet layer after clicking OK.
Create Drawing Label (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Select this option to create a drawing label in the annotation space of the viewport
Drawing Number (Vectorworks Design Series required)	The next sequential drawing number available on the selected Sheet Layer defaults automatically. This number displays on any drawing label in the viewport’s annotations. This number must be unique on this sheet layer.
Drawing Title	Specifies a descriptive title for the viewport. This name displays as the drawing title for any annotation objects (drawing labels, and sheet borders, etc.) that are added to the viewport. The drawing title name is limited to 63 characters. If Use Automatic Drawing Coordination is selected in document preferences, a change to this field for the viewport automatically changes the field for the viewport’s drawing label, and vice versa.
Create on Layer	Select the sheet layer where the viewport will be created, or select New Sheet Layer to create a sheet layer. If there are no sheet layers present and a new one is not created now, you will be prompted to create a sheet layer after clicking OK.
Layers	Specifies which design layers will be visible in the viewport
Display Planar Objects	Select to display 2D planar objects, for all viewport view settings; when deselected, 2D planar objects display only in Top/Plan view
Project Screen Objects	Select to display 2D objects associated with the screen plane as planar objects
Classes	Specifies which classes will be visible in the viewport
Scale	Specifies the viewport scale relative to the page; select a scale or choose Custom and enter the scale value in Custom Scale
Custom Scale	When a custom scale is selected, enter the scale value
View	Specifies the orientation of the design layers displayed in the viewport; select a cardinal view or choose Custom and then click Set View to specify the view
Set View	When a custom view is selected, click Set View to open the 3D Rotation dialog box for the entry of custom view parameters (see Rotating Precisely for more information)
Rendering	Specifies the render mode for the viewport; some modes enable the Render Settings button, to specify rendering parameters
Render Settings	Available when the selected Rendering mode requires parameters to be set. See the following: • Sketch settings: Applying Sketch Styles to Viewports • OpenGL settings: OpenGL Options • Custom Renderworks settings: Custom Renderworks Options • Artistic Renderworks settings: Artistic Renderworks Options • Hidden Line, Dashed Hidden Line, and Final Shaded Polygon settings: Line Render Options
RW Background	Select a Renderworks background from a library or the current file to use as a background for the viewport; see Creating Renderworks Backgrounds
Projection	Select the projection type for the viewport (see Projection)
Perspective Type	For Perspective projection, select the type of perspective, or choose Custom and specify the perspective distance
Perspective Dist	For custom perspectives, enter the perspective distance

4 If a sheet layer does not already exist in the file, the New Sheet Layer dialog box opens automatically to create one. Click OK.

The viewport is created on the designated sheet layer, and the sheet layer becomes active.

Creating a Sheet Layer Viewport by Cropping

To create a cropped viewport either from a design layer or from an existing uncropped viewport on a sheet layer:

1 Activate the existing design layer or sheet layer that will display in the viewport.

2 Create a 2D object such as a rectangle, circle, or polyline. The 2D object must define an area; for example, a 2D line cannot be used. Crop objects are automatically placed in the screen plane (see Planar Modes of 2D Objects: Screen Plane and Layer Plane). Position the 2D object on the design layer or existing uncropped viewport to delimit the area to be included in the new viewport. The fill of a viewport cropping object is always None; however, the pen style can be set from the Attributes palette.

3 If the cropped viewport is being created from a design layer, select the 2D object. If the cropped viewport is being created from a sheet layer, select both the 2D object and the uncropped viewport.

5 An alert dialog box asks whether the object should be used as the viewport’s crop. Click Yes (click Always do the selected action to always use a selected 2D object as a crop object when creating viewports).

6 The Create Viewport dialog box opens. Enter a viewport name and drawing title, and select the sheet layer to place it on. The remaining viewport parameters are initially set to be the same as the design layer properties (for design layers) or selected viewport (for sheet layers). Change the parameters as needed.

The viewport, cropped by the selected 2D object, is created on the specified sheet layer.

8 By default, the crop object is not visible. To change the visibility of the crop object, select the viewport and click Crop Visible from the Object Info palette.

Creating Multiple Viewports Simultaneously

The Create Multiple Viewports command generates 2D drawings from a 3D model and creates up to seven sheet layer viewports configured with several orthographic views and one isometric view of the model.

If you run the command from a sheet layer, the viewports are added to that sheet layer. If you run the command from a design layer, the viewports are added to a new sheet layer that is created automatically.

2 Specify the desired viewport scale, views, and angle projection method, and then click OK.

Parameter	Description
Viewport Scale	Select the viewport scale relative to the page
Method
First Angle Projection	Create views using the first angle projection method; by default, the front, top, and left views are selected when the drawing units are metric
Third Angle Projection	Create views using the third angle projection method; by default, the front, top, and right views are selected when the drawing units are imperial
Views
Front, Top, Right, Left, Bottom, Back, Isometric	Select the view(s) to create in the drawing

Viewports are created at the designated layer scale, using the current layer and class visibility and print area settings, with the rendered style set to hidden line rendering. Viewports are aligned horizontally and vertically, separated by a fixed distance, and centered on the sheet layer.

3 Optionally, configure the viewports’ layer and class settings (Active, Show, or Gray Others only), annotate the viewport, or modify the rendering style or other viewport parameters.

Creating Design Layer Viewports

A sheet layer viewport displays a full or cropped view of one or more design layers, which you can change without affecting the original drawing. For example, change the viewport’s layer and class visibilities, use a different render mode, or add annotations and dimensions. (See “Creating Sheet Layer Viewports” on page 1612.)

Design layer viewports provide different functionality, for more flexibility. Like a sheet layer viewport, a design layer viewport can display design layers from the current file in a full or cropped view; unlike a sheet layer viewport, it can include one or more design layers that are referenced from another file.

Like a sheet layer viewport, in a design layer viewport you can control layer and class visibility, and create layer and class overrides. However, because it is an object on a design layer, a design layer viewport has the same view, scale, and render mode as everything else on the layer. You can use 2D and 3D drawing tools to add objects to the design layer, but you cannot add annotations to a design layer viewport.

Design layer viewports replace the layer link functionality present in the Vectorworks Fundamentals product. Current layer links can be easily converted to a design layer viewport with the Modify > Convert > Convert to Viewport command (Vectorworks Design Series required). (See Converting Layer Links.)

The search criteria used in worksheets and in the Script Editor allow you to filter out items from design layer viewports, to prevent unwanted duplicates in schedules.

Creating a Design Layer Viewport from an Internal Design Layer

To create a design layer viewport that displays a design layer in the same file:

1 Select View > Create Viewport. Alternatively, from either the Organization dialog box or the Navigation palette, select the Viewports tab, and click New.

2 The Create Viewport dialog box opens. The scale, view, and render mode of the viewport are determined by the design layer on which it is placed; they cannot be changed here. Set the other viewport parameters. After the viewport has been created, additional parameters become available; see Editing a Design Layer Displayed in a Viewport.

Parameter	Description
Viewport Name	Specifies the viewport name; this name must be unique in the document
Drawing Title	Specifies a descriptive name for the viewport. The drawing title name is limited to 63 characters.
Create on Layer	Select the design layer in the current file where the viewport will be created, or select New Design Layer to create a layer
Source	Displays the name of the file that contains the design layers to display in the viewport. If Current Document is not displayed here, click Select Source to open the Select Viewport Source dialog box; select Current Document as the source, and click OK to return to this dialog box. See “Creating a Referenced Design Layer Viewport” on page 1619 for information about referencing an external file.
Layers	Specifies which design layers will be visible in the viewport; see Changing the Layer Properties of Sheet Layer or Design Layer Viewports
Display Planar Objects	Select to display 2D planar objects, for all viewport view settings; when deselected, 2D planar objects display only in Top/Plan view
Project Screen Objects	Select to display 2D objects associated with the screen plane as planar objects
Classes	Specifies which classes from the source file will be visible in the viewport; see Changing the Layer Properties of Sheet Layer or Design Layer Viewports
Remaining fields	The remaining fields are not available for design layer viewports

Creating a Design Layer Viewport by Cropping

The viewport and the design layer that it displays must both be in the same file.

2 Create a 2D object such as a rectangle, circle, or polyline. The 2D object must define an area; for example, a 2D line cannot be used. Crop objects are automatically placed in the screen plane (see Planar Modes of 2D Objects: Screen Plane and Layer Plane). Position the 2D object on the design layer to delimit the area to be included in the new viewport. The fill of a viewport crop object is always None; however, the pen style can be set from the Attributes palette.

4 An alert dialog box asks whether the object should be used as the viewport’s crop. Click Yes (also select Always do the selected action to always use a selected 2D object as a crop object when creating viewports).

The viewport, cropped by the selected 2D object, is created on the specified design layer.

7 By default, the crop object is not visible. To change the visibility of the crop object, select the viewport and select the Crop Visible setting from the Object Info palette.

Creating a Referenced Design Layer Viewport

Referencing allows you to use information from other Vectorworks files in your file, including design layers, classes, and resources (such as hatches, worksheets, or symbols). There are two ways to reference design layers that are in other Vectorworks files:

• The default method in the Vectorworks Design Series products is to create a design layer viewport and then reference the desired design layers from the master file into the viewport, as described here. One advantage to this method is that all of the layers, classes, and resources from the master file are not automatically imported into the target file.

• In the Vectorworks Fundamentals product, design layers are imported into the target file when they are referenced. For backward compatibility, the Vectorworks Design Series products support this method. See Adding and Editing Layer Import References.

A reference for a design layer viewport can be created when the viewport is created, or it can be created ahead of time from the References tab of the Organization dialog box.

To create a design layer viewport that references a design layer in another file:

1 If the current file uses layer import referencing, switch to design layer viewport referencing. (From the References tab of the Organization dialog box, click Settings, and click the Design layer viewports option from the Reference Settings dialog box. Any existing referenced layers are automatically converted into referenced design layer viewports.)

2 Select View > Create Viewport. Alternatively, from either the Organization dialog box or the Navigation palette, select the Viewports tab, and click New.

3 The Create Viewport dialog box opens. Enter a Viewport Name and Drawing Title, and then select the design layer on which to create the viewport.

4 Click Select Source to open the Select Viewport Source dialog box, and enter information about the referenced document.

Parameter	Description
Current Document / External Document	Select External Document to indicate that the design layers that will display in this viewport are in a different file
Existing Reference	If the master file is already a reference in this file, select this option, and then select the reference from the list
New Reference	Select this option if this is a new reference, and click Choose to open the Open Current-Version Drawing dialog box; locate the master file and click Open to return to this dialog box. The path to the selected file displays below the New Reference field. Referenced files must be the same software version as the target file. Circular references are not allowed; for example, if file A references file B, and file B references file C, then file C cannot reference file A. The exception is if one of the references uses the referencing in the Vectorworks Fundamentals product (layer import).
Save reference location as	Maintains either an absolute or relative file path reference from the current file to the referenced file. Use the absolute path when the location of the referenced file with respect to the current file is not going to change. Use the relative path when the files might be moved to another computer or platform; as long as the relative path between the files remains the same, the reference can be found. Both files must be saved on the save volume to select this option. The Source File path displays either an absolute or relative path, depending on the selection.
Automatically update out of date reference during file open	Updates the reference each time the target file is opened; when deselected, the reference is updated only when Update is clicked from the References tab of the Organization dialog box
Save referenced cache to disk	Saves a copy of the referenced data with the target file. When this option is deselected, a copy of the referenced data is not saved, which means that the target file size is smaller; the referenced data is refreshed when the target file is opened.

5 Click OK in the Select Viewport Source dialog box to return to the Create Viewport dialog box.

The master file displays on the References tab of the Organization dialog box; for details about how to edit, update, or delete references, see Workgroups and Referencing.

Creating Section Viewports

A section viewport creates a cross section view of a model, but leaves the model intact. The section viewport can display a 2D cross section view of only the objects that intersect the section line, or, additionally, the 3D geometry that remains on the indicated side of an infinite plane passing through the section line. Typically, a section view is either vertical or horizontal to the design layer plane. Horizontal sections are essential for BIM projects, to create plan drawings from 3D models.

Create a live section view from one or more design layers, from a clip cube on a design layer, or from a viewport on a sheet layer. By creating several section viewports, models can be analyzed and presented effectively. The section views can be updated as the model changes, and their attributes and appearance can be easily changed.

A section viewport can be created on either a sheet layer or a design layer; the functionality and purpose of the two types of section viewports are different.

Section viewports on sheet layers can include annotations and automatic drawing coordination of the sheet and drawing numbers; also, if there are multiple viewports on a sheet layer, each can a have different view and scale. These types of sections are always in Top/Plan view since they are on sheet layers, and are created for construction drawings. To get a 3D “look,” switch to Perspective Projection.

Section viewports on design layers are useful when, for example, a detail section is needed in a Front rendered view. A design layer section viewport allows comparison between a section and an elevation view. In a team environment, the design layer section viewport can be referenced in other files.

Interior elevation viewports are a subcategory of section viewports that display as many as four elevations of a space as seen from within the room, without creating a cross section of the model; see “Creating Interior Elevation Viewports” on page 1632.

For sheet layer section viewports, to automatically coordinate the sheet numbers and drawing numbers among the sheet borders, drawing labels, and section markers in a file, select Use Automatic Drawing Coordination in the Display tab of the Document Preferences. This feature keeps references up to date, even when drawings are edited or moved to a different layer.

Creating a Section Viewport on a Sheet Layer

When you create a section viewport, you can place it on either a sheet layer or design layer. Section viewports on sheet layers can have annotations and automatic drawing coordination of the sheet and drawing numbers; also, if there are multiple viewports on a sheet layer, each can a have different view and scale.

Create a section view from a design layer, from a clip cube, or from a viewport on a sheet layer. A section viewport that is created from a design layer or clip cube can be updated when changes are made to the design layer. However, a section viewport that is created from a viewport does not maintain a connection to the viewport that created it. It updates when the design layers that are visible in the source viewport change.

• To create a section view from an active design layer, set the layer to Top/Plan view by selecting View > Standard Views > Top/Plan.

• To create a section view from an existing viewport, select a non-sectioned viewport object. The viewport object must be in Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, or Back view orientation.

• To create a section view from an existing clip cube object, use the Selection tool to highlight the face of the clip cube where the section will begin. (See Viewing a Model with the Clip Cube.) Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac) to open the context menu.

2 Select View > Create Section Viewport (for a design layer or viewport), or select Create Section Viewport from the context menu (for a clip cube).

3 Draw the section line to create the cutting plane on the design layer or viewport. For a clip cube, skip to step 4; the section line is created automatically from a vertical clip cube face, and no section line is created from a horizontal face.

Click in the drawing and drag the mouse to begin drawing the marker line. Click to mark the end of the line, and then click to indicate the side of the line to look toward (keep), which is indicated by a black arrow. Double-click to end the line.

To create a broken section line, click in the drawing and draw the first segment. Indicate which side of the drawing to show in the viewport. Click and drag to draw additional segments; broken section line segments are always parallel or perpendicular to each other. Double-click to end the broken line.

4 The Create Section Viewport dialog box opens, set to the parameters of the active design layer or non-section viewport.

Parameter	Description
Name Viewport as Dwg No./Sheet No.	Select this option to automatically set the Viewport Name to be a combination of the Drawing Number and the Sheet Number assigned to this viewport. Deselect this option to enter a custom Viewport Name.
Viewport Name	If Name Viewport as Dwg No./Sheet No. is not selected, enter a descriptive name for the viewport; this name must be unique in the document
Create on Layer	Select the sheet layer where the viewport will be created, or select New Sheet Layer to create a sheet layer. If there are no sheet layers present and a new one is not created now, you will be prompted to create a sheet layer after clicking OK.
Create Drawing Label	Select this option to create a drawing label in the annotation space of the section viewport
Drawing Number	The next sequential drawing number available on the selected Sheet Layer defaults automatically. This number displays on the section marker associated with this viewport, as well as on any drawing label in the viewport’s annotations. This number must be unique on this sheet layer.
Drawing Title	Specifies a descriptive title for the section viewport. This name displays as the drawing title for any annotation objects (drawing labels, section markers, and sheet borders) that are added to the viewport. The drawing title name is limited to 63 characters. If Use Automatic Drawing Coordination is selected in document preferences, a change to this field for the viewport automatically changes the field for the viewport’s drawing label, and vice versa.
Layers	Specifies which design layers are visible in the viewport
Display Objects beyond Section Plane	When selected, shows objects beyond the section plane; visible planar objects are sectioned if positioned at the section line
Display Planar Objects	Select to display 2D planar objects; visible planar objects are sectioned if positioned at the section line
Display Flattened	This option is available for viewports on design layers only
Classes	Specifies which classes are visible in the viewport
Scale	Specifies the viewport scale relative to the page; select a scale, or choose Custom and enter a Custom Scale value
Custom Scale	When a custom scale is selected, enter the scale value
Rendering	Specifies the render mode for the viewport; some modes enable the Render Settings button, to specify rendering parameters. After the viewport is created, foreground rendering can be added for a composite rendering effect; see “Viewport Properties” on page 1641.
Render Settings	Available when the selected Rendering mode requires parameters to be set. See the following: • Sketch settings: Applying Sketch Styles to Viewports • OpenGL settings: OpenGL Options • Custom Renderworks settings: Custom Renderworks Options • Artistic Renderworks settings: Artistic Renderworks Options • Hidden Line, Dashed Hidden Line, and Final Shaded Polygon settings: Line Render Options
RW Background	Select a Renderworks background from a library or the current file to use as a background for the viewport; see Applying Renderworks Backgrounds
Projection	Select the projection type for the viewport (see Projection)
Perspective Type	For Perspective projection, select the type of perspective, or choose Custom and specify the perspective distance
Perspective Dist	For custom perspectives, enter the perspective distance
Advanced Section Properties	Specifies advanced section viewport parameters defining the extent and attributes of the section view; see “Advanced Section Viewport Properties” on page 1648
Section Line Settings	Specifies the graphic attributes of the section line object; also sets the default attributes for the section lines for future section viewports you create (see “Section Lines and Section-Elevation Markers” on page 1627). These settings are not applicable to horizontal sections, which have no section line object.

5 Click OK. A section line object is created in the design layer (unless you used a horizontal face of a clip cube), or is added to the annotations of the existing non-sectioned viewport. A section viewport is created on the selected sheet layer, and the drawing switches to that sheet layer, displaying the new section viewport.

By default, the cross section areas (along the plane where the section was cut) are displayed in red. To change the fill color, or to display sectioned objects with their original attributes, change the viewport’s Advanced Properties (see “Advanced Section Viewport Properties” on page 1648).

Creating a Section Viewport on a Design Layer

When you create a section viewport, you can place it on either a sheet layer or design layer. Section viewports on design layers are useful when a detailed section is needed, or when the section viewport needs to be referenced into other files.

If you want to use annotations and automatic drawing coordination of the sheet and drawing numbers, or if you need multiple viewports on a sheet layer with different views and scales, create the viewport on a sheet layer instead. (See “Creating a Section Viewport on a Sheet Layer” on page 1621.)

• To create a section view from an active design layer, set the layer to Top/Plan view by selecting View > Standard Views > Top/Plan.

• To create a section view from an existing viewport, select a non-sectioned viewport object. The viewport object must be in Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, or Back view orientation.

2 Select View > Create Section Viewport (for a design layer or viewport), or select Create Section Viewport from the context menu (for a clip cube).

4 The Create Section Viewport dialog box opens. After you select the design layer on which to create the viewport, several parameters that apply only to section viewports on sheet layers become unavailable; they are not included in the parameters table. Enter the desired parameters.

The scale of a design layer section viewport is the same as the layer where it is placed. The rendering mode of the current layer is also used to render the design layer section viewport.

Parameter	Description
Viewport Name	If Name Viewport as Dwg No./Sheet No. is not selected, enter a descriptive name for the viewport; this name must be unique in the document
Create on Layer	Select the design layer where the viewport will be created, or select New Design Layer to create a design layer. If there are no design layers present and a new one is not created now, you will be prompted to create a design layer after clicking OK.
Layers	Specifies which design layers are visible in the viewport
Display Objects beyond Section Plane	When selected, shows objects beyond the section plane, on the indicated side of the section; deselect to show only the objects that intersect the section line
Display Planar Objects	Select to display 2D planar objects; visible planar objects are sectioned if positioned at the section line
Display Flattened	This option becomes available after you select a design layer in the Create on Layer field. When selected, the viewport always displays a “flattened” section view, similar to a section viewport on a sheet layer; deselect this option to have the viewport display the current view selected for the design layer.
Classes	Specifies which classes are visible in the viewport
Advanced Section Properties	Specifies advanced section viewport parameters defining the extent and attributes of the section view; see “Advanced Section Viewport Properties” on page 1648
Section Line Settings	Specifies the graphic attributes of the section line object; also sets the default attributes for the section lines for future section viewports you create (see “Section Lines and Section-Elevation Markers” on page 1627). These settings are not applicable to horizontal sections, which have no section line object.

5 Click OK. A section line object is created in the design layer (unless you used a horizontal face of a clip cube), or is added to the annotations of the existing non-sectioned viewport. A section viewport is created on the selected design layer, and the drawing switches to that design layer, displaying the new section viewport.

In Top/Plan view, the cross section areas (along the plane where the section was cut) are displayed in red by default. To change the fill color, or to display sectioned objects with their original attributes, change the viewport’s Advanced Properties (see “Advanced Section Viewport Properties” on page 1648).

Initially, the view is set to Top/Plan, but this can be changed, and the section can be displayed in any view (the Flyover tool can also be used to view the section). Additionally, there is an option to display a flattened version of the section, which can be used to create section drawings or details.

A design layer section viewport can be cropped, but it does not contain an annotation space.

Section Lines and Section-Elevation Markers

Section lines and section-elevation markers look very similar on a drawing, but they are created differently.

A section line is automatically created when a vertical section viewport is created (horizontal sections do not have them). The section line graphically indicates the cutting plane of the section viewport and shows the orientation of the section view. Specify the graphic properties of the section line (such as the marker style), when you create the section viewport. To access a section line from its section viewport, click Section Line Instances from the Object Info palette (see “Section Line Instances” on page 1630).

A section line that has been pasted from a copy, duplicated, or mirrored from a section line that is associated with a section viewport becomes an “unlinked” section line. It displays with black and yellow stripes and the Section Viewport field in the Object Info palette displays “Not Linked.”

A section-elevation marker is graphically similar to a section line, but it is not necessarily linked to a viewport. Use the Section-Elevation Marker tool from the Dims/Notes tool set to insert a marker, as a reference line graphic for sections and elevations, or as a cutting plane graphic. Select Preferences from the Tool bar to specify the graphic properties of the object before you create it.

A section-elevation marker can be linked to a viewport. Depending on the type of viewport it is linked to, its drawing number and sheet number are synced to the selected viewport, similar to a section line. Section-elevation markers that are linked to a viewport display with a green link icon next to the beginning maker. The linked section-elevation marker can have different graphic properties from a section line that is also associated with a section viewport.

When a section viewport is deleted, the associated section line and any linked section-elevation markers are also deleted.

Creating Section-Elevation Markers

2 Click Preferences from the Tool bar, and set the default parameters for section-elevation markers.

To insert a multi-segment marker, click to define each segment. Because a multi-segment marker is a polyline, the methods of drawing and editing polylines apply (see Creating Polylines).

• Use the Object Info palette to edit the graphic properties (such as the marker style).

• Use the Attributes palette to apply attributes (such as the fill or pen color).

• Use options on the Text menu to control the text appearance (such as the font or size), or assign a text style.

• A section-elevation marker can be linked to a viewport by selecting the viewport from the Link To Viewport list on the Object Info palette.

Properties of Section Lines and Section-Elevation Markers

Parameters display on the Object Info palette for selected section lines and section-elevation markers. Many of these parameters also display on the Section Line Settings dialog box, which you can access when you create a section viewport.

Parameter	Description
Section Viewport (Section Lines only)	Displays the name of the viewport associated with the section line; a section line that is not associated with a viewport is labeled “Not Linked”
Reverse Direction (Section Lines only)	Reverses the side to display when objects beyond the section plane are visible
Navigate to Section Viewport (Section Lines only)	Navigates to the section viewport associated with the section line
Rotation (Section-Elevation Markers only)	Sets the marker rotation; if the marker was created from a rotated plan view, this parameter can be used to reset the marker to the world coordinate system
Text Style	Select a text style from a library or the current file. To use the style defined for the object’s class, select <Class Text Style>. To format the text using options on the Text menu, select <Un-Styled>. See Using Text Styles and Formatting Text.
Configuration	Select the section line configuration • Section: draws a section marker at both ends of a straight or broken section line • Partial Section: draws a section marker at the beginning of a straight or broken section line • Elevation: draws a section marker along a straight section line at a control point, which can be dragged to a new location
Flip (Section-Elevation Markers only)	Reverses the direction of the marker
Set Marker Style(s) (for Section-Elevation Markers) or Section Marker Style(s) (for Section Lines)	Opens the Set Marker Style dialog box, to select the section marker type at each end of the section line; markers can be the same (Match Beginning) or different (Differentiate) at each end of the section line. Select from a library or the current file.
Link To Viewport (Section-Elevation Markers only)	Links the section-elevation marker to an existing viewport; select the viewport to link to from the list. A green link icon (next to the beginning marker in the drawing) indicates that the section-elevation marker is linked to a viewport. When a section-elevation marker is linked to a standard viewport, the sheet number is synced; when it linked to a section viewport, both the drawing number and sheet number are synced.
Marker Size	Specifies the size of the section marker, measured from the marker’s insertion point to the top of its longest point. Changes to the marker size do not affect the text size.
Use Gapped Line (Section and Partial Section configurations only)	Displays the section line with a gapped line
Gap Line Length	If Use Gapped Line is selected, specifies the length of the solid section line at each end of the section line
Text Auto-Rotate	When selected, the marker text always displays in the same orientation; when deselected, the text is rotated according to the Text Rotation value
Text Both Ends (Section configuration only)	Displays text at the end of the marker, as well as the beginning
Text Config	Specifies the display style for the Drawing Number and Sheet Number text; if Dwg. No.-Sheet No. or Sheet No.-Dwg. No. is selected, specify a Text Separator to place between the text items
Text Rotation	When Text Auto-Rotate is not selected, specifies the rotation of the marker text
Text Sheet %	Specifies the scale value for the Sheet Number portion of the marker text. Enter a number larger than 100 to make the text larger. Enter a number below 100 to make it smaller. The scale value must be larger than 1.
Text Separator	For the Dwg. No.-Sheet No. and Sheet No.-Dwg. No. text configurations, specifies the separator to place between the Drawing Number and Sheet Number text
Auto-coordinate (Section Lines only)	For section line objects associated with a section viewport, automatically displays the Drawing Number of the referenced section viewport, and the viewport’s Sheet Number. Deselect this option to enter the Drawing Number and Sheet Number manually.
Drawing Number	Enter the Drawing Number of the referenced section viewport; this value is assigned by default for section lines when Auto-coordinate is selected, and for section-elevation markers that are linked to a section viewport
Sheet Number	Enter the Sheet Number of the referenced section viewport; this value is assigned by default for section lines when Auto-coordinate is selected, and for section-elevation markers that are linked to a viewport
Detail Text (Section-Elevation Markers only)	Enter additional text to appear next to the marker; the text has its own control point and can be positioned separately

Section Line Instances

Section line instances associated with a section viewport can be added to or deleted from design layers or viewport annotations. In addition, the Section Line Instances dialog box provides an easy way to navigate from a section viewport to its associated section lines.

1 Select the section viewport whose section line you want to navigate to or edit.

Parameter	Description
Viewport	Displays the name of the selected section viewport
Design Layers tab/Viewports tab	Displays the names of all design layers in the file (on the Design Layers tab) and all sheet layer viewports in the file (on the Viewports tab). Each design layer or viewport that contains a section line associated with the selected section viewport has a check mark to the left of its name.
Activate	When a design layer or viewport with a check mark is selected, navigates to the section line instance

3 To add another instance of the section line to a different design layer or to the annotation for a different viewport, click on the column next to that design layer or viewport, and then click OK. Alternatively, to remove a section line instance from a layer or viewport, click the checked column (which removes the check mark), and then click OK.

Deleting all section line instances does not delete the section viewport, and new instances can be created at any time. However, deleting a section viewport deletes all section line instances.

4 The section line instances can also be used as a navigation tool to access a particular section line. Select the section line and click Activate to switch to the design layer or viewport; the section line is selected for any modifications.

To return from a section line instance to the associated section viewport, click Navigate to Section Viewport from the Object Info palette of a selected section line.

Creating Section Viewports from Unlinked Section Lines

An unlinked (orphan) section line is disconnected from its associated section viewport, possibly because the section line was pasted from a copy, duplicated, or mirrored. It displays as a black and yellow line, and “Not Linked” is displayed in Section Viewport on the Shape tab of the Object Info palette.

Section viewports can be created from unlinked section lines located on a design layer, sheet layer, or while in edit annotation mode.

1 Select the unlinked section lines. If on a sheet layer, include the viewport to be sectioned in the selection set.

The Create Section Viewport dialog box opens (see “Creating Section Viewports” on page 1621). If multiple unlinked section lines were selected, the parameters specified apply to all section viewports created.

Creating and Sectioning Elevation Views

Section viewports are useful for creating images that show multiple design layers from a certain point of view.

For example, to show an exterior elevation of a building model, draw a section line outside of the model on one of the design layers and make all of the necessary layers visible in the section viewport. To show an interior view of the same model, do the same thing, but draw the section line through the model at the appropriate location.

Alternatively, if you already have a (non-sectioned) sheet layer viewport that shows multiple design layers in an elevation view, you can draw the section line through the viewport at the appropriate location.

Creating Interior Elevation Viewports

The Create Interior Elevation Viewport command creates as many as four interior elevation viewports of a room or area of a model at the same time. Interior elevation viewports are a kind of section viewport, but rather than creating a cross section of the area, the command creates section lines with extents defined by the walls that surround the interior-elevation marker. The drawing’s automatic coordination among the interior-elevation marker and the associated viewports is maintained as long as the viewports are kept on the same sheet layer or design layer on which they are originally created.

By default, the vertical extent of the section lines is determined by the bottom of the lowest wall and the top of the highest wall of all layers visible in a sheet layer viewport, or by the height of the active layer for a design layer viewport. By default the horizontal extent is determined by the nearest walls in the XY direction of each section line; if there is no wall in a direction, the extent will be determined by the bounding box of the nearest object. Section lines, which are not visible on the design layer, can be edited after creation by clicking Edit Section Lines from the Object Info palette or by double-clicking the interior-elevation marker.

1 Make sure the desired design layer is active, and set the drawing to Top/Plan view.

Once the viewports are created, the interior-elevation marker displays on the active design layer. The viewports are connected to this marker for ease of editing and automatic coordination.

3 Click once to place the interior-elevation marker in the drawing, and click again to set the rotation.

Parameter	Description
Viewport Name	Enter a descriptive name for the viewport; this name must be unique in the document
Create on Layer	Select the sheet layer or design layer where the viewport will be created, or select New Sheet/Design Layer to create a layer.
Create Drawing Label	For sheet layer viewports, select this option to create a drawing label in the annotation space of the viewport
Drawing	Specify the directions to create interior elevation viewports. The interior-elevation marker detects its position in relation to the four quadrants in the screen plane, sweeping 45° from each XY direction (0°, 90°, 180° and 270°) corresponding to North, East, South, and West naming.
Number	The Number defaults to the next sequential drawing numbers available on the selected layer. These numbers must be unique on this layer; if an existing number falls within the selected range, the number is skipped. These numbers display on the interior-elevation marker associated with these viewports, as well as on any drawing label in the viewports’ annotations.
Title	Specifies a descriptive title for the interior elevation viewport. This name displays as the drawing title for any annotation objects (drawing labels, section markers, and sheet borders) that are added to the viewport. The drawing title name is limited to 63 characters. If Use Automatic Drawing Coordination is selected in document preferences, a change to this field for the viewport automatically changes the field for the viewport’s drawing label, and vice versa.
Layers	Specifies which design layers are visible in the viewport
Display Objects beyond Section Plane	When selected, shows objects beyond the section plane
Display Planar Objects	Select to display 2D planar objects
Display Flattened (viewports on design layers only)	When selected, the viewport always displays a “flattened” section view, similar to a section viewport on a sheet layer; deselect this option to display the current view selected for the design layer in the viewport
Classes	Specifies which classes are visible in the viewport
Scale	For sheet layer viewports, specifies the viewport scale relative to the page; select a scale, or choose Custom and enter a Custom Scale value
Rendering	For sheet layer viewports, specifies the render mode for the viewport; some modes enable the Render Settings button, to specify rendering parameters. After the viewport is created, foreground rendering can be added for a composite rendering effect; see “Viewport Properties” on page 1641.
Render Settings	Available when the selected Rendering mode requires parameters to be set. See the following: • Sketch settings: Applying Sketch Styles to Viewports • OpenGL settings: OpenGL Options • Custom Renderworks settings: Custom Renderworks Options • Artistic Renderworks settings: Artistic Renderworks Options • Hidden Line, Dashed Hidden Line, and Final Shaded Polygon settings: Line Render Options
RW Background	If a Renderworks mode is selected, select a Renderworks background from a library or the current file to use as a background for the viewport; see Applying Renderworks Backgrounds
Projection	Select the projection type for the viewport (see Projection)
Perspective Type	For Perspective projection, select the type of perspective, or choose Custom and specify the perspective distance
Perspective Dist	For custom perspectives, enter the perspective distance
Interior Elevation Settings	Click to open the Interior Elevation Settings dialog box (see “Properties of Interior-Elevation Markers” on page 1636)

The interior-elevation marker displays on the design layer that was active when you created the viewports. It is updated to reflect which viewports were created, and to display with the selected settings. Associated viewports are placed on the specified sheet layer or design layer; moving individual viewports to a different layer breaks the association with the interior-elevation marker and the other viewports, and the relocated interior elevation viewport is converted to a section viewport.

Editing Interior Elevation Viewports

Moving the marker with click-and-drag does not affect the placement of the section lines that define the viewports, but rotating the marker using the Rotate tool rotates all the section lines associated with the marker.

To edit the individual section lines that define the viewport, either double-click the associated interior-elevation marker or click Edit Section Lines from the marker’s Object Info palette to enter Object Editing Mode. Then edit the lines using the control points and the Selection tool and Reshape tool as described in Modifying Section Lines Graphically.

Cropping Existing Sheet Layer or Design Layer Viewports is possible for interior elevation viewports. If the section lines that define the viewport are edited after a viewport is cropped, you may need to remove or change the crop to get the desired result.

Interior-Elevation Markers

There are two kinds of interior-elevation markers in Vectorworks. The viewport-linked marker is placed when you create interior elevation viewports (see “Creating Interior Elevation Viewports” on page 1632); it maintains coordination with the viewports for automatic updates. This kind of marker is placed on the active design layer and graphically indicates for which directions the viewports were created. Specify the graphic properties, such as the marker style, when you create the interior elevation viewports. To access the marker from any of the associated viewports, click Navigate to Interior Elevation from the viewport’s Object Info palette.

The simple interior-elevation marker (available with Vectorworks Fundamentals) looks identical on a drawing, but it is placed using the Interior-Elevation Marker tool and is simply a visual marker, not linked to a viewport.

2 Click to place the object in the drawing, and click again to set the rotation.

The first time you use the tool in a file, a properties dialog box opens. Set the default properties, and click OK. The properties can be edited from the Object Info palette.

Properties of Interior-Elevation Markers

Interior-elevation marker properties can be set before the marker is inserted in the drawing. If the marker is being placed by the Create Interior Elevation Viewports command (Vectorworks Architect required), click Interior Elevation Settings on the Create Interior Elevation Viewports dialog box to open the Interior Elevation Settings dialog box. If you are placing a simple marker using the Interior-Elevation Marker tool, click Preferences from the Tool bar to open the object properties dialog box. These preferences serve as the new default for interior-elevation markers inserted in the drawing using that insertion method until the preferences are changed.

The parameters can be edited for selected interior-elevation markers after placement, in the Object Info palette. The available parameters are different, and displayed in a different order, for viewport-linked and simple interior-elevation markers.

The viewport-linked and simple interior elevations markers can be easily distinguished at the top of the Object Info palette. Markers that are linked to viewports are identified as the object type “Interior Elevation,” while the simple markers are identified as “Interior-Elevation Marker.”

Parameter	Description
North/East/South/West	Select the view directions to include; the interior-elevation marker detects its position in relation to the four quadrants in the screen plane, sweeping 45° from each XY direction (0°, 90°, 180° and 270°) corresponding to North, East, South, and West naming. For viewport-linked markers, when the selection changes, the section line that defines the viewport in that direction is automatically added or deleted, as is the corresponding viewport.
Edit Section Lines (viewport-linked marker only)	Click to enter Object Editing Mode and edit the section lines that define the viewports; see Modifying Section Lines Graphically
Navigate to Interior Elevation Viewports (viewport-linked marker only)	Click to view the sheet layer or design layer with the viewports and select the associated viewports
Interior Elevation Marker Style	Click to select the marker symbol. The Vectorworks software provides several marker symbols, but you can add a custom symbol; see Creating Resources.
Marker Size	Specify the marker size
Text Style	Select a text style from a library or the current file. To use the style defined for the object’s class, select <Class Text Style>. To format the text using options on the Text menu, select <Un-Styled>. See Using Text Styles and Formatting Text.
Auto-coordinate (viewport-linked marker only)	Automatically displays the Drawing Number of the referenced viewport, and the viewport’s Sheet Number. Deselect this option to enter the Drawing Number and Sheet Number manually.
Drawing Number	Enter the Drawing Number; this value is assigned by default for viewport-linked interior-elevation markers when Auto-coordinate is selected
Sheet Number	Enter the Sheet Number; this value is assigned by default for viewport-linked interior-elevation markers when Auto-coordinate is selected
Text Config	Specifies the display style for the Sheet Number and Detail Number text; depending on the selection, specify the Detail Number and Text Separator
Horizontal Text	Select to display text horizontally when the marker is rotated; deselect to rotate the text with the marker

Creating Detail Viewports

The Create Detail Viewport command creates a cropped sheet layer viewport that shows a detail view of any part of a drawing. A detail viewport can be created from a design layer, another sheet layer viewport, or a section viewport.

The crop object used to create the detail viewport becomes a callout object that is linked to the detail viewport for easy navigation between layers. If the detail callout object is moved or reshaped, the detail viewport updates accordingly. Additionally, the detail callout is automatically labeled with the drawing number and sheet number of the detail viewport. If the detail viewport is renumbered or moved to another layer, the callout marker updates automatically.

1 Create a crop object on a design layer (in Top/Plan view), on a sheet layer viewport (sectioned or not), or inside a viewport annotation group.

The Create Detail Viewport dialog box opens. Different options are available, depending on where the crop object is located (design layer, viewport, or section viewport). Specify the desired parameters.

Parameter	Description
Name Viewport as Dwg No./Sheet No.	Select this option to automatically set the Viewport Name to be a combination of the Drawing Number and the sheet layer name. Deselect this option to enter a custom Viewport Name.
Viewport Name	If Name Viewport as Dwg No./Sheet No. is not selected, enter a descriptive name for the viewport. This name displays for the viewport on the Navigation palette and Organization dialog box. The name must be unique in the document.
Create on Layer	Select the sheet layer where the viewport will be created, or select New Sheet Layer to create a sheet layer. If there are no sheet layers present and a new one is not created now, you will be prompted to create a sheet layer after clicking OK.
Create Drawing Label	Select this option to create a drawing label in the annotation space of the detail viewport
Drawing Number	The next sequential drawing number available on the selected sheet layer defaults automatically. This number displays on the drawing label associated with this viewport, as well as on the detail callout. The number must be unique on this sheet layer.
Drawing Title	Specifies a descriptive title for the viewport; this name displays on the drawing label associated with this viewport. The drawing title name is limited to 63 characters.
Layers	Specifies which design layers are visible in the viewport
Display Planar Objects	Select to display 2D planar objects, for all viewport view settings; when deselected, 2D planar objects display only in Top/Plan view
Project Screen Objects	Select to display 2D objects associated with the screen plane as planar objects
Display Objects Beyond Section Plane	Available if the detail viewport is being created from a section viewport; when selected, shows objects beyond the section plane
Classes	Specifies which classes are visible in the viewport
Scale	Specifies the viewport scale relative to the page; select a scale, or choose Custom and enter a Custom Scale value
Custom Scale 1:	When a custom scale is selected, enter the scale value
Rendering	Available if the detail viewport is being created from a viewport; some modes enable the Render Settings button, to specify rendering parameters
Render Settings	Available if the detail viewport is being created from a viewport, and the selected Rendering mode requires parameters to be set. See the following: • Sketch settings: Applying Sketch Styles to Viewports • OpenGL settings: OpenGL Options • Custom Renderworks settings: Custom Renderworks Options • Artistic Renderworks settings: Artistic Renderworks Options • Hidden Line, Dashed Hidden Line, and Final Shaded Polygon settings: Line Render Options
RW Background	Available if the detail viewport is being created from a viewport and one of the Renderworks Rendering modes is selected. Select a Renderworks background from a library or the current file to use as a background for the viewport.
Detail Callout Settings	Opens a dialog box to set options for the detail callout object; see “Detail-Callout Markers and Detail Callout Instances” on page 1639

3 Click OK to close the Create Detail Viewport dialog box. The specified sheet layer is activated, and the detail viewport is placed in the center of the sheet.

Additionally, the original crop object is converted into a detail callout object. If the detail viewport is created from a design layer, the detail callout is created on the design layer. If the detail viewport is created from a viewport, the detail callout is created in the annotation space of that viewport. The callout includes the drawing number and sheet number of the detail viewport associated with it.

Detail-Callout Markers and Detail Callout Instances

Detail callout instances associated with a detail viewport can be added to or deleted from design layers or viewport annotations. In addition, the Detail Callout Instances dialog box provides an easy way to navigate from a detail viewport to its associated detail callout.

The Detail-Callout Marker tool can create a detail-callout marker that is graphically similar to a detail callout, but it is not necessarily linked to a viewport. It can be linked to a viewport anytime from the Object Info palette. Depending on the type of viewport it is linked to, its drawing number and sheet number are synced to the selected viewport, similar to a detail callout. Detail-callout markers can have different graphic properties from a detail callout that is also associated with a detail viewport.

Parameters display for selected detail callouts and detail-callout markers on the Object Info palette. Many of these parameters also display on the Detail Callout Settings dialog box, which you can access to edit when you create a detail viewport. If there are multiple instances of a detail callout, all instances are updated.

Parameter	Description
Text Style	Select a text style from a library or the current file. To use the style defined for the object’s class, select <Class Text Style>. To format the text using options on the Text menu, select <Un-Styled>. See Using Text Styles and Formatting Text.
Detail Viewport (Detail Callout only)	Displays the name of the viewport
Navigate to Viewport (Detail Callout only)	Accesses the detail viewport associated with this detail callout
Detail Callout Graphic Options	Opens the Detail Callout Graphics Options dialog box to set options for the marker attached to the callout object. Select a Marker Symbol from the list of those available. The Shoulder Length is the distance from the shoulder point of the leader line to the center of the marker. Leader Line sets the style and thickness of the leader line. Tag Position sets the position of the marker relative to the callout bubble.
Marker Size	Specifies the size of the callout marker, measured from the marker’s insertion point to the top of its longest point. Changes to the marker size do not affect the text size.
Text Config	Specifies the display style for the Drawing Number and Sheet Number text; if Dwg. No.-Sheet No. or Sheet No.-Dwg. No. is selected, specify a Text Separator to place between the text items
Text Rotation	Specifies the rotation of the marker text
Text Sheet	Specifies the scale value for the Sheet Number portion of the marker text. Enter a number larger than 100 to make the text larger. Enter a number below 100 to make it smaller. The scale value must be larger than 1.
Text Separator	For the Dwg. No.-Sheet No. and Sheet No.-Dwg. No. text configurations, specifies the separator to place between the Drawing Number and Sheet Number text
Link To Viewport (Detail-Callout Marker only)	Links the detail-callout marker to an existing viewport; select the viewport to link to from the list. A green link icon (next to the marker in the drawing) indicates that the detail-callout marker is linked to a viewport. When a detail-callout marker is linked to a standard viewport, the sheet number is synced; when it linked to a detail viewport, both the drawing number and sheet number are synced.
Auto-coordinate (Detail Callout only)	Automatically displays the Drawing Number of the referenced detail viewport, and the detail viewport’s Sheet Number. Deselect this option to enter the Drawing Number and Sheet Number manually.
Drawing Number	Enter the Drawing Number of the referenced detail viewport; this value is assigned by default when Auto-coordinate is selected, and for detail-callout markers that are linked to a detail viewport
Sheet Number	Enter the Sheet Number of the referenced detail viewport; this value is assigned by default when Auto-coordinate is selected, and for detail-callout markers that are linked to a viewport

Parameter	Description
Viewport	Displays the name of the selected detail viewport
Design Layers tab/Viewports tab	Displays the names of all design layers in the file (on the Design Layers tab) and all other sheet layer and section viewports in the file (on the Viewports tab). Each design layer or viewport that contains a detail callout associated with the selected detail viewport has a check mark to the left of its name.
Activate	When a design layer or viewport with a check mark is selected, navigates to the detail callout instance: • If the detail callout instance is on a design layer, activates that design layer and centers the detail callout object on the screen • If the detail callout instance is in a viewport, activates the sheet layer of the viewport and enters annotation editing mode for the viewport

Parameter

Description

Viewport

Displays the name of the selected detail viewport

Design Layers tab/Viewports tab

Displays the names of all design layers in the file (on the Design Layers tab) and all other sheet layer and section viewports in the file (on the Viewports tab). Each design layer or viewport that contains a detail callout associated with the selected detail viewport has a check mark to the left of its name.

Activate

When a design layer or viewport with a check mark is selected, navigates to the detail callout instance:

• If the detail callout instance is on a design layer, activates that design layer and centers the detail callout object on the screen

• If the detail callout instance is in a viewport, activates the sheet layer of the viewport and enters annotation editing mode for the viewport

3 To add another instance of the detail callout to a different design layer or to the annotations for a different viewport, click on the column next to that design layer or viewport, and then click OK. Alternatively, to remove a detail callout instance from a layer or viewport, click the checked column (which removes the check mark), and then click OK.

Deleting all detail callout instances does not delete the detail viewport, and new instances can be created at any time. However, deleting a detail viewport deletes all detail callout instances.

4 The detail callout instances can also be used as a navigation tool to access a particular callout. Select the detail callout and click Activate to switch to the design layer or viewport; the detail callout is selected for any modifications.

To return from a detail callout instance to the associated detail viewport, click Navigate to Viewport from the Object Info palette of a selected detail callout.

Viewport Properties

Once it has been created, edit the viewport in the Object Info palette, or select Properties from the viewport’s context menu to open the Properties dialog box.

A viewport is assigned to the None class when it is created, and its visibility is controlled by the class settings when that class is not active.

Parameter	Description
Rotation	Sets the viewport rotation; if the viewport was created from a rotated plan view (Vectorworks Design Series required), this parameter can be used to reset the viewport to the world coordinate system
Lock Position (design layer viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Select to prevent the viewport from being moved accidentally
Crop	Indicates whether the selected viewport has been cropped (see Cropping Existing Sheet Layer or Design Layer Viewports)
Crop Visible	If the viewport has been cropped, select to display the crop object
Update	Click to update the viewport to reflect any changes that have occurred since the viewport was created or last updated
Description (design layer viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Specifies a descriptive name for the viewport
Drawing Title	Specifies a descriptive title for the viewport. This name displays as the drawing title for any annotation objects (drawing labels, sheet borders, and section markers) that are added to the viewport. The drawing title name is limited to 63 characters. If Use Automatic Drawing Coordination is selected in document preferences, a change to this field for the viewport automatically changes the field for the viewport’s drawing label, and vice versa (Vectorworks Design Series required).
Drawing Number (sheet layer viewport, sheet layer section viewport, interior elevation viewport, detail viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	The next sequential drawing number available on the selected Sheet Layer is automatically assigned by default. This number displays on the section marker associated with this viewport, as well as on any drawing label in the viewport’s annotations. This number must be unique on this sheet layer. Additionally, if Auto-coordinate is selected for the detail callout, a change to this field for the viewport automatically changes the field for the detail callout.
Layers	Specifies which design layers are visible in the viewport and allows changes to some of the layer properties in the viewport; see Changing the Layer Properties of Sheet Layer or Design Layer Viewports
Display Objects Beyond View Plane (section viewport, interior elevation viewport, detail viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Shows or hides objects beyond the view plane
Display Planar Objects	Select to display 2D planar objects, for all viewport view settings; when deselected, 2D planar objects display only in Top/Plan view. For section viewports, visible planar objects are sectioned if positioned at the section line.
Project Screen Objects	Select to display 2D objects associated with the screen plane as planar objects. Detail viewports must be created from a design layer or non-section viewport to enable this option.
Display Flattened (design layer section viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	When selected, the viewport always displays a “flattened” section view, similar to a section viewport on a sheet layer; deselect this option to display the current view selected for the design layer in the viewport
Display Hidden Line in Wireframe (design layer section viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	When Display Flattened is selected, select to hide extraneous and hidden lines from the wireframe view, which gives a solid appearance similar to a section viewport on a sheet layer The hidden line render options and advanced section properties specified for the drawing are used for the rendering (see Line Render Options and “Advanced Section Viewport Properties” on page 1648).
Classes	Specifies which classes are visible in the viewport and allows changes to some of the class properties in the viewport, including changes to the properties for annotation or crop objects. Class visibilities can be overridden for a selected viewport; see Changing the Class Properties of Sheet Layer or Design Layer Viewports.
Data Visualization (sheet layer viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Allows object attributes to be changed based on the record data attached to the objects; see Viewport Data Visualization
Scale	Specifies the viewport scale relative to the page; select a scale, or choose Custom and enter a Custom Scale value
Custom Scale	When a custom scale is selected, enter the scale value
RW Camera	Indicates whether the viewport is linked to a Renderworks camera
View	Specifies the orientation of the design layers displayed in the viewport; select a cardinal view or choose Custom and then click Set View to specify the view The standard view of a selected viewport can be changed with the numeric keypad shortcut keys (see Using Standard Views).
Set View	When a custom view is selected, click Set View to open the 3D Rotation dialog box for the entry of custom view parameters (see Rotating Precisely for more information)
Background/Foreground Render	Specifies the render mode for the viewport. Select a background mode and specify the render settings for the contents of the viewport. For a composite, sketch-like effect, creating an overlay of lines on top of the viewport, also select an optional foreground mode and specify any settings (Wireframe, Sketch, Hidden Line, or Dashed Hidden Line are the only render modes available for foreground rendering).
Background / Foreground Render Settings	Some render modes require parameters to be set; click the appropriate Render Settings button to specify them. See the following: • Wireframe settings: Wireframe Options • Sketch settings: Applying Sketch Styles to Viewports • OpenGL settings: OpenGL Options • Custom Renderworks settings: Custom Renderworks Options • Artistic Renderworks settings: Artistic Renderworks Options • Hidden Line, Dashed Hidden Line, and Final Shaded Polygon settings: Line Render Options
RW Background	Select a Renderworks background from a library or the current file to use as a background for the viewport; see Applying Renderworks Backgrounds If the Renderworks Background choices are not available, the background selection is controlled by the Renderworks style in effect. Set the background in the Renderworks style instead; see Renderworks Styles.
Projection	Select the projection type for the viewport (see Projection)
Perspective Type	For Perspective projection, select the type of perspective, or choose Custom and specify the perspective distance
Perspective Dist	For a custom perspective, enter the perspective distance
Lighting Options	Click to change the ambient light parameters described in Setting Lighting Options. By default, a viewport’s ambient light is set according to the ambient light settings of the first visible design layer in the viewport. If there are no visible layers, the ambient light is set to on, with a color of white and a brightness of 35% (similar to the default ambient lighting for a design layer). If the lighting options are controlled by a Renderworks style that is currently in effect, the Edit Renderworks Style dialog box opens instead; see Renderworks Styles.
Advanced Properties	Opens the Advanced Viewport Properties dialog box; see “Advanced Sheet Layer Viewport Properties” on page 1645, “Advanced Design Layer Viewport Properties” on page 1647, or “Advanced Section Viewport Properties” on page 1648. Because interior elevation viewports are technically section viewports, see “Advanced Section Viewport Properties” on page 1648.
Source (design layer viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Indicates the source file that contains the original design layer(s) that display in the viewport
Reverse Direction (section viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Switches to view the other side of the section line
Section Line Instances (section viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Lists the section line instances present in the file (see “Section Line Instances” on page 1630); available for vertical sections only
Navigate to Interior Elevation (interior elevation viewport) (Vectorworks Architect required)	Click to view the design layer with the associated interior-elevation marker and select the marker
Detail Callout Instances (detail viewport) (Vectorworks Design Series required)	Lists the detail callout instances present in the file (see “Detail-Callout Markers and Detail Callout Instances” on page 1639)

Once a section viewport is created (Vectorworks Design Series required), you may need to add or remove items that display in the section view. To do so, first use the Convert to Lines, Convert to Polygons, or Convert to Group command to convert the viewport to another form. (This conversion results in a group of lines and other primitives; it is no longer a viewport and cannot be updated to reflect drawing changes.) The conversion will produce different results, depending on which command is used and on how the viewport is rendered at the time of the conversion.

Advanced Sheet Layer Viewport Properties

To access additional sheet layer viewport parameters, click Advanced Properties from the Object Info palette or Properties dialog box of a selected viewport. The Advanced Viewport Properties dialog box opens. These settings affect the viewport display only; they do not change the original design layer(s).

Parameter	Description
Line Weight Scale	Enter a value larger than 1.0 to increase the viewport line weights, or a value below 1.0 (but larger than 0) to decrease the line weights
Marker Scale	Enter a value larger than 1.0 to increase the viewport marker size, or a value below 1.0 (but larger than 0) to decrease the marker size
Line Type Scale	Enter a value larger than 1.0 to increase the length and spacing of viewport line type segments, or a value below 1.0 (but larger than 0) to decrease the length and spacing of line type segments
Hatch Line Scale	Enter a value larger than 1.0 to increase the spacing between viewport hatch lines, or a value below 1.0 (but larger than 0) to decrease the spacing between hatch lines
Text Scale	Enter a value larger than 1.0 to increase the text size in viewports, or a value below 1.0 (but larger than 0) to decrease the text size; only associated viewport text is affected. Graphic objects that are part of the text item, such as a reference marker container or callout bubble, are scaled with the text. Dimensional objects inside plug-in objects, such as dimensions within a bubble grid object, are not scaled. Plug-in objects, such as a North arrow object, are not scaled if they have been placed while editing the viewport in Edit Annotation mode.
Marker Scaling	Select whether markers (such as those found on dimensions, callouts, or other types of annotations) scale automatically according the scale of the viewport, or maintain a fixed scale
Auto Scale	Select to automatically scale markers based on the viewport scale factor; for example, if a marker is on a layer with a scale 1:50 and the sheet layer viewport has a scale of 1:200, the marker will auto scale to 1:4
Custom Scale	Select to set a scale factor for markers in the viewport
Scale	Sets the scale factor for markers; a scale factor below 1.0 decreases the size of the marker relative to its definition at a 1:1 scale, while a factor above 1.0 increases its size
Page Symbol Scaling	These settings affect page-based symbols in the viewport (see Concept: Vectorworks Symbols)
Symbol Scale	Sets a scale factor for page-based symbols; a scale factor below 1.0 decreases the size of the symbol relative to its definition at a 1:1 scale, while a factor above 1.0 increases its size
Attribute Scaling	These settings affect the attributes (such as line weight) of page-based symbols in the viewport
Use Symbol Factor	Uses the Symbol Scale factor to scale the attributes
Use Individual Factors	Uses the other, individual scale factors in the Advanced Properties dialog box, such as the Line Weight Scale, to scale the page-based symbol attributes
Show Wall Components	Displays or hides wall, slab, and roof components in Top/Plan view, regardless of the document preferences detail display setting (see Document Preferences: Display Tab)
Render Gray Layers Transparent	Design layers with a visibility set to “Gray” are rendered as transparent, similar to the transparent effect achieved with the Unified View command (see Unified Layer View)
Black and white only	Changes all colors in the viewport to black or white; this is useful for displaying two viewport copies on the same sheet layer, with one in color and the other in black and white. However, if the document preferences display setting is black and white, viewports will also display as black and white even if this option is deselected.
Adjust Flipped Text	Re-orients rotated and flipped text in the viewport so that it is always readable. The text box stays in the rotated and flipped position relative to the dimension line, but the text itself is re-oriented. (This setting overrides the flipped text preference for the document; see Document Preferences: Display Tab.)
Re-Position Dimension Text	Re-positions rotated and flipped dimension text in the viewport according to the text position in the dimension standard. The text itself stays in the rotated and flipped orientation, but the text box position relative to the dimension line is changed. (This setting overrides the flipped text preference for the document; see Document Preferences: Display Tab.)
None fill uses Alpha Transparency	Select to display OpenGL and Renderworks viewports with alpha channels so white pixels are not transparent when the fill style is set to None; on Windows, the GDI+ imaging Vectorworks preference must be enabled
Drop Shadows	Select to display any drop shadow attributes added to objects in the original design layer; this setting does not affect drop shadows applied to the viewport object itself
Preview	Displays the viewport with a preview of the advanced settings

Advanced Design Layer Viewport Properties

To access additional design layer viewport parameters, click Advanced Properties from the Object Info palette of a selected viewport. The Advanced Viewport Properties dialog box opens. These settings affect the viewport display only; they do not affect the original design layer(s).

Parameter	Description
Show Wall Components	Displays or hides wall components in Top/Plan view, regardless of the document preferences detail display setting (see Document Preferences: Display Tab)
Black and white only	Changes all colors in the viewport to black or white; this is useful for displaying two viewport copies on the same design layer, with one in color and the other in black and white. However, if the document preferences display setting is black and white, viewports will also display as black and white.
Adjust Flipped Text	Re-orients rotated and flipped text in the viewport so that it is always readable. The text box stays in the rotated and flipped position relative to the dimension line, but the text itself is re-oriented. (This setting overrides the flipped text preference for the document; see Document Preferences: Display Tab.)
Re-Position Dimension Text	Re-positions rotated and flipped dimension text in the viewport according to the text position in the dimension standard. The text itself stays in the rotated and flipped orientation, but the text box position relative to the dimension line is changed. (This setting overrides the flipped text preference for the document; see Document Preferences: Display Tab.)
Preview	Displays the viewport with a preview of the advanced settings

Advanced Section Viewport Properties

Advanced properties define the extent and attributes of the sheet layer or design layer section viewport. Specify them when the viewport is created, or after the viewport has been created; edit the properties from either the Object Info palette or the Properties dialog box.

Finite sections are useful when you want to create interior elevations. For example, draw a section line across a particular room of a building, and set the layer visibility only for the room’s floor to create an interior elevation of only that room. For an even more precise interior elevation, use a clip cube to create the section viewport; the extents are automatically set according to the clip cube’s shape.

The X, Y position of perspective section views is at the center of the section line. The Z position depends on the height range selection (finite or infinite).

1 From the Create Section Viewport dialog box, click Advanced Section Properties.

Alternatively, select the viewport, and then from the Object Info palette or the Properties dialog box, click Advanced Properties.

2 Click the Extent tab to specify either an infinite section view, or the length, depth, and height of a finite section viewport.

Parameter	Description
Length Range	Specifies the length range of the section viewport
Infinite	Cuts the section by an infinite plane
Limited by Section Line Length	Limits the section only to the length defined by the section line
Depth Range	Specifies the depth range of the section viewport. For a horizontal section, the “depth” is the vertical height of the section.
Infinite	All objects on the indicated side of the section line are displayed
Finite	Displays objects on the indicated side of the section line up to a specified depth (the depth can be indicated graphically by dragging a dotted line on the design layer; see Modifying Section Lines Graphically)
Height Range	Specifies the height range of the section viewport
Infinite	Does not limit the section to a Z range; the Z position is in the center of all the visible layer extents in the Z direction
Finite	Limits the display of the section viewport to a range defined by the Start and End Height Z values; the Z position is at the center of the range of specified heights. For a horizontal section, the “height” is the horizontal width of the section.

3 Click the Attributes tab to specify the appearance of objects on and beyond the section plane. Objects on the section plane can maintain an individual profile, or can be divided into structural and non-structural groups to display them differently according to class settings.

Parameter	Description
Section Plane	Objects on the section plane can be merged into a single profile, maintain individual profiles, or be divided into groups of structural and non-structural elements (useful for displaying cabinets and walls differently, for example)
Merged Cross Sections	Merges the sectioned objects’ cross section profiles into one profile
Create Structural and Nonstructural Groups	Merges the structural objects’ cross section profiles into one group, and the non-structural objects’ cross section profile into another, allowing them to have a different class setting
Separate Cross Sections	Generates a separate cross section for each sectioned object
Use Attributes of Original Objects	Each sectioned object is displayed with the attributes of its original object
Attribute Class / Structural Class	Specifies the line and fill class for the section profiles; by default, the Section Style class is applied to the cross sections, or you can select New to create a new class. If Create Structural and Nonstructural Groups is selected, the class selected here applies only to structural elements.
Nonstructural Class	When Create Structural and Nonstructural Groups is selected, specifies the line and fill class for non-structural elements, or you can select New to create a new class
Objects Beyond Section Plane	Specifies the fill and line style for objects beyond the section plane (for section viewports that display objects beyond the section plane)
Fill
Use Original	Uses the fill style of the original objects for objects beyond the section plane
Use Class	To control fill style, select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class
Line Style	Changes section viewport settings for line thickness and line type
Use Original	Uses the line thickness and line type of the original objects for the objects beyond the section plane
Use Class	To control line thickness and line type, select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class
Scale Factors	Changes section viewport display scale settings for lines and line styles
Line Weight Scale	Enter a number larger than 1.0 to make the section line weight thicker. Enter a number below 1.0 to make the line weight thinner. The scale value must be larger than zero.
Line Type Scale	A line type could be used for a section viewport if the section is in a class with a line type (in the Attribute Class/Structural Class parameter) or the objects beyond the section plane have been set to a class with a line type (in the Use Class parameter). Enter a number larger than 1.0 to make the line weight of the line type sections thicker. Enter a number below 1.0 to make them thinner. The scale value must be larger than zero.

Parameter	Description
Cast Shadows of Objects Removed by Section	When rendering, includes shadows cast by objects that are not included in the section viewport, for a more realistic effect (especially for interior elevations). This parameter is not available for design layer section viewports.
Show Wall, Slab, and Roof Components	Displays the wall, slab, and roof components in 3D, regardless of the document preferences detail display setting (see Document Preferences: Display Tab), or component class visibility settings. The top and bottom wall lines of components do not display in section viewports, so that stacked walls display without a line break.
Merge Adjacent Components with Same Fill	If adjacent wall and/or slab components have the same fill, merges the fills so that they display as a single unit
Black and White Only	Changes all colors in the section viewport to black or white; this is useful for displaying two section viewport copies on the same sheet layer, with one in color and the other in black and white. However, if the document preferences display setting is black and white, viewports will also display as black and white.
Adjust Flipped Text	Re-orients rotated and flipped text in the viewport so that it is always readable (regardless of the flipped text document preference; see Document Preferences: Display Tab)
3D Conversion Resolution	Sets the segmentation resolution for curved surfaces in a live section, regardless of the Vectorworks preferences resolution setting (see Vectorworks Preferences: 3D Tab). Changing the resolution of an existing section viewport causes the viewport to become out of date; the higher resolution settings require longer update times.

Concept: Types of Viewports