Visualizing 3D Models - Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Practical 3D Drafting and Design - page 66

Viewports
When starting AutoCAD, the drawing area is composed of a single viewport where
we create, view, and modify the drawing or the 3D scene. As the project advances,
it may be useful to divide the drawing area in more viewports so that we can simul-
taneously view different parts of the model (for instance, a bridge drawing, where we
want to see both extremes) or view it from different angles. We can start a command
in one viewport and end it in another. As against the layout viewports, viewports in
model space never overlap and completely fill the drawing area. Any model modific-
ation will be reflected in all viewports but visualization tools are independent. We can
have viewports with different zooms, pans, orbits, or orthographic views, with different
visual styles, perspective, or parallel modes.
Viewport controls
The viewport controls, available in AutoCAD since Version 2012, are the three top-left
menus for each viewport.
These viewport controls represent easy processes for controlling multiple visualiza-
tion parameters already seen in this chapter:
• The [-] control : This viewport control controls the viewports' configuration
and activation on visualization tools such as the ViewCube tool and the
less used SteeringWheels or Navigation Bar .