Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Paper space:
Where you create particular views of these objects for plotting, usu-
ally with a title block around them. Paper space comprises one or more
layouts,
each of which can contain a different arrangement of model space views and dif-
ferent title block information.
When you click the Model button on the status bar or the Model tab, you see pure,
unadulterated model space, as shown in Figure 2-12. When you click the Layout button,
you see a paper space layout, as shown in Figure 2-13. A completed layout usually in-
cludes one or more
viewports,
which are windows that display all or part of model space
at a particular scale. A layout also usually includes a title block or other objects that ex-
ist only in the layout and don't appear when you click the Model tab. (Think of the view-
port as a window looking into model space and the title block as a frame around the win-
dow.) Thus, a layout displays model space and paper space objects together, and
AutoCAD lets you draw and edit objects in either space. See Chapter 5 for information
about creating paper space layouts and Chapter 16 for the lowdown on plotting them.
Figure 2-12:
A building model ready for editing in model space.
When a layout is current, you can move the crosshairs back and forth between model
space and paper space while remaining in the layout. You can't be in both spaces at the
same time, however; if paper space is current, you can click directly on top of a model
space object, but it won't be selected. Similarly, if model space is current, you can't se-
lect anything in paper space. To move between the two spaces, double-click inside a
viewport to switch to model space or outside a viewport to switch to paper space.
