Partitions\Layouts (CAD and Model Views)

Partitions or as some people call them "Layouts" are Drawings with predefined viewports on them. These work at a given scale and allow all, or a portion of a CAD Model or Survey Model i.e. MODEL SPACE, to be positioned on a sheet of paper (PAPER SPACE), so that it can be framed with a title box and sent to the printer. The view ports can be set to look at just one model or any number of models simultaneously (as long as the coordinate systems are compatible). 

To make a drawing Partition there must first be a drawing template which defines both the sheet size to use and then viewport dimensions on it. Also any CAD detail such as title boxes and legends etc are also added to the drawing template ready to be made into a full drawing. This way  when a partition is created, most of the detail that sits in Paper Space is already generated and just needs to be edited to bring it up to date.

The process of creating drawing templates is shown here. The rest of this page deals with how they are used to generate drawing partitions.

• Partitions View - This is a switchable option that when enabled will display the rectangular outline of all partitions\viewports in any drawing.
• Partitions Show - Assuming the partitions are visible, this tool displays a properties window which gives information on the drawing using the viewport, and the viewports scale. 
• Partitions Commit - Creates a CAD rectangle of a selected partition and adds it to the current CAD layer in the current CAD Pen.  This is useful when creating a key plan of a series of partitions for a master layout document.
• Create One Point - Places a partition in a CAD or Model View.  The size of the viewport itself is dictated by the physical size of the viewport on the drawing template, and the scale at which the viewport has been set to work at.

Having selected a template to use, the orientation, scale and handle can all be specified. The handle being the point about which the viewport extents are clamped to the mouse pointer. Once Ok is pressed a live preview of the template (and its extents), will be attached to the mouse based on the handle selection. Having placed the partition down a name box asks for the new drawing name before adding said drawing to the project tree.  The tool then repeats so that other viewports can be added if the data is large enough to require multiple viewports to cover it.  Right click cancels the operation when enough views have been added.

• Create Two Point - Works in the same way as for the one point method above, however with two points the orientation of the viewports is defined by a second click of the mouse once its initially positioned.
• Multi-Create Column - Generates a column of overlapping viewports.  The orientation and number of viewports will grow and change as the mouse is moved, having located the initial view. The selection dialog which controls the template to use, also allows the overlap and direction of the viewports to be specified, bottom to top, or top to bottom.
• Multi-Create Row - Generates a row of overlapping viewports.  The orientation and number of viewports will grow and change as the mouse is moved, having located the initial view. The selection dialog which controls the template to use, also allows the overlap and direction of the viewports to be specified, left to right, or right to left.
• Multi-Create Array - Generates an array of overlapping viewports.  The orientation and number of viewports will grow and change as the mouse is moved. Having located the initial view the orientation and number of viewports in the first row is defined. Then the number of rows is set with a third click. The selection dialog which controls the template, also allows  the overlap and direction of viewports to be specified corner to corner.
• Modify Delete - Assuming the viewports are visible, this option allows a drawing to be deleted from the project by clicking on a viewport that it uses.
• Modify Move - Assuming the viewports are visible, this option allows a viewport to be repositioned by clicking on it and moving it to a new position with the mouse.
• Modify Align - Assuming the viewports are visible, this option allows a viewport to be reorientated by clicking on it and changing its orientation based on the position it was clicked.
• Modify Rename - Assuming the viewports are visible, this option allows a drawing to be renamed by clicking on a viewport that it uses.
• Commit Grid - Assuming the viewports are visible, this option allows a user definable CAD grid to be rendered inside the extents of a viewport.  This uses the same grid options as for any other grid in the project.  The advantage of plotting a grid like this is that it is still in Model space, but fits perfectly to the shape of the viewport. As such annotation will clip to the edge of the viewport and appear to be plotted in paper space instead.