Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports

Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports
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Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports
If necessary, please use the provided project files as a reference.
In addition to the use of standard viewports, Vectorworks also provides users with a way to easily create and present section views
of a model, with section viewports. Section viewports create a cross section view of a model, while leaving the model in intact.
Like standard viewports, section viewports can be modified, cropped and annotated. Unlike standard viewports, however section
viewports can be created either from a design layer or from an existing standard viewport. Section viewports that are created from
a design layer are updated, to reflect the changes made to the layers referenced in the viewport. If the section viewport was created
from a standard viewport, it does not keep a connection to that standard viewport, but updates when changes are made to any of
the visible design layers in that standard viewport. In this tutorial, you will use section viewports to show several different interior
elevations of a model.
Before you begin, please open the file Section Viewports Steps 1-7.
As you can see this file has a completed model of a theater, and some standard viewports are already created. To create the first
section viewport you will use the existing model on the design layers.
1. In order to create the section viewport, the drawing must be in a Top/Plan view. To change to a Top/Plan view, go to View
> Standard Views > Top/Plan.
2. Now that the drawing is the in correct view, to create the section viewport go to View > Create Section Viewport.
a. If the drawing is not set to a Top/Plan view prior to using Create Section Viewport command, Vectorworks will
automatically change the drawing’s view to a Top/Plan view.
You will now draw the section line, which will determine the cutting plane and the orientation of the section viewport.
3. Move the mouse cursor to the center of overhead door (located towards the top center of the stage), and click to set the
start point of the section line when the Center cursor cue appears.
4. Next, hold the Shift key and move your cursor downward, and then click at the center of the first tread of the stairs, when
the Object/ Vertical cursor cue appears.
a. The second mouse click indicates the endpoint of the section line.
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Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports
You should now see there is an arrow in the middle of the newly created section line. The arrow indicates which side of the model
will be used to create the section viewport.
5. Now, move the mouse cursor to the right until the black arrow is pointing to the right and double click to create the section
line, and access the Create Section Viewport dialog box.
e. Please be aware that the section line does not have to be a straight line. You can also create broken section
lines to include or exclude desired objects within a section viewport.
v. To create a broken line click in the drawing and draw the first line segment, and indicate with side to
keep as in the steps above. Then click and drag to draw additional segments, and double click to the
complete the broken segment line.
6. When the Create Section Viewport dialog box opens, name the viewport Longitudinal Section through Center.
7. Next, choose Section Sheet 48 from the Sheet Layer drop down, and then click Ok.
a. You should now see that the sheet layer, Section Sheet 48, is the active layer and the newly created section
viewport is selected.
b. Also notice the Object Info Palette displays Section Viewport.
c. The resulting section viewport is displayed with all the Advanced Properties set to their default parameters (See
Vid.1).
To Play Vid.1, please click the image below.
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Notice how all objects that fall on the cross section are displayed with a red fill color. This is because by default all sectioned objects’
Tutorial:
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Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports
are merged into one profile. By default the cross section profile appearance is set by the Section Style class, which is a class that
is automatically created when creating a section viewport. Although the default setting is to show section items with a red fill, users
have the option to change the class appearance of sectioned items, through the section viewport Advanced Properties.
For the next section viewport, you will create the section from an existing standard viewport and change the Advanced Properties
so that all sectioned objects show with their original attribute properties. You will also change the section viewport to display in a
perspective view.
8. To create the section viewport from an existing standard viewport, you will first need to go to sheet layer Light Plot 48. To
do so, go to Tools > Organization.
a. In the Organization dialog box, select the Sheet Layers tab, and then click in the far left column for sheet layer
Light Plot 48.
i. This places a check in the column, alerting users that the layer is now the active layer.
b. Once complete, click Ok to go the newly activated layer.
i. You can also switch layers through the Layer drop down menu in the View Bar.
9. In order to create the section viewport on a sheet layer a standard viewport must first be selected. So use the 2D selection
tool to select the viewport.
10. Next, go to View > Create Section Viewport.
11. Then draw the same section line as with the previous section viewport. To do so:
a. Click at the center of the overhead door in the middle of the stage when the Center cursor cue appears.
b. Then hold the Shift key, while moving the mouse cursor downward to constrain to a vertical angle, and click at
the center of first tread of the stairs, when the Vertical/ Object cursor cue appears.
c. Now, move the mouse cursor to right, and once the black arrow is pointing to the right side of the viewport,
double click to create the section line.
12. In the Create Section Viewport dialog box, click the Layers button.
13. It is not necessary to have the lighting devices visible in the section viewport. So when the Viewport Layer Properties
dialog box appears, click in the middle visibility column for the Light Plot layer, to set the layer to invisible.
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Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports
14. Then click Ok to close the Viewport Layer Properties dialog box.
15. Now that you are back in the Create Section Viewport dialog box, choose Section Sheet 48 Perspective from the Sheet
Layer drop down menu, and then click Ok to create the section viewport.
16. You should be on layer Section Sheet 48 Perspective, with the newly created section viewport selected.
a. Notice that the new viewport also displays a red fill for all section objects in the cross section.
17. To change the attributes of this section viewport, so that each object displays its original attributes, click the Advanced
Properties button in the Object Info Palette.
a. When the Advanced Section Properties dialog box appears, select the Attributes tab, and then select Separate
Cross Sections under Section Plane.
i. Choosing this option generates a separate cross section for each sectioned object.
b. Once you select Separate Cross Sections under Section Plane, check the option to Use Attributes of Original
Objects.
i. Notice that if the option Use Attributes of Original Objects is unchecked, the Attribute Class drop down
is available.
ii. The Attributes Class drop down menu allows users to choose to use another class’s attributes for all
sectioned objects other than the Section Style class, which is used by default.
c. Once complete, click Ok.
18. The section viewport should now show a red and white outline, indicating the viewport is out of date. To update the
viewport to reflect the changes made in the Advanced Properties dialog box, click the Update button in the Object Info
Palette.
a. All sectioned objects should now be displayed with a solid white fill, which is reflective of the objects original
attributes.
b. If these objects had hatches or patterns applied these fills will also in the cross section.
19. Now to show the viewport in a perspective view, with the section viewport still selected, choose Perspective from the
Projection drop down menu.
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Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports
20. The Perspective drop down menu should now be available, choose Normal from this menu.
21. Then click then Update button in the Object Info Palette, to see the section viewport from a perspective view (See Vid.2).
To Play Vid.2, please click the image below.
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Next, using the Theater design layer, you will create a latitudinal section through the theater. You will also set the Section Style class
attributes so that all sectioned objects are displayed with a hatch pattern.
22. To return to the Theater design layer, choose Theater from the Layer drop down menu in the View Bar.
23. Then, go to View > Create Section Viewport.
24. Move the mouse cursor along the left side of the stairs leading to the stage. When the Midpoint cursor cue appears, click
to set the start point of the section line.
25. Now, hold the Shift key and move the mouse cursor to the right side of the stairs leading to the stage. Click when the
cursor cue Object/ Horizontal appears, to set the endpoint of section line.
26. Next, move the mouse cursor downward until the black arrow is pointing towards the bottom half of the theater, and then
double click to create the section line.
Tutorial:
Distributor:
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Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports
27. When the Create Section Viewport dialog box appears, choose Section Sheet 192 from the Sheet Layer drop down menu.
28. Also choose 1/16” = 1’ from the scale drop down menu, and then click Ok to create the section viewport.
The section viewport should now be showing with sectioned objects displaying the default red fill from the Section Style class. To
show all sectioned objects with a hatch fill, users can simply change the attributes of the existing Section Style class. Additionally,
users can assign a new class to the sectioned objects through the Advanced Properties by choosing Separate Cross Sections, and
then choosing the desired class, as discussed earlier in this tutorial.
29. To change the attributes of the existing Section Style class, go to Tools > Organization.
a. In the Organization dialog box, select the Classes tab.
b. Then highlight the class Section Style, and click the Edit button.
30. When the Edit Class dialog box appears, select Hatch from the Style drop down menu.
31. Then choose Hatch-2 from the Hatch thumbnail menu, and click Ok until you have returned to the drawing.
a. You can also access the Organization dialog box by clicking the Classes button in the View Bar.
32. With the section viewport still selected, click the Update button in the Object Info Palette.
a. When the section viewport updates, you should see that all sectioned objects are now displayed with the
selected hatch fill (See Vid.3).
To Play Vid.3, please click the image below.
X
Tutorial:
Distributor:
North America:
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Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports
The forth and final section viewport you will create, will show the opposite side of the theater from the previous section viewport.
You also show this final viewport from a perspective view. To do this you will first duplicate the existing section viewport, and then
reverse the side that the section viewport displays.
33. Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Option (Mac) and click on the existing section viewport.
a. You should notice a (+) appear beside the cursor. This alerts the user that they are duplicating an object.
34. Now with the duplicate section viewport still selected, go to the Object Info Palette, and choose Section Sheet 192 Reverse
from the Layer drop down menu.
35. Then choose Section Sheet 192 Reverse from Layer drop down menu, in the View Bar.
36. Notice the duplicate section viewport now resides on this sheet layer.
37. To show the opposite side of the theater, from the previous section viewport, click the Reverse Section Side button on the
Object Info Palette.
38. Then click the Update button to show the changes to the section viewport.
39. Now to show this section viewport in a Perspective view, select Perspective from the Projection drop down menu, and then
choose Normal from the Perspective Type drop down menu.
a. If you choose the Custom option from the Perspective Type drop down menu, increase the value in the
Perspective Distance to make the perspective narrower, and decrease to make the perspective wider.
40. Then click the Update button once again, to see the section viewport from a normal perspective view (See Vid.4).
To Play Vid.4, please click the image below.
Tutorial:
Distributor:
North America:
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Tutorial: Creating Section Viewports
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You have now completed the Creating Section Viewports tutorial.
Tutorial:
Distributor:
North America:
Nemetschek North America
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Columbia, MD 21046
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Developer:
Vectorworks is a registered trademark of Nemetschek North America, Inc
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