Viewport Commands

Basic Functions > Viewports > 6.3 Viewport Commands

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6.3 Viewport Commands

The following is a detailed description of the commands and dialog boxes with which you create and manage viewports.


Viewport>Create	Creating a New Viewport

With the Viewport>Create command sequence you can create and name new viewports.


Existing Viewports	Displays the names of previously defined viewports for your information. The name of the current viewport is highlighted.
New Viewport Name	Enter a unique new viewport name; (see Viewport Names, 317 for more help).

Note that a newly created viewport automatically becomes the current viewport.


Viewport>Post	Posting and Unposting Viewports

The Viewport>Post dialog box allows you to post or unpost one or more selected viewports. Posted viewports are the only viewports visible on the screen. The current viewport is automatically posted.


Post/Unpost Viewports	Displays the names of all viewports in the database. The name of the current view is highlighted since it is automatically posted. To post a viewport, click on its name to highlight it. When you select a viewport for posting, all other viewports become unposted and their names become unhighlighted. To select several viewports listed consecutively, hold the Shift key while clicking each item. To select several viewports not listed consecutively, hold the Ctrl key while clicking.


Caution:	If you unpost the current viewport, it will not be shown on the screen. Neither will the current group, which is posted to the current viewport (see Posted Group, 261). Consequently, you will not be able to see new geometric and finite element entities as they are created.

If you select a viewport other than the current viewport for posting, the current viewport will be unposted. Patran will display the following warning message:


Viewport>Modify	Modifying Viewports

With the Viewport>Modify command and dialog box you can modify the following viewport definitions:

• Indetify the viewport targeted for modifications (the target viewport).

• Make the new target viewport current.

• Post/unpost groups to the target viewport.

• Set the current group.

• Apply a named view to the target viewport.

• Rename the target viewport.

• Modify the attributes of the target viewport.


Current Viewport	Displays the name of the viewport you specified as current.
Target Viewport to Modify	Displays the name of the viewport you selected for modification.
Change Target Viewport...	Displays the Change Target Viewport dialog box in which you can select a different viewport for modification.
Make Current	Makes the newly specified target viewport the current viewport.
Post/Unpost Groups...	Displays a dialog box in which you can select one or more groups to post or unpost (display or hide) in the target viewport.
Set Current Group...	Displays a dialog box in which you can select a group that will be the current group in the target viewport.
Apply Named View...	Brings up the Apply Named View dialog box in which you can select a previously defined and named view that will be displayed in the target viewport.
Rename...	Displays a dialog box in which you can specify a new name for the target viewport.
Attributes	Allows you to control various display attributes assigned to the target viewport.
Background Color	Set the viewport background color.
Background Effects	Displays a subordinate form to allow a number of different background color effects such as a gradient between two different colors. This form is explained below in Changing the Background Effects, 335
Range Name	Displays the name of the selected range (or the default range).
Change Range	Ranges have an important role in displaying finite element analysis results. The name of the default range table is standard_range. This command brings up a dialog box in which you can select a previously defined and named range table to assign to the target viewport.
Show Spectrum Bar	If the toggle is ON (4), the spectrum color bar will be displayed. Default is OFF.
Show Viewport Legend	If the toggle is ON (4), the viewport legend will be displayed. Default is OFF.
Show Global Axes	If the toggle is ON (4), the global coordinate axes will be displayed in the lower left corner of the target viewport. Default is ON.
Show Origin Symbol	If the toggle is ON (4), the crosshairs that identify the global cartesian origin (0,0,0) location will be displayed in the target viewport. Default is ON.
X,Y Location	Indicates the location of the upper left corner of a viewport. Note the following: • Point (0 0) is at the upper left corner of the viewing area. • Positive X is toward the right, positive Y is toward the bottom of the viewing area. • Distances are in inches. To change the location of a viewport do one of the following: • Enter new numerical values to locate the upper left corner of the target view • With the cursor in the top banner, drag the viewport anywhere in the viewing area. Note that in the dialog box, the X, Y Location input display will update only after you click Viewport>Modify again.
X,Y Size	Indicates the X and Y dimensions (in inches) of the target viewport. To change the dimensions of the viewport do one of the following: • Enter new numerical values to specify new dimensions. • With the cursor at one of the edges or at one of the corners of the viewport, drag the viewport boundaries. Note that in the dialog box, the X, Y Size display will update only after you click Viewport>Modify again.
Reset	Returns the contents of the entire dialog box to their previously applied state and values.

Changing the Target Viewport

If you pressed the Change Target Viewport... button in the Viewport>Modify dialog box, you will see the subordinate dialog box shown below.


Filter	Minimizes the number of items that appear in the list (optional). You may enter a combination of one or more characters and wildcards () then press the Filter button. Only the item(s) whose name passes the filter criteria will be listed in the text field. Default is (), meaning that all items will be listed.
Viewports	Lists the name of all existing viewports. Pick the viewport you want to designate as the new target viewport.

Posting and Unposting Groups in a Viewport

If you pressed the Post/Unpost Groups... button in the Viewport>Modify dialog box, you will see the subordinate dialog box shown below. Here you can select the group(s) that will be visible (posted) in a particular viewport.


Target Viewport	Displays the name of the target viewport in which the change will take place.
Filter Specification	Minimizes the number of items that appear in the list (optional). You may enter a combination of one or more characters and wildcards (*) then press the Filter button. Only the item(s) whose name passes the filter criteria will be listed in the text field.
Post/Unpost Group(s)	Displays the names of existing groups. To post a group, click on its name to highlight it. When you select a group for posting, all other groups become unposted and their names become unhighlighted. To select several groups listed consecutively, hold the Shift key while clicking each item. To select several groups not listed consecutively, hold the Ctrl key while clicking.

Defining the Current Group in a Viewport

If you pressed the Set Current Group... button in the Viewport>Modify dialog box, you will see the subordinate dialog box shown below. Here you can specify which group will be current in the target viewport.


Filter Specification	Minimizes the number of items that appear in the list (optional). You may enter a combination of one or more characters and wildcards (*) then press the Filter button. Only the item(s) whose name passes the filter criteria will be listed in the text field.
Existing Names	Displays the names of previously defined groups. Pick the group you wish to specify as the current group in this viewport.
Current Group	The name of the newly selected current group will also appear in this text field.


Note:	As an alternative to this command, you can simply click inside the viewport window to specify it as the current viewport.

Applying a Named View to a Viewport

If you pressed the Apply Named View... button in the Viewport>Modify dialog box, you will see the subordinate dialog box shown below. You can then select a previously defined named view (see Viewing a Model, 341) to be displayed in the target viewport.


Target Viewport	Shows the name of the target viewport in which the named view will be displayed.
Filter Specification	Minimizes the number of items that appear in the list that follows (optional). You may enter a combination of one or more characters and wildcards (*) then press the Filter button. Only the item(s) whose name passes the filter criteria will be listed in the text field.
Named Views	Displays the names of existing named views. To apply a named view, click on its name to highlight it. The view of the model in the target viewport will then change to the named view as requested.

Renaming a Viewport

If you pressed the Rename... button in the Viewport>Modify dialog box, you will see the subordinate dialog box shown below.


Filter Specification	Minimizes the number of items that appear in the list (optional). You may enter a combination of one or more characters and wildcards () then press the Filter button. Only the item(s) whose name passes the filter criteria will be listed in the text field. Default is the wildcard (), meaning that all items will be listed.
Existing Names	Displays the names of existing viewports. If you specified a filter, only those viewports that pass the filter criteria will be listed.
Rename As	Enter the new name that you want to give to the target viewport.

Changing the Background Effects

If you pressed the Background Effects... button in the Viewport>Modify dialog box, you will see the subordinate dialog box shown below.

An example of the background effects is shown above.


Color 1 / 2	Select the color of the background. If both colors are the same, a solid backgroud of that color is displayed. If the two colors are different, then a gradation/transition between the two colors is displayed based on the Shading Syles.
Swap Colors	Swaps the colors between Color 1 and Color 2.
Shading Styles	The shading or gradation / transition between the colors can be a horizontal, vertical, diagonal or other type of effect. It is best to experiment with these using the Preview button.
Inside Out	Creates a shading from the middle out instead of top to bottom (or right to left as the case may be).
Preview	To preview how the viewport looks before applying the effect permanently with the Apply button.
Apply / Cancel	Press Apply to keep the effect and then Cancel to close the form.

Changing the Spectrum Range Designation

If you pressed the Change Range... button in the Viewport>Modify dialog box, you will see the subordinate dialog box shown below.


Target Viewport	Displays the name of the target viewport in which the change will take place.
Filter	Minimizes the number of items that appear in the list that follows (optional). You may enter a combination of one or more characters and wildcards (*) then press the Filter button. Only the item(s) whose name passes the filter criteria will be listed in the text field.
Ranges	Displays the names of previously defined Ranges. Pick the range you wish to use for results displays in the target viewport. The newly selected name will also appear in the Viewport>Modify dialog box.


Viewport>Delete	Deleting Viewports

With the Viewport>Delete command sequence you can delete any number of viewports--except the current viewport.


Current Viewport	Displays the name of the current viewport.
Select a Viewport(s)	Displays the names of all existing viewports, with the exception of the current viewport. Pick the name of the viewport you want to delete. To select several viewports listed consecutively, hold the Shift key while clicking each item. To select several viewports not listed consecutively, hold the Ctrl key while clicking.


Viewport>Tile	Tiling Viewports

With the Viewport>Tile command you can display a number of viewports in an ordered “tiled” arrangement. Extents of viewports are changed so that each view is the same size and viewports are positioned in rows and columns to fill the viewing area.