Expert: Bill DeShawn - 9/29/2009

Question
Hi...I created a drawing in AutoCAD 2004 with multiple viewports. I put the first viewport (rectangular)on a separate layer from the second.  The second vport was generated from a polyline to clip the edges of the first viewport.  

But....someone in my office edited my drawing using IntelliCAD software. Now it appears the drawing no longer recognizes the second polyline as a view port, nor will it show me the actual line for the first viewport.  So in effect, I no longer have the clipped view I once had and need. And of course, IntelliCAD does not have the option to pick a second polyline as a viewport (at least that we know of).

When I try to convert the original polyline into another vport within the original view, I get the entire model space drawing in it's raw form (unrotated and not to the vport scale I once had)...so this doesn't work.

Since I can't see the original viewport linework even tho the layer is thawed and unfrozen, I can't use the VPCLIP command.

What else can I do besides recreated the entire drawing with new viewports??  Any magic up your sleeve???

Thanks in advance!  ~ Mary

Answer
No, Mary.  Unfortunately there is no magic for this one.  It's almost never any good to mix AutoCAD DWG with IntelliCAD DWG.  What's good about IntelliCAD is that it can work with an AutoCAD DWG.  But what I have found out in my own experience, is that AutoCAD can't always work with an IntelliCAD DWG.  I don't think you're going to have to create the drawing from scratch, but you might have to recreate your poly-shaped viewport again.  Remember it's always safest to stay in the same CAD software throughout the life of the drawing.  Don't attempt to switch back and forth.  That's the down-side of IntelliCAD (one of them).  AutoCAD is a better plotting engine, too.  CTB files in IntelliCAD still don't support a screened output and at least some IntelliCADs don't support a page setup.  Also, I find that the PC2 files don't work so well in IntelliCAD either.  I often have to keep redefining the PC2 file in IntelliCAD because the some of the information got corrupted or misread the next time the drawing was opened.

There are lots of other things that make me like AutoCAD better, but the items you and I have mentioned are the ones that drive my answer today as you see it.  Drawing compatibility and output are of utmost importance.

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Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn