To control the visibility of layers, I almost always use the Layer Properties Manager. For example, I hide objects like construction lines, so that I can get a clear view of the main elements in drawings. But sometimes this approach doesn’t do exactly what I want. For instance, I have several viewports in a layout and I want to turn off the ‘Dim’ layer in one viewport, but leave it visible in the other two. If I were to turn off the layer using the Layer Properties Manger, then the Dim layer becomes invisible in all viewports. This is not what I want, and so I need a different approach.
The answer to hiding and showing layers in specific viewports or layouts is right in front of us. An option in ZWCAD’s Layer Properties Manager dialog box is named “Current VP Free”. Let’s have a look at how it works through the following tutorial.
1. Open a drawing with layouts.
2. Click a layout tab, and then double-click inside a viewport to activate it.
3. Enter the Layer command to open the Layer Properties Manager.
4. Select the layer that you need to hide, and then click the icon in the Current VP Freeze column. (It is found after the Plot column.)
5. Click OK and then exit the Layer Properties Manager dialog box.
Notice that objects have become invisible in this viewport, but still show up in the other viewports. This option is useful in many ways. For example, I have a 3D model that is dimensioned. The drawing has four viewports, with one of them showing the isometric view. I don’t want dimensions in the isometric viewport, and so I can hide them easily by clicking “Freeze in Current Viewport” for the layers holding the dimensions.
Bonus tip: As an alternative to us the Layer Properties Manager, you can use the LayFrz command, and then select the object whose layer you don’t want showing in a specific viewport.
Through either of these tips, you can make a specific layer invisible in one viewport and visible in other ones. This useful technique is easy to achieve in ZWCAD.
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