Views and the Viewport
======================

This guide explains how to create and use views to manage different section states and viewport configurations.


Creating a View
---------------

Views are listed in the *Views* panel (visible once at least one section or drawing exists). Click **+** to open the creation dialog:

.. list-table::
   :header-rows: 1
   :widths: 25 75

   * - Setting
     - Description
   * - **Name**
     - A descriptive name for the view (e.g. "Floor Plan", "Section A-A").
   * - **Settings**
     - Starting state for the new view.

**Settings** options:

- **Copy Active View** – The new view starts as an exact copy of the current active view’s section states, drawing states, and viewport settings. Convenient when you want a variation of an existing view.
- **Blank View** – All sections are disabled and all drawings are hidden. Viewport settings are at their defaults.


Switching Views
---------------

Click any view name in the *Views* list to switch to it. By default, switching a view:

1. Enables / disables each section according to the stored state.
2. Shows / hides each drawing according to the stored state.
3. Restores the viewport orientation, projection, and shading (if any of those were saved for the view).

You can change this behaviour in the addon preferences:

- Disable **Restore View on Change** to stop the view from being restored automatically when switching views. Useful if you want to see a view's setup without loading it (especially for heavy boolean sections).
- Enable **Auto Save Viewport on Change** to automatically snapshot the current viewport into the outgoing view before switching.


Saving and Loading Viewport State
---------------------------------

To save the current 3D viewport into a view:

1. Make the view active by clicking it in the list.
2. In the *Viewport Settings* sub-panel, enable the checkboxes next to the states you want to save (**Orientation**, **Projection**, **Shading**).
3. Click **Save Current**. You will be asked to confirm, as this overwrites any previously saved viewport data for this view.

To restore the saved viewport without switching views:

- Click **Load Saved** in the *Viewport Settings* sub-panel.


Section Method per View
-----------------------

Each view has its own **Section Method** (found in the *Section Settings* sub-panel within the Views panel).
See :doc:`/concepts/sections` for a detailed explanation of each method.

Switching the method updates all enabled sections in the view immediately.


Deleting a View
---------------

Select the view in the list and click **−** (Remove). You will be asked to confirm.

.. warning::

   You cannot delete the last remaining view while sections or drawings exist in the scene. Delete all sections and drawings first, or keep at least one view.