What is the purpose of a viewport in AutoCAD layouts?

A viewport in AutoCAD layouts serves a crucial function by providing a framed window that displays a specific view of the model space. This allows users to focus on particular areas of their drawing without the need to manipulate the entire model directly. Multiple viewports can be created within a single layout, enabling side-by-side comparisons or different views of the same object, which is especially useful for presentations and final plot outputs.

The ability to control the scale and view of each viewport independently enhances the organization of your drawings. This means you can have one viewport showing a detailed view at a larger scale while another shows the overall layout at a smaller scale, all within the same layout space. This feature is fundamental for effectively presenting designs that require clarity in various dimensions.

Other options, while relevant to the overall functionality of AutoCAD, do not pertain to the specific purpose of viewports. For instance, measuring dimensions relates to the dimensioning tools in AutoCAD, exporting files pertains to file management, and editing object properties focuses on modifying the attributes of objects within the drawing, none of which capture the role of a viewport in aiding visualization within layouts.