Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills

You can hatch an area using a predefined hatch pattern, define a simple line pattern using the current linetype (LINETYPE), or create more complex hatch patterns.

You can also create a gradient fill that can be used to enhance presentation drawings, giving the appearance of light reflecting on an object.

Add Hatch Patterns and Solid Fills

If you want to add hatch patterns to your drawing, you can use HATCH and BHATCH commands or pressing BHATCH button on toolbar.

Create Associative Hatches

An associative hatch is updated when you change the boundary. The setting for this is stored in the system variable HPASSOC . When you set the HPGAPTOL system variable to 0 (default), associativity is automatically removed if editing creates an open boundary.

Choose a Hatch Pattern

The program supplies hatch patterns that you can use to differentiate the components of objects or represent object materials. You can add new hatch patterns by adding their definitions to the gcad.pat file or saved them as individual *.pat file in the pattern path.

Control the Hatch Origin

You can specify the starting point, called the origin point, of the hatch to adjust the position of the hatch.

Limit Hatch Pattern Density

If you create a very dense hatch, the program may display a message indicating that the hatch scale is too small or its dash length too short and the hatch may be rejected. The default value for MAXHATACHDENSITY is 1,000,000, but you can change the maximum number of hatch lines by setting the MAXHATACHDENSITY system variable.

Edit Hatch Boundaries

If you create a hatch that you don't want, you can undo it, trim it or even delete it and re-hatch the area.