By and large, to fill an area with a pattern hatches are used and there are plenty of set up-made hatch patterns available in AutoCAD but if you want to utilize your own custom hatch pattern and so you lot can brand it using a type of simple code and also using an express tool chosen Superhatch.

In this article, I have explained both the methods in detail including the procedure of transferring hatch pattern from one drawing to other.

Making hatches using Superhatch is pretty like shooting fish in a barrel and information technology does not demand any kind of code but you won't be able to transfer these custom hatches from one drawing to other which might exist very limiting for almost of the uses.

On the other hand, yous tin can hands transfer hatches fabricated with "hatch lawmaking". To begin with, I will explain making custom hatch pattern using hatch lawmaking than nearly Superhatch tool.

But if you lot don't feel like reading the article you tin can watch this video every bit well which explains both the methods.

Now the article continues.

Making Hatches using "Hatch Code"

In this instance, I will brand this simple stair type hatch blueprint using the "hatch lawmaking".

So, to practice this open Notepad (or any other Unicode text editor if you want) and type the following lines.

*TESTHATCH, Our test hatch with the staircase effect

0, 0,0, .2,.two, .2,-.ii

90, .2,0, .two,.2, .2,-.ii

These lines will really make the pattern which y'all come across in the image to a higher place. After adding these lines in the text editor save it equally a PAT file using the aforementioned proper noun divers in line 1 of this lawmaking.

In this example, you need to relieve the file as TESTHATCH.PAT, if you keep a different name for the PAT file and then the custom hatch blueprint volition non work.

Allow'south deconstruct these lines and to simplify this I have colored the horizontal segment Red and vertical i Green.

Now, let'south move back to the Hatch code which I just showed you to a higher place. The complete lawmaking has three lines with characters in each line separated with commas.

Every set of grapheme inside comma has its ain meaning and all of these lines will add up to make the consummate pattern. In this instance, line one will determine name and description of hatch pattern, line 2 is for the horizontal segment of the hatch and line 3 is for the vertical segment.

Line 1: *TESTHATCH, Our test hatch with the staircase effect

In this line, the hatch code starts with a star sign followed by the name of the hatch in capital. Then we accept a description for the hatch separated by a comma. So, essentially the hatch lawmaking should first with star sign then name and then description all separated by a comma.

Line 2: 0, 0,0, .2,.2, .two,-.ii

The line ii is for the Red line shown in this image.

Here the starting time character 0 is for the bending which is 0 degrees which makes the line horizontal.

The second and tertiary characters 0,0 are coordinates of the starting points of the horizontal line. In this case 0,0 is not the accented coordinate rather its an origin assigned past hatch pattern for that particular pattern only.

The side by side characters .2,.2 are for the starting point on the adjacent set of the horizontal line with respect to the origin set up for the outset point.

The terminal ii characters .two,-.2 are for the length of the line segment and gap length. The length of the segment is shown as .two (positive value) and the gap is shown as -.ii (negative value) unit.

If you are familiar with making custom linetypes in AutoCAD and then y'all volition notice that this hatch code is quite similar to the linetype lawmaking for custom AutoCAD linetypes.

Line 3: 90, .2,0, .two,.ii, .2,-.2

The line three is for the green lines as shown in the image below.

Hither the first character 90 is for the angle of the line which you tin run across that, in this case, is vertical or at an angle of 90 degrees.

The second set up of characters .2,0 are the coordinates of the starting indicate of the first green line towards lower left column and this coordinate point is with respect to the origin defined in line 2 of the hatch code, which for this case is the starting signal of the commencement red line equally shown in the image iii above.

The third set of characters .ii,.2 is once more the offset value of 90-degree line along X and Y axis or the displacement of the adjacent prepare of the vertical line forth X and Y axis and its in this instance over again 0.2 units.

The last set up of characters .2,-.ii are one time again the length of the vertical segment and the gap of the segment. The positive value is for the length and negative value is for the gap.

Getting the complete hatch pattern

As you simply now saw that each line has its own role in making the complete hatch design and you can add together even more lines in this code that volition eventually add upward to make a complete blueprint. So, in a nutshell, each line of the hatch pattern code will make a set of like parallel lines which end up giving a blueprint shape.

In that location are also some effectively details related to making hatch blueprint that yous need to take care of like you demand to add at least 1 blank line at the end of the hatch code in guild to make the hatch code work. Likewise, you need to ensure that the hatch pattern name defined in the code and name of PAT file should be the same. More can be seen in this Autodesk noesis network article.

Using and Transferring Hatch Patterns

To apply this hatch blueprint in the cartoon you demand to copy the PAT file in the support folder. To discover the location of support binder type OP and press enter. And then select the file tab and expand the "Support File Search Patch" tree and at that place you lot will encounter the location of the support binder.

I have marked the back up folder for my PC in this image in the ruddy box.

To transfer the hatch pattern to other PC all you demand to do is just copy paste this custom PAT file in the support folder of PC where you want it to transfer.

Alternatively, you tin also add a location to this listing of support files and then salve all your custom hatch patterns in that folder. This method has been explained in the video higher up.

Making Hatches using Superhatch

Hatches work the way that fonts exercise, as vector images. Under normal circumstances, you cannot upload image files and identify them as a Hatch. Instead, you must make a text file with specific coding merely with superhatch, you lot tin even make hatches with images.

Super Hatches, as the name would imply, allow y'all to go in a higher place and beyond when creating hatches. In the SUPERHATCH command, there are five options. We will learn how to employ the outset three.

From Cake Option

Nosotros are going to make a Hatch Design from an AutoCAD block. This tin can be washed with any 2nd cake in AutoCAD.

Make a Pattern within the circle that's in our AutoCAD drawing. Information technology tin be any sort of Design, I made one like this.

The next step is to brand a rectangle in which we will utilize the hatch. For this next office, at that place are a lot of steps involved, then pay close attention.

Showtime, type Cake in the Command Line, and hit ENTER to open the Block Window. In the Block Window, Click "Selection point" and so click the bottom-about point of our circle marked in the cherry-red oval in the image beneath.

Where it says "Name" in the Block Window, give your Cake a proper noun. It tin be annihilation you like, equally long as you can remember it. I'm naming mine "Pattern for Hatch Tutorial".

Adjacent, in the Block Window, Click "Select objects" and highlight the entirety of our circle pattern.

Following that, you can click OK at the bottom of the Window to close it.

Those steps were pretty standard. We were but making our pattern into Block. The following steps are where we make our Cake into a Hatch.

If y'all have Express Tools, you can go to the Limited Tools Tab in the Ribbon and click the Super Hatch icon. If you don't have Express Tools, you can simply type SUPERHATCH instead in the Command line, and and then hit ENTER. Express tools or SUPERHATCH command is not available in AutoCAD LT.

In the Super Hatch Window, Click "Block…". After that, Click "OK" in the next Window.

The next step is to click anywhere within the at present empty rectangle at the middle of our drawing.

The command dialogue will enquire virtually ten-scale. Blazon 0.five and hit ENTER. Striking ENTER once more to utilize the same scale to the Y-centrality. Hit ENTER repeatedly until you get to the function about "Specify Block [Extents]"

Inside our rectangle volition be a smaller version of our Block, with a magenta rectangle adjoining that cake. Click the bottom-left point of that magenta rectangle. After that, click the elevation-right point of that magenta rectangle. Then, hit ENTER and click once again anywhere inside the rectangle where you lot want to make the hatch and hit ENTER one final time.

Your final result should look something along these lines.

From Image Option

Making an image into a Hatch isn't ever so applied, but if necessary, information technology is possible.

We will exist using this image wrinkled paper image. Y'all can download this epitome by correct-clicking and selecting "salve paradigm as" selection from the contextual menu.

Save it to your computer as WrinkledPaper.jpg.

Dorsum in AutoCAD, make a rectangle with a line passing vertically through its midpoint. We will exist Super Hatching that rectangle with our image.

Load upward the SUPERHATCH Command and Select "Image.." from the Super Hatch Window.

In the Windows Explorer Window that pops upwards, locate the paradigm you saved of the Wrinkled paper, select it, and click "Open".

Click "OK" in the following window.

Following that, the AutoCAD command line will ask you to select an insertion point. Click the bottom-left corner of the left rectangle in our drawing.

Side by side, AutoCAD will desire y'all to selection a Calibration Cistron for the insertion. It unremarkably takes a couple tries to effigy out the all-time size. Through trial and mistake, I plant that it was best to use a calibration factor of 50.0 in my case, in your example it could exist unlike.

Type 50.0 in the command line and press ENTER. Hit ENTER one time once again to concord that you lot find the placement acceptable. Next, the dialogue volition enquire you to pick internal points. Click the border of the rectangle. Half will be selected. It will be highlighted. Your rectangle should look similar to Figure beneath.

Hitting ENTER ane terminal fourth dimension. Your rectangle should at present look like Figure below.

What is actually special about Prototype Hatches is you tin can individually select each tile and delete it or resize it if y'all like.

Updating a Hatch

Create an ordinary Hatch on the on the reverse of the rectangle and then delete the vertical line separating the Paradigm Hatch from the Pattern Hatch. Now, if you delete Image Tiles bordering the Blueprint Hatch, and then Hatch the empty spaces, it volition update our previous Pattern Hatch to encompass the new area.

You will find white lines bordering the Image Tiles. If you desire to become rid of these, doing so is quite elementary. Just type IMGFRAME into the Control Line and hit ENTER. Then type 0, and again, hit ENTER.

The prototype attached in this hatch will acquit like an Xref and if you delete the original epitome then hatch will also disappear leaving only rectangular boundaries instead of prototype grids.

From 10 ref Attach

Xrefs are External References. To make an External Reference into a Hatch, you lot simply brand a Hatch pattern in another drawing and then save the drawing. Following that, use the SUPERHATCH command, pick "Tenref Attach…" from the Super Hatch Window. In the Windows Explorer Window that appears, pick the Hatch drawing you lot created. All you have to practice after that is pick an insertion indicate and striking ENTER.

Conclusion

As you merely saw that AutoCAD is quite flexible to allow you to brand hatch design directly using Superhatch and also with hatch lawmaking. Both the methods can be used to brand hatches but the hatch lawmaking offers y'all more flexibility as the patterns can be transferred easily and tin be customized by changing just a few lines in the hatch code.

Which of the methods did y'all employ often or planning to apply for making custom hatches? Don't forget to let me know in the comments beneath.