What Hatch Properties can be defined in Advance CAD?

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The “Hatch” feature is a popular choice for detailing 2D drawings in Advance CAD. It is a highly customizable tool, as the user is able to change patterns, scaling, spacing as well as other attributes. Pattern properties are available for both predefined and user-defined hatch patterns.

How to specify hatch pattern properties

In the Boundary Hatch window box, click the Pattern Properties tab and choose between the “Predefine” or “User Defined” options from the “Pattern Type” drop-down menu. You can choose options for the pattern or copy the pattern from a sample pattern already in your drawing. The hatch can be set to be associative or non-associative.

Figure 1 Hatch feature command location on the Draw panel of the Home ribbon tab

Options in the Pattern Properties tab of the Boundary Hatch Dialog Box

Properties section

• Pattern Type: you can choose from two types: “Predefined” and “User Defined”.
  • Predefined: choose this option if you want to use a hatch pattern from the standard or ISO hatch pattern library files;
  • User Defined: enables you to define a new hatch pattern

Figure 2 Choosing pattern types: “User Defined” or “Predefined”

• Color: lets you choose the color for your hatch pattern. It can be BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, a predefined color or a custom color.
• Scale: This option is available only for predefined hatch patterns. Enter a number to specify the scale of a hatch pattern. The smaller the number, the denser the pattern will be inside a given boundary; the larger the number, the less hatching will fit within a boundary.

• Angle: By entering a number, you will specify the rotation angle of the hatch pattern in degrees, relative to the boundary. Entering positive numbers will rotate the pattern clockwise, while negative numbers will rotate it counter-clockwise

Figure 4 Examples of different angles input: Left – 0 degrees; Right – 45 degrees

• Spacing: This option is available only for user-defined hatch patterns. Enter a number to specify the space between the hatch lines. Typing in a smaller number will result in the hatch lines being placed closer to one other. Entering a larger number will result in hatch lines being placed farther apart and a lesser pattern will fit within a boundary.

Figure 5 Choosing hatch spacing dimensions

• ISO Pen Width: This option is available for predefined and ISO hatch patterns only. Enter a number to specify the hatch-line width for ISO hatch patterns.

Figure 6 Examples of different inputs in ISO Pen Width

• Cross-Hatched: This option is available only for user-defined hatch patterns. Check this option to impose another copy of the pattern at a 90-degree angle over the original.

Figure 7 Creating a cross-hatched user defined pattern

Hatch Attributes: If you check the “Associative” option, the hatch pattern will be linked to its boundaries so that it updates automatically whenever you modify its extents.

Figure 8 Option for making your next hatch pattern associative

Gap Tolerance: Displays the area that non-touching entities can have within while still being used to create the hatch pattern. For example, if two lines do not meet at the same point but the distance between their endpoints falls within the hatch tolerance, they will be considered as closed, and will thus be used to create the hatch pattern boundary. Advance CAD calculates the hatch tolerance automatically, depending on the size of the software’s window.

Hatch Transparency: This combo-box allows you to choose what transparency properties should be loaded in your hatch pattern while also enabling you to manually set these:

• Bylayer: The hatch pattern takes on the transparency defined in the currently selected layer.
• Byblock: The hatch pattern takes on the properties of a block, in case  the pattern is included in one.
• Specify value: You can set a specific transparency value, and thus personalize the hatch pattern you want to apply.

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Figure 9 Specifying a hatch transparency value of 76

Copy Hatch Properties: Closes the dialog box, allowing you to select and copy an existing hatch pattern in the project. All properties of the original pattern are copied onto the next one.

Figure 10 How to copy a hatch pattern