Tom W.

It's clearly a really powerful/flexible command but almost has too many settings than necessary for this application. The ability to stretch or otherwise modify the array object to fit the base surface for example. And the way it repeats from a central origin. I definitely need to understand the nath/math (maths) better! In the batt example you can use any object with the correct extrude dim (e.g, 1") as the base object + then set the length/width in the tool settings. Rather than starting off with a batt correct in length + section. Which is quite wierd getting your head around. A completely different animal to Duplicate Array

That would be amazing Kevin thanks v much!

Thanks for these posts @Kevin K . I like the timber clad steel roof model a lot. I've played with the tool quite a lot but I still don't feel entirely in control of it... The battens I can arrange across a wall fairly quickly but the roof tiles took me a lot longer - do you have any tips for what settings to enter + get it looking right 1st time? 'Offset X' Factor' I set to 1 so the tiles lay butted against each other side by side; 'Offset Y' Factor' I set to 0.8 so that they overlapped going up the roof; Repetition Mode Y' I set to Fixed Distance + set to the length of the tile symbol; Origin Y' Factor I ended up setting to 0.6 to get the tiles lined up correctly at the bottom edge of the roof but this was only through trial + error... Many thanks. Incidentally, another way I have used to achieve a 3D look for timber cladding is to clip the wall surface using a wall hole component symbol:

A belated thank you @bgoff this has done the trick

That's a good point that was actually what was suggested to me when I enquired about this: to create a tile rather than a hatch (for the trees). I'd forgotten. Would be fine in this circumstance as would only be displaying in 2D, not assigned to a texture. Don't really use tiles generally so will need to investigate further... They go slightly wierd when you zoom in + out but that's maybe an unreasonable prejudice to have...!

Thank you @michaelk that's very generous of you! I think that's the only architectural hatch I needed to make so really glad to have finally got on + done it. The only other hatches I've wanted to use + never found are to show woodland/vegetation in mapping. This kind of thing: I've searched high + low + enquired on these forums but no luck. Strange as assumed they'd be quite common. But anyway will now have a go at creating myself. Lots of curves unfortunately...

No problem TW pantile hatches.vwx And this rather elaborate creation was my setting out (inspired by Larry O - thank you) Bit crazy that you could probably model the taj mahal is the time it took but all part of the fun of VW I suppose!

Thank you. It was only 9 levels. In fact I actually misunderstood in quite a stupid way how the hatch lines repeat laterally it’s much less complicated than I thought it was. I have now made a slightly less clunky version: Not a quick process but actually quite satisfying once you get your head around it! Wouldn't have been motivated to look at it if not for the forums so thanks

I stuck with it + came up with this: This was a ridiculous amount of work + not as detailed as I'd have liked but I was determined to come out of this with something to show for all the effort! What I realised half way through - and fairly obvious really - is that you can easily stretch the hatch afterwards so fine to create it based on a square grid with all angles 45 degs. Doesn't look too bad in the end: Phew (again)

Can you post an image showing the 3D model as well? I am interested to know what it is you are modelling if it doesn't include any of the existing structure. Thanks. If it's any consolation the buildings I'm working with here in rural Norfolk are similarly anarchic...

I'm going to have to give up on this. I'm glad to have learnt how to use the hatch editor but bit depressed to have spent hours trying to create my pantile hatch + really not get anywhere. @markdd I'd really really appreciate some guidance if you could spare the time. I really simplified the geometry but it was still beyond me to get all the lines repeating on two axes at once. If I made the grid square + the lines all 45 degs then fine, but this would render the hatch so far from what I wanted it's not worth doing. How the hell do they make those stone hatches with 980 levels??? Thanks

Man if you can do one that would be amazing. It should definitely be possible. My experiments have it repeating over insane distances though + I just don't have the maths/geometry knowledge/brainpower to figure it out. I'm trying a much simpler more symmetrical version just to get something that works... I would love to know how you'd approach something like this, just to get my head around it. This hatch for example has 980 levels!

Don't worry I'm still here scratching my head what a nightmare! I qualify my previous statement: I figured out how the hatch editor works, which was great for a moment, until I realised how profoundly unsuitable it was for making the kind of pattern I'm after...

ok panic over I figured it out phew

This thread has prompted me to have a go at something I've been meaning to do for a while which make a hatch to go with a clay pantile texture. However I now realise why I put off doing it for so long. I understand in principle what I need to do but I'm really struggling to understand the relationship between the lines in my sample drawing bot left + the 'start', 'repeat', 'dash factor' + 'offset' settings in the edit hatch dialog. I have dissected existing hatches + done endless playing around with the parameters to try + understand how it works but am getting nowhere. I divided my curvy line into individual straight segments but I have no conception of how many levels will be required (or how I'd work this out) or how to translate the parameters for the lines in the drawing into the edit hatch settings. I am quite happy spending the time building the levels if I knew how I needed to do it. Normally you can figure these things out by trial + error but not in this case for me at least... Any guidance gratefully received Thanks