Custom Hatches

[scottfdavis]

Is there a way to create a custom hatch from line work in Vectorworks?

Specifically, I am trying to make a perforated metal hatch that simulates round perforations. So essentially a running bond grid of circles.

Thanks.

[J Lucas]

See the Tile tool in 2011.

[scottfdavis]

Thanks.

I was able to create the circular pattern desired.

Do you know if there is a way to make the circles transparent?

I am able to make the object transparent--which makes the background transparent but not the circles.

Would be awesome if I could do the exact opposite, leave the background 100% opaque but have the transparency applied to the circles of the tile.

The only way I know to achieve this look currently is to cut many many circles out of surface. And VW seems less than happy to handle a surface with hundred of circles subtracted from it.

[Benson Shaw]

Does it have to be a hatch? I did this once by creating a texture from a grid of circles cut through a poly. Color shader for the matrix. Only needs a small square with a few holes. Scale as needed.

-B

[scottfdavis]

I think a texture could work as long as the holes read transparent.

[Bob Holtzmann]

Tiles is a nice easy-to-use feature to use for creating custom patterns - a great improvement over the custom hatch editor.

It looks like Tiles, as with Hatches, use only 2D shapes for display -- extracted 3D surfaces don't work. But with 2D Layer Objects and working planes, Tiles can be made to show up in 3D rendered views.

[mike m oz]

Bob there is an option in the Extract Face tool to Create Planar Objects rather than the default nurbs surface. Planar objects created with that option are 2D so can be Tiled.

[Benson Shaw]

For the texture you need an Alpha Channel image texture.

Here is how I made one:

I am working with Mac software, don't know Window's options

In Vectorworks Create a 4x4 array of circles with black color fill.

Select them all and copy to clipboard.

Make an alpha channel image:

1. Launch Preview (or other image editor) then File>New from Clipboard.

2. Your Dots appear in a new window.

3. Save As: BlackDotsAlpha.png to Desktop or other known location

4. Click the Select Tool (dotted rectangle icon)>Instant Alpha (the wand thingy).

5. Click & drag a little anywhere in the white area between dots. Crawly lines appear around everything. Press delete - the white area disappears, revealing the gray background around the black dots. Save.

Make your new texture in Vectorworks:

1. Resource browser>Resources triangle>New Resource>Renderworks Texture. A texture dialog opens. Name it TransparentDots1

2. Color Shader>Object Attributes

3. Transparency Shader>Image Mask>BlackDotsAlpha.png

4. Source Image: Alpha Channel (you will see a black field with white dots, don't worry)>Transparent Color Mask>(now you see the black dots) Click any black dot to set the transparent color.

Click OKs to close all dialogs. New texture should show in Resource Browser.

Assign your new texture to a 3d object. with color fill. Adjust the texture scale in OIP render tab.

Whew!

-B

[Benson Shaw]

Sorry, Here are the example files in VW 2010.

-B

Edited October 22, 2010 by Benson Shaw

[Benson Shaw]

Just tested the Perforation texture in FQRW. Although the OIP Render tab boxes for horiz and vert repeat are checked, they are apparently inactive. Open GL maps the repeats, but FQRW does not. Solution is to edit the Image Mask Shader and click the Infinite buttons for both Horiz and Vert Repetitions. One could fiddle with the original dot pattern and png images to make the tiling more even.

-B