Hatches for Humans

[willofmaine]

I really wish that us mere human users of VWs could create hatches simply by drawing a repeatable pattern.  Probably within the confines of a square, and presumably only with vectorial straight lines, but it would be far easier than the current overly complicated method.  A graphic interface, rather than a rocket scientist's interface.  (And, no, tiles are not a good substitute for hatches (consider surface hatches, file size, layer color overrides, etc.)).  VWIS137

Edited August 4, 2018 by willofmaine

[grant_PD]

I go out of my way to avoid using hatches because I am terrified of that interface. 

[mike m oz]

Will, you can do this with Tile fills. 

 

For more information look at Help.  There is a sub-section in Basic Techniques titled Using Tile Fills.  

 

I would still like to see a more visual way to define hatches though as per your Wish.

[willofmaine]

Right, but I don't think Tiles can be used as Surface Hatches, and I think they increase file size, especially maybe with exported PDF files (?? - at least, based on one experience I had, but that may have been a "bombed" stipple with it's large number of points...).  I did just find that if Tiles include lines in their geometry, those will show up when layer colors are applied.  So that's good.  So maybe the wish should instead be that Tiles can also be 3D, and integrated with Textures just as Hatches are...  Either way, of course, avoiding use of the current hatch creator is the goal!

[grant_PD]

I like to show the flooring pattern as a tile fill on a floor object.  But one cannot add a texture to the floor if using a tile fill, because then it somehow is not a solid object.  Ideally, tile fills would keep things solid so you can have a fill for plan view as well.  

[JMR]

Tiles don't export to DWG. For us, everything we draw has to export to DWG, for the engineers.

 

...Or I don't know how to.

 

Tiles are easy to make - I wonder if that interface could not be used to make hatches as well?