Why is creating a hatch so complex?

[Christiaan]

I want to create a brick stretcher bond hatch with a mortar joint, as attached. I've even found a hatch that with all the levels I need, I just need to amend their lengths. But f**k me, I wonder if I'm better creating it afresh following tutorial. Off to VW University I go.

 

Genuine question: does the hatch interface really need to be this difficult or is this just an old interface? Do other apps do this better? Why can't we create hatches similarly to Tiles?

 

brick_stretcher_bond_v2022.vwx

Edited July 14, 2022 by Christiaan

[Tom W.]

See:

 

 

[Tom W.]

15 minutes ago, Christiaan said:

does the hatch interface really need to be this difficult or is this just an old interface?

 

I think I saw it said somewhere that it was to do with AutoCAD compatibility or something along those lines? I know nothing about AutoCAD I hasten to add. But definitely be interested to know, and to know how it works in Germany + why what they have is not more widely available

[Christiaan]

Okay, it wasn't so bad. Briefly scanning through this was enough:

https://university.vectorworks.net/mod/page/view.php?id=751

 

Resulting hatch attached.

 

brick_stretcher_bond_mortar_v2022.vwx

Edited July 14, 2022 by Christiaan

[Tom W.]

Yes it's fine when things are relatively straight/square but how on earth would one make a stone hatch for example from scratch?

 

 

I would really like to edit some of these stone hatches to have them more closely resemble textures I'm using (for when the hatches are surface hatches) but gave up immediately when I tried. The one above has 1001 levels!

 

[Andy Broomell]

1 hour ago, Tom W. said:

for when the hatches are surface hatches

 

This is the real kicker. Tile fills are SO much easier to make, but they can't be used as Surface Hatches.

 

So Hatches need to be easier to make/edit... and/or Tiles should be available as Surface Hatches.

[Jeff Prince]

It would be nice if there was a tool within Vectorworks which took your sketch of a hatch (or a CAD based drawing) and turned it into a CAD based hatch pattern easily.  I can't imagine trying to make the stone hatch @Tom W. posted, nor would I desire spending my time doing so.

[Tom W.]

2 minutes ago, jeff prince said:

It would be nice if there was a tool within Vectorworks which took your sketch of a hatch (or a CAD based drawing) and turned it into a CAD based hatch pattern easily.

 

What a bit like this one?

 

[Jeff Prince]

11 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

What a bit like this one?

 

Thanks for sharing that.  Yet another compelling reason to learn German.

[Tom W.]

I hear the mountain biking's good in Germany... 🙂

[Jeff Prince]

1 hour ago, Tom W. said:

I hear the mountain biking's good in Germany... 🙂

Yes it is 🙂

[Matt Overton]

5 hours ago, Andy Broomell said:

 

This is the real kicker. Tile fills are SO much easier to make, but they can't be used as Surface Hatches.

 

So Hatches need to be easier to make/edit... and/or Tiles should be available as Surface Hatches.

Are surface hatches every exportable to dwg?

if not or from memory they have to be rendered then exported as flattened which breaks them to mass groups of lines anyway I don't see why we shouldn't be able to use a tile fill instead of a hatch. 

Make lots of more complex surface treatments more workable. 

 

Indeed would be good with more random patterns like stone walling to be able to draw the tile directly over the image. 

[Lisar]

Can’t seem to find the comparable commands in the US VW version for the video above. Do they exist?

[Tom W.]

1 hour ago, Lisar said:

Can’t seem to find the comparable commands in the US VW version for the video above. Do they exist?

 

Unfortunately not