AutoCAD Hatch Layer Tips & Tricks

Among many things new in AutoCAD 2017 is Hatch Layer Enhancements.

AutoCAD 2017 improvements to the HPLAYER system variable helps you to create a new drawing layer and set it as the hatch layer in a single go. The HPLAYER system variable was introduced in AutoCAD 2011, so one can specify an existing layer on which one can create new hatches and fills in spite of the current layer.

Hatching is an artistic technique which is used to create tonal or shading effects by drawing, scribing or painting closely spaced parallel lines. It is mainly important in linear media, such as drawing, and many forms of printmaking, such as etching, engraving and woodcut.

How it works?

The quantity, thickness and spacing of the lines will affect the brightness of the overall image, and emphasize forms creating an illusion of volume. Hatching lines should always follow the form. By increasing thickness, quantity and closeness, a darker area results.

Hatching can sometimes be annoying, so we have collected a few hatching tips together for you.

Create user-defined hatch patterns

When you select a hatch pattern and apply it, many times it doesn’t look the way you want it to. So an easy way to deal with this problem is to create a user-defined hatch pattern. It just lets you specify the angle of the pattern and its scale. Changing the scale is an easy way to correct a hatch pattern whose spacing are too closer or wider.

Start the HATCH command

Before you start hatching, you might want to create a separate layer for the hatch and make it current. When you start the HATCH command (Home tab> Draw panel> Hatch), the Hatch Creation tab appears. Choose the pattern you want from the Pattern panel.

Define the enclosed area properly

Sometimes, AutoCAD doesn’t hatch the correct area. Here are some hints for defining the enclosed area:

Instead of lines, Franck Wallez advises drawing with polylines. One reason is that they make specifying an enclosed area easier. If the enclosed area is complex, use the BOUNDARY or REGION commands to create a closed area.

Customize your hatches

Many at times a user-defined hatch may not give you enough flexibility. In that case, you can build your own hatch patterns.

One more minor customization is to control islands, which are embedded shapes.

What about paper space?

When you display your hatches in paper space, you may be disappointed to find that yourhatches in scaled view ports no longer have the right spacing. The solution is to make your hatches annotative.

Use this secret as an easy selection of hatched objects.

Do you have any hatch tips? You can share with us by leaving a comment.

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