Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

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29/04/2012 / POSTED IN SOFTWARE, TUTORIALS / BY MLADEN GRADEV / 13 COMMENTS

CREATE CUSTOM HATCHES IN AUTOCAD

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Hatches are widely used in AutoCAD and they can be found in almost every drawing. But how many of you wanted to use a
custom hatches in AutoCAD, and never succeeded into creating one? The built-in hatches are limited, and can not always help
you to display things as you want them.
There are different ways to add additional hatches, but they all seem to me too complicated. Furthermore, it is necessary to make
changes to acad.pat (file of AutoCAD, which contains information about the default built-in hatches) and if you dont make a
backup copy of this file, things can go wrong.
From some time now I wanted to find an easier way to create them and recently i found it. The process is not difficult and when
you do it once you will fully understand it.
For this purpose it is necessary to download a small program for AutoCAD, called DrawHatch.

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

Download DrawHatch 12.3

HOW TO WORK WITH DRAWHATCH

1. Open AutoCAD and type appload in command prompt.
2. Find the program, select it and press Load. At bottom left of the window that appears should be displayed DrawHatch
successfully loaded.
3. An AutoCAD text window pops-up with a description of the commands of the program, which are only two.

4. Type DHA in the window (you can close it and still write DHA, the effect will be the same). When you do this, the programs
window will open. Close it for now.
5. If you look you will notice that your drawing has four new layers DrawHatch_Align, DrawHatch_Objects, DrawHatch_Preview
DrawHatch_Square. DrawHatch use them to put elements of the pattern during its creation.

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

A square area is also created, marked in the four corners with eight yellow lines. This is actually the field in which you have to
create the repeated element of the pattern. The color is defined by DrawHatch_Square layer, and can be changed from there if
it`s not clearly visible.

It is important to work in a layer different from those listed above.

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

6. Make a square on the four points of the field, to see better it`s boundaries, and draw your pattern inside. When you are done
you can delete this box, unless you want it to be part of the hatch.

7. Type again DHA in the command prompt to open DrawHatch.

8. Press Select, to select objects for the pattern. Once you do this, the program will mark them and you just have to press Enter,
to return to the menu.

It is important to note that for some reasons DrawHatch does not like polylines, and if you have such lines in your
design, you should explode them to ordinary lines. Otherwise View button will remain inactive.

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

9. Review the result by clicking the View button, and then press Enter to go back.

Another specific point is that the program optimizes circles and curves and converts them into lines. For this reason
they can look very ridgy. To make them look smoother you should increase the number of sides of the curve.

To do that you have to delete all objects in layer DrawHatch_Objects, retype DHA to return to the menu, mark Arcs, Circles and
Polylines and increase the value of the sides. Then click All and press again Select, Enter and View to see the results.

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

10. If youre satisfied from your pattern you can save it. Click Write and save the file with the .pat extension somewhere on your
computer.
11. To load your new hatch in AutoCAD, you need to copy this file in the directory where your acad.pat file is. Usually it is in:

C:\Users\Your User Name\appdata\roaming\autodesk\autocad 2012 english\r18.2\enusupport\acad.pat

To find it easily simply type (findfile "acad.pat") together with the brackets in command line and AutoCAD will show you the
location.
12. Done, now you have created a hatch pattern and you can use it in your drawings.

Thanks to eduardoNJM, who has created DrawHatch and even made a video tutorial with a demonstration of how to work with
the program.

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

TAGS: AUTO CAD

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version?

Aaron Says
I am receiving this error when i try and save the hatch.
Converting (command) calls to (command-s) is recommended.

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

AutoCAD for iPhone and iPad

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

Ive googled and search forums but i dinot understand anything theyre talking about with LISP etc. Any help is appreciated.
REPLY

ON 16/08/2014 AT 23:57

Mladen Gradev Says

Hi,
Ive googled this error too and as far as I understand this problem is related to AutoCAD 2015. And it is something in
apps code, which is causing the error. Unfortunately, I am not a developer and cant help you (if code is the
problem), but you can write to developer for some help edpayct(at)gmail.com
Hope this helps you.
Regards.
REPLY

ON 17/08/2014 AT 21:18

Aaron Says
No problems, thanks for looking into it
REPLY

ON 17/08/2014 AT 23:12

Juliano Says
Good afternoon.
I have autocad 2012 and is not showing Janeta black with yellow lines, to edit the new hatches. Just open a text window of
AutoCAD
REPLY

ON 22/07/2014 AT 17:54

Nikolay Says
Hi eduardoNJM, I have Russian version AutoCAD, and after load command HDA problem ssget
(ssget error) Can you help me?
Write here similar problem http://forum.dwg.ru/archive/index.php/t-91137-p-2.html
They solved the problem by replacing (setq se (ssget :S ((0 . text)))) on (setq se (ssget _:S ((0 . text)))) Help
please, fix lisp.. my mail roggi-y@yandex.ru

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

REPLY

ON 07/05/2014 AT 03:57

Martin Tougaard Says

Hi
The app loads just fine, all my objects get selected and it looks perfect when I view it, but when I draw a hatch using the
new pat file the lines does not fit together.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/649020/View.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/649020/Hatch.png
REPLY

ON 10/03/2014 AT 11:53

Mladen Gradev Says

Hi Martin,
Sorry for the late reply, but I was testing things to see if I can get the same result like you. And I couldn`t,
everything is OK here.
But, I have created the same hatch like yours and I was wondering if you can test it on your PC? Here is the link
https://mega.co.nz/#!MAZDGKxK!AZHV1-qv7BoYGvYKqCRXXLVK23SmhEQ0tdgVo4mTUVc
Regards.
REPLY

ON 11/03/2014 AT 12:24

Stephen Says
Sorry folks, but the appload failed at the first hurdle as the filetype
isnt recognized!
This is true for both 2010 & 2012
Any solutions and comments would be apopreciated, as it seems like a great application!
Regards
Steve
REPLY

ON 07/03/2014 AT 12:48

Mladen Gradev Says

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

Hi Steve,
I have tested this app on AutoCAD 2010, 2012 and 2013 and Windows 7 and 8, and every time it loads successfully.
I don`t know what to advise you, maybe it is something in Windows settings that causes this error.
Regards.
Mladen
REPLY

ON 09/03/2014 AT 18:07

Stevie Says
Hi,
Thanks! In the beginning it says succesfully loaded but when I close the window it says this:
error: VLISP: internal: Document application(.VLX) not found
What can I do about this?
REPLY

ON 14/12/2013 AT 20:30

Mladen Gradev Says

Hi Stevie,
I can not reproduce this error in AutoCAD 2012, which I am using at the moment. But I have googled for this
problem, and I think it is related to your drawing. There was one suggestion, that if you recover your drawing with
AutoCAD Recover menu, then the error message disappears. You can try this to see if it works.
BTW, what version of AutoCAD are you using?
Regards.
REPLY

ON 14/12/2013 AT 20:54

some one Says

please explan the step number 11 (I couldnt find the directory acad.pat ?????
REPLY

ON 10/12/2013 AT 17:43

Mladen Gradev Says

Hi,

http://www.mladengradev.com/en/create-custom-hatches-in-autocad/[23.10.2015. 20:00:06]

Create custom hatches in AutoCAD | Mladen Gradev`s Blog

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. The path to acad.pat and command were broken, but now everything is
fixed.
Just type (findfile "acad.pat") in command line in AutoCAD and you will see the path to this file.
Regards.
Mladen
REPLY

ON 10/12/2013 AT 17:56

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