Custom Hatch Patterns

[norvelled]

Could someone please let me know how to get custom hatch patterns installed in the right location.

[ReMark]

You have a couple of choices. The custom patterns can be appended to your acad.pat file or you can create you own .pat file with all the patterns in it then include the path to this file is your Support File Search Path via Tools > Options > Files.

 

Now your next question might be, "Well, how do I find the acad.pat file." To do so type the following on your command exactly as it is shown then press the Enter key. AutoCAD will return the path to the exact location of the file.

 

(findfile"acad.pat")

 

The file can be edited using any ASCII text editor like Notepad.

[hugha]

You have a couple of choices.

 

1. The custom patterns can be appended to your acad.pat file

2. Create your own .pat files containing one pattern per file where the pattern name matches the filename, ie pattern "X" is in file X.PAT

Include the path to such files in your Support File Search Path

 

Option 1, the patterns are included in the Predefined collection,

Option 2, the patterns are included in the Custom collection.

 

The second option is to be preferred as the patterns remain in place after a reinstall.

[ReMark]

Re: Option 2. I have 100 new custom hatch patterns. You're suggestion is to create a separate .PAT file for each. Maybe I'm reading that wrong?

[hugha]

Re: Option 2. I have 100 new custom hatch patterns. You're suggestion is to create a separate .PAT file for each. Maybe I'm reading that wrong?

 

No, you're reading it right.

 

Unless something's changed the only .PAT files that can contain more than one pattern are the standard system files ACAD.PAT and ACADISO.PAT, ACLT.PAT and ACLTISO.PAT etc. which as you said can have further patterns added to. However all other custom patterns must be one pattern, one file as described in Point 2. here:

 

http://docs.autodesk.com/ACD/2014/ENU/

[Dana W]

If you do option 1 be mindful of the separation characters between each pattern.

[ReMark]

Unfortunately that link got me nowhere (a blank screen).

[eldon]

Unfortunately that link got me nowhere (a blank screen).

 

Perhaps you have to type in the search box

[ReMark]

I did. There seems to be a problem with my Help file. When it has happened I find an answer some other way.

 

Alright. Seems I am wrong re: creating a master custom .PAT file although somewhere in the past I thought it was possible as I vaguely remember going through the process of creating a slide library.

 

So I amend my advice and suggest the OP make a copy of the original acad.pat file (as a backup) and append any new hatch patterns to acad.pat just keeping in mind that as one migrates to the next release to bring forward the file for future use. Does that work for everyone?

Edited October 8, 2013 by ReMark

[hugha]

It would work. My aplologies for that unhelpful link to the 2014 help, ReMark. Here's an extract:

 

To Create a Simple Hatch Pattern

 

 

 

1. Open an existing PAT file or create a new file in a text editor that saves in ASCII format (for example, Notepad on Windows® or TextEdit on Mac OS®).
   
2. Create a header line that includes an asterisk and a pattern name. The name of the hatch pattern is limited to 31 characters. For example, *ANSI31
   Note If you are creating a new PAT file, the PAT file and pattern must have the same name.
    
   
3. (Optional) Include a description in the header line, follow the pattern name with a comma and description text. For example, *ANSI31, ANSI Iron, Brick, Stone masonry
   
4. Create a descriptor line that includes
   
   • An angle at which the line is drawn
     
   • An X,Y origin point
     
   • A delta-x of 0
     
   • A delta-y of any value
     

For example, 45, 0,0, 0,.125

[*]Add a blank line after the descriptor line.

Also note there's a utility to aid migration to a later version but I have no idea if it saves your bacon in a reinstall:

 

About Custom Linetypes and Hatch Patterns

 

 

Custom linetype and hatch pattern files are used to store new linetypes and hatch patterns that do not come with the AutoCAD-based product.

Linetype and hatch pattern files are ASCII text files with the file extensions .lin and .pat respectively. These files can be edited using a simple text editor such as NotePad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac OS.

NoteThe AutoCAD-based product loads the first acad.lin or acadiso.lin and acad.pat or acadiso.pat files that it finds in its support search paths, which are defined on the Files tab of the Options dialog box.

 

When transitioning to the latest release, linetype and hatch pattern files from a previous release can be copied to one of the support search paths in the latest release. If you added linetype or hatch pattern definitions to acad.lin or acadiso.lin and acad.pat or acadiso.pat in the previous release, use the Migrate Custom Settings utility to migrate the user-defined linetypes or hatch pattern definitions in the LIN and PAT files to those in the latest release or you can copy them directly between LIN and PAT files.

If you have custom linetype or hatch pattern definitions stored in other files, place those files in one of the support search paths already defined for the AutoCAD-based product or add the location of your LIN/PAT files to the Files tab of the Options dialog box to use them in the latest release.