Fill Any Graphic With Repeating Vector Hatch Pattern

Vector Hatch is one of 4 methods provided for filling a graphic. These patterns are constructed with repeating patterns of lines and dashed lines that are clipped to the interior of a graphic. They may be combined with a solid color or multi-color gradient. Since they are constructed as vectors they are easier to design than a pixel-pattern and the output will always be perfect quality.

DXF Compatibility

Vector Hatches are commonly found in CAD technical drawings. DXF is the graphic exchange format for CAD drawings. The DXF format specification supports this powerful, compact notational concept of a Vector Hatch. EazyDraw's import and export for DXF fully supports this graphic fill technique.

ANSI and ISO Standards

Standards societies have developed definition Hatches for various materials and CAD usage. EazyDraw provides ready made Hatches for the most common of these standards, this allows your EazyDraw drawings to properly conform to conventions and standards that might be required. Notice the Cork, and the gravel hatches shown in the example above, both are ISO standard representations.

Create Your Own Hatches

Vector Hatches are actually easy to design since they are built from simple repeating lines, solid or dashed. EazyDraw's powerful parameter palettes are perfect for this task. At one level global parameters allow convenient adjusting of built-in hatches, or use the other tabs on the panel to start from scratch and create the perfect design for your project.

Overlay

Combine the hatch pattern with any other fill, solid or gradient. Enhance designs with shading and other informative drawing techniques.

Full Configuration

The hatch definitions are derived from simple repetition of solid and dashed lines. Interesting patterns emerge when this is combined with dash patterns. You have precise control of the phase (cyclical starting point) of each dashed line, there can be lines in the repetition each with a defined user established starting phase. Each line in the repetition can have a different color, transparency, or line weight.

Open Standard

The EazyDraw implementation follows accepted CAD (Computer Aided Design) standards for specifying vector hatches. If a needed hatch is documented by an agency or design community, you will be able to input the offset, dash, and angles via the Hatch palette (metric or imperial of course).