With the commands Hatches, Hatch , and Bhatch you can create a closed area filled with a hatch pattern. The available hatch patterns are defined in hatch pattern definition files (default CADS.PAT). Hatch pattern definition files are text files that you can edit with a text editor.
You can create new hatch patterns by writing their definitions in a hatch pattern definition file. Since hatch patterns are constructed of fairly complicated recurring line patterns, the syntax is provided upon request.
The system variable HPFILE contains the names of the files, from which program looks for hatch pattern definitions.
Program comes with a large number predefined hatch patterns. You can view these by opening the Hatch patterns icon menu.
Hatch pattern syntax
Hatch patterns are defined in a hatch pattern file (.pat).
An asterisk starts a new pattern definition, followed by the pattern name and an optional description.
* Pattern name [,description]
This is followed by one or more lines of pattern definitions, which define the shape and contents of the pattern.
angle – Line group angle relative to horizontal.
x-origin – Line start point x value relative to origin.
y-origin – Line start point y value relative to origin.
delta-x – Offset between two adjacent line groups. This property is significant only when using dashed lines.
delta-y – Offset between two adjacent line groups.
[line_segment-1,line_segment-2,...] – Dashed line length. This property is significant only when using dashed lines.
The hatch pattern file may also contain comment lines starting with ;