Hatching - Beginners Problems [SOLVED]

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Guitarman
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Hatching - Beginners Problems [SOLVED]

Post by Guitarman » Sun Dec 29, 2019 8:17 pm

Overlay Church.dxf
Church Section & Hatching
(231.17 KiB) Downloaded 822 times
<r>Hello<br/>
<br/>
Hoping someone can assist. I'm using QCAD Professional 3.24 on a Windows 10 i7 desktop machine.<br/>
<br/>
My background is in building construction, mainly measuring from drawings using specialist software to provide estimates. I have recently been asked to cost a historic building where no drawings are available. I produced some outline drawings using some free 3D software, but it was limited in its ability to produce accurate scaled 2D drawings which I require to import into my measuring software.<br/>
<br/>
After doing some research I took the plunge and purchased QCAD and Andrew's guide to CAD. I'm really pleased with the software and it's my intention to work through the book over the next few weeks and months.<br/>
<br/>
What is the correct approach to not having a block hatched in? For example brick hatching on an elevation with various library blocks inserted for door openings or windows. I've sort of managed it by drawing a perimeter around the block, dragging the block off the elevation then hatching with the boundary isolated as an island then dragging the block back in. Is there an easier way?<br/>
<br/>
Can hatching follow its enclosed boundary, so if I re-size a square which has been hatched in it still fills the area?<br/>
<br/>
Transparency - I can see through one hatch to the next, is this normal or have I done something wrong?<br/>
<br/>
Selecting a line drawn over the top of other lines that I may have used to create closed perimeters to form hatched areas. I struggle to "grab" these for editing, is there a recommended way to approach this?<br/>
<br/>
Whilst playing with hatching I've noticed that you can create hatching independently within a closed boundary, then move it to an area that may not comply. For example a large square sharing a line with a smaller square that would give a not closed area. Are there any issues with using this method?<br/>
<br/>
I've attached a drawing which highlights some of my queries.<br/>
<br/>
Best regards<br/>
<br/>
Guitarman<br/>
<E>:)</E></r>
Last edited by Guitarman on Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

CVH
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by CVH » Sun Dec 29, 2019 10:44 pm

Hi,
strage formatting your post have (yodi says)

Hatches tend to get in the way.
Because they 'cover' their boundary.
Because they are drawn later, last.

Selecting things on the same spot:
try Alt & click to select.

good practice:
Add a layer 'Hatch Boundaries'
Add a layer 'Hatches'
Pritty handy you can turn them off in one go.
Or you could set layer snappable to not.
Send your hatches to the back (MB).

Boundaries inside boundaries are holes.
Select both before hatching.
Polys as boudaries work handy.

Hatches are simple lines and dots.
2 patterns over each other will show both.
Restrict with boundaries.

One can alter the hatch itself by moving the hatch vertexes.
Not the boundaries, that are intermediates.
One can trash boundaries.

Cheers,
CVH

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Clive
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by Clive » Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:45 pm

Hi Guitarman,

Please see attached revision, is this want you want?
Overlay Church - rev 01.dxf
(191.64 KiB) Downloaded 2252 times
1.jpg
1.jpg (92.92 KiB) Viewed 14550 times


Many thanks

Clive
For the best support please state your operating system, QCAD version and add any supporting DXF/DWG files, screenshots etc...

Guitarman
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by Guitarman » Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:37 am

Hello

Many thanks for the very fast response to my queries and sorry about the formatting.

I assume it was because I pasted from MS Word, should probably have used plain text.

CVH there are some really good points that I probably need to take on board in terms of planning my projects out.If I get stuck which is highly likely I might need further guidance.

Clive many thanks for the revised drawing, yes the changes to the chimney are what I was looking for. I see you've added two additional layers in a black hatch and a chimney and then deleted the actual perimeter lines to the chimney.

I'll try and replicate these steps on my original, the main issue I'm struggling with is putting the block windows and doors on the elevations, but I'll try using levels as suggested by CVH.

Once again, many thanks for your help.

Best regards

Guitarman (Chris) :)

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Husky
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by Husky » Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:40 am

Hi,

Many roads lead to Rome ... :wink:

Just concentrated on the chimney: I would avoid to work with multiple hatches for the same area which are then controlled by "Bring to Front" or "Send to Back" hierarchy tools. Yes, it is possible in QCAD but is in my opinion always a less-than-ideal solution for a 2D CAD program.

If you select the proper perimeter for each hatch then there is no need to stack hatches. I used your example church to show what I mean - check just the chimney / roof area:

Husky-2019.12.29-02.png
Husky-2019.12.29-02.png (50.73 KiB) Viewed 14530 times
Overlay Church_mod.dxf
(184.9 KiB) Downloaded 808 times
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If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

CVH
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by CVH » Mon Dec 30, 2019 7:20 am

Guitarman wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:37 am
I'll try and replicate these steps on my original, the main issue I'm struggling with is putting the block windows and doors on the elevations, but I'll try using levels as suggested by CVH.
There is no layer on top of layer thing in CAD.
There is an entity drawing order.

Levels won't help you with that.
They are not 'stacked'.
Here its simply intended as a collection place for hatches.
Like a layer for construction lines or one with all text and so on.
With one click they are gone, with another they are back.
Pritty less enoying.

To make a hole in a hatch you have to select and an outer boundary, and a hole boundary.
One hatch may span many different boundaries as far as reasonable.

Cheers,
CVH

Guitarman
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by Guitarman » Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:27 pm

Hello All

Once again many thanks for all the suggestions from everyone and Husky thanks for the alternative chimney hatching.

I can see exactly where I needed to adjust the roof to make a simple hatch work on the chimney, nothing behind it, so nothing to see :)

Taking on board everyone comments I think I've now grasped how to insert windows and doors and successfully and hatch in a quick and concise way.

I've drawn a very simple elevation which I've attached, I'd be grateful if someone could confirm my logic is correct.

Best regards

Guitarman (Chris) :)
Attachments
Hatched Wall Elevation & Blocks.dxf
Hatching & Blocks Method
(112.47 KiB) Downloaded 780 times

CVH
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by CVH » Mon Dec 30, 2019 2:13 pm

That looks better, indeed.

Remember to set the 'Hatch' layer to active before starting to hatch.

Now your Hatch is on the Bondary layer.

You could also include a clone of your outer boundary in that layer.

The few lines more doesn't hurt and redo the hatch from scratch is much easier.

Regards,
CVH

TSG
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by TSG » Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:09 pm

To include a copy of the boundary is not necessary. If you explode the hatch the boundary is created automatically.

Cheers
TSG
Ich will nicht streiten. Ich will nur deutlich machen, dass ich Recht habe und DU NICHT.

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Husky
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by Husky » Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:30 pm

Guitarman wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 12:27 pm
I've drawn a very simple elevation which I've attached, I'd be grateful if someone could confirm my logic is correct.
You get closer and closer to this "2D CAD thing" .... :lol: :lol: :lol:

I changed the drawing to "my way" of CAD drawing organization. That doesn't means that is the only correct way but it suits pretty good my workflow ... :wink:

Just compare it with your example drawing - maybe the one or the other change can help you with future drawing organization ... e_surprised

Hatched Wall Elevation & Blocks_mod.dxf
(112.3 KiB) Downloaded 800 times
Work smart, not hard: QCad Pro
Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

CVH
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by CVH » Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:23 pm

TSG wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:09 pm
To include a copy of the boundary is not necessary. If you explode the hatch the boundary is created automatically.
Cheers
TSG
Explosion of a hatch has two outcomes.
See explode.js
https://github.com/qcad/qcad/blob/maste ... Explode.js
Starting with line 295
// explode hatch into lines / solid fill into boundary:
If entity.isSolid >> boundary
if not >> hatch pattern

Regards,
CVH

TSG
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by TSG » Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:55 am

...
Change hatch pattern to solid
explode -> boundary

Cheers
TSG
Ich will nicht streiten. Ich will nur deutlich machen, dass ich Recht habe und DU NICHT.

CVH
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems

Post by CVH » Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:14 am

...
Serves?

We were summing ideas on how to manage hatches.

Having all the boundaries apart serves to re-do them without going through the trouble in selecting the old boundary again.
If the master layout changed a bit, one can parse these changes to the boundary layer and re-hatch with a few clicks.

... and then again ...

Ofcouse you could select the hatch, set to solid fill, explode, adapt, reselect segments, re-hatch.
Method noted.

Cheers,
CVH

Guitarman
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Re: Hatching - Beginners Problems [SOLVED]

Post by Guitarman » Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:21 pm

Hello All

Once again many thanks for everyone's suggestions and an extra mention for those who have attached amended versions to my drawing. You've certainly given me a number of options and suggestions as to best practice going forward and I can now attempt to complete my project.

I will no doubt have many more issues as I did deeper into both QCAD and the wonderful world of technical CAD drawings.

I'll mark my query closed

All the best for 2020

guitarman (Chris)

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