Hatch Styles Question

[SteveFrey]

Does anybody know how I can set default hatch styles by material type?  This article from the HELP section is a little unclear.  Do I first open the .IDW template and work from there or do I just open an existing .IDW, section a part and then save it to the library?  I've tried this both ways but I can't seem to save anything to the style library.  Also, when I'm in a .IDW and I double click the hatch I can select a color.  I don't see this in the option per the instruction in the article below.  Can someone help me on this?  Thanks.

http://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2014/ENU/?guid=GUID-F3136351-DA1F-4BC0-A851-63B4F3E03D4A

[jtylerbc]

First, your link is referring to creating custom hatch styles by importing the pattern file, which doesn't seem to be connected to your issue.  If that is somehow related to your question, then I may not be understanding exactly what you're asking for.

To set up default hatch patterns by material, start by opening up the template drawing.  Technically you can do this in any drawing and save it to the library - however, you'll have to update it back into your template file before you can use it anyway, so you might as well start there.

In the Styles and Standard Editor, at the top it lists your available Standards.  For the standard you are wanting to modify, click the tab that says "Material Hatch Pattern Defaults".  If there is a list of materials in the window, you can start picking hatch patterns from the drop-down list.  If not, use "From File" to import all the materials from a part file (probably your standard.ipt template), or "From Style Library" to pick up the standard material styles listed in the Inventor material library.  Either should populate the list and let you start setting your hatch patterns for each material.  When you're finished, click the Save button at the top of the dialog box, then Done to exit the Style & Standard Editor.

Now you should be ready to save the modified standard to the library.  Click the "Save to Style Library" button on the Manage tab.  It should list the modified standard and give you the option of setting it to Yes or No for saving to the library.

If it doesn't allow you to change this setting, you may be working with a project file that has the library set to Read Only.  Save and close your template, then click the Projects button.  For the project you are working in, right-click on the "Use Style Library" setting, and change it to "Read-Write".  Then open your template file and try saving to the library again.