How can I exclude text from being covered by hatching?

[jrw_ssc]

I have a box with text in it. I wish to have hatching in the box, but not have it interfere with the text.

Can I make the text an object or a boundary where it will be recognized as an island and not be hatched over?

The attached file (NP-1a.dwg) has text in a box with hatching. I don't want the hatching over the lettering. Edited by: jrw_ssc on Mar 5, 2010 6:15 PM

I'm using AutoCAD-LT either 2006 or 2009.

[Anonymous]

>>>...I wish to have hatching in the box, but not have it interfere with the
>>>text....<<<

So just hatch it with the text in place.

--
Dean Saadallah
http://LTisACAD.blogspot.com
--

[jrw_ssc]

Dean,

I'm not sure that I follow your answer.

I should have given the whole story first.

I wish to have the hatch lines fill the box up to the edge of the lettering but not over top of it.

What I would do after that is to remove the lettering and have a hatched outline of the text.

I then intend to export the drawing (dxf format) into our nameplate engraving machine so I can have a "negative" image printed. The machine would cut out the box and the outline of the text rather than the text itself.

How might I accomplish this, please, if indeed it is even possible to do so?

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

DRAWORDER the text over the hatch: but that may be lost in the DXF
translation, you'll have to try it out.

Other than what I reposted of your block, there is no ability for AutoCAD to
do what you want unless you explode the text to AutoCAD entities first.

--
Dean Saadallah
http://LTisACAD.blogspot.com
--

[jrw_ssc]

Thank you, Dean.

The DRAWORDER command does indeed put the text on top of the hatch.
It makes the image look like what I want to accomplish, but it won't make the hatch lines actually stop at the edge of the lettering.

As for using EXPLODE to turn the text into an entity, that did not work.

You're right. Unfortunately, AutoCAD does not do what I'm seeking to accomplish.

Thank you for the ideas and help.

[Anonymous]

I would have thought exploding the text would work fine, if you exploded TTF
and not SHX and with the understanding they are no longer text.

--
Dean Saadallah
http://LTisACAD.blogspot.com
--

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

depending on the version of cad that you have, textmask may be an
option. the LT version of that is only available with mtext, not dtext.
Mask text with background and moving the text moves the mask with it.
You need to make sure that you use draworder to bring the text in front
of the hatching and it will have a whited out box to allow reading the
text. Make sure you hatch with the text hidden and that way the text
whiteout won't interfere with full coverage hatching.

On 3/5/2010 3:23 PM, jrw_ssc wrote:
> Thank you, Dean.
>
> The DRAWORDER command does indeed put the text on top of the hatch.
> It makes the image look like what I want to accomplish, but it won't make the hatch lines actually stop at the edge of the lettering.
>
> As for using EXPLODE to turn the text into an entity, that did not work.
>
> You're right. Unfortunately, AutoCAD does not do what I'm seeking to accomplish.
>
> Thank you for the ideas and help.

[Anonymous]

Just in case...

To explode text entities:
Use WMFOUT on the selected TTF font text, erase it and do a WMFIN using the
upper left point as insertion, scale factor of 2.0. Then explode that.

--
Dean Saadallah
http://LTisACAD.blogspot.com
--

[jrw_ssc]

Dean,

Perhaps I'm missing something. I tried the WMFOUT & WMFIN and exploded it.

I have this idea in my head that I need to be able to break the hatch lines at the edges of the lettering and erase the line segments that overlap the text. Whether the text is foreground or background, it doesn't matter, does it? That would give me the result I've been seeking.

If I drew the lettering as lines, arcs and circles, I could get the hatching to stop at the edges of the lettering and have "HATCH" treat the lettering as "islands". I'm not up to the rigors of that task!

Please don't feel obligated to spend any more time on this thing.

I really appreciate the time and suggestions you and jg have made on this!

Regards,

James

[jdouglas]

I'm having the same problem.  I used several different hatch patterns in my drawing.  The text was already there.  Some hatching leaves a space around the text and others don't. I'm no CAD brain so I can't have done anything very complicated to get that effect. I've looked at properties, tried deleting hatching and then hatching again.  Nothing changes.  How can I get a space around my text?  I'm using AutoCAD LT 2010.

[pendean]

There could be a chance your text is hovering above the 2D plane of your hatch: Z had a setting in LT just like X and Y.

Post a sample DWG of the issue if you can, or use Properties command after selecting the text and set Z to 0 (regardless of what Properties reports is the setting).

[jdouglas]

Dean,

I checked properties of text and Z is set at 0.  I admit to being a total failure at understanding how the various hatch choices work.  I managed to get the hatch on the right side to work after deleting the hatch and then hatching again. Not having any luck with the left side.  Appreciate any help!

Jill

[pendean]

Jill,  It appears your base building elements are not all on a flat Z=0 plane, so when you draw an outline snapped to corners I am also unable to create a hatch that does not cover the text.

If I draw just a box around the text it hatches just fine. I will try and see if full AutoCAD is able to flatten the file and repost.

[jdouglas]

Well, thank you very much for your time and effort!

[pendean]

I missed where you also had island detection in BHATCH command se to ignore catching anything, that seems to have fixed it (reset it back to NORMAL).

All I did with this file is use PROPERTIES to select all items and reset Z to 0 for each type  (typed it in, not just read it said 0 and left it).

[jdouglas]

Wow, I'm so close!  Ok, I noodled around with Properties and selecting ALL and that didn't seem right.  Then, I typed in Properties and selected each kind of hatch in my drawing.  I DID see where Island Detection was set to Normal, but there was only X and Y (set to 0), no Z at all.

So, when you state, "All I did with this file is use PROPERTIES to select all items and reset Z to 0 for each type  (typed it in, not just read it said 0 and left it).", can you walk me through that so I'll know how to find it next time?

[pendean]

Unlock all of your layers and thaw/on them all.

Select everything on screen.

Open PROPERTIES

At the top, sort by type, select each type of entity.

Most (not all) have a Z entry you can change, regardless of what it reports, select and type 0 (zero).

When done, SAVE your file.

[jdouglas]

I cannot thank you enough!!!

[robyantonyp]

I found that command anybody need contact me in this e-mail 

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[hwalker]

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