topic Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac? in AutoCAD LT Forum

.pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

tiffanyLS4HN — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 18:08:43 GMT

I received a hatch pattern file from a colleague for a project, but when I load it into my hatch library, I get error messages saying "Invalid pattern selected" - Error in pattern file...and it asks me what I would like to do with this pattern? Reveal in finder or Cancel.

I am not sure what system the person who created and sent it is running, but this error makes me wonder if it is a compatibility issue between 2 different systems, or 2 different versions. I am running AutoCAD LT 2015.

Are hatch patterns interchangeable between different systems and/or versions?

Any idea as to what could be the issue?

I tried to attach the pattern file to this post to be reviewed and I get another error message from the forum saying:

The attachment's 1wood.pat content type (application/octet-stream) does not match its file extension and has been removed.

The file has a .pat extension, so I don't know what the issue is with even posting it.

HELP! 🙂 TYIA

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

rkmcswain — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 18:11:32 GMT

There are no issues that I am aware of.

ZIP up the file before posting it.

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

tiffanyLS4HN — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 18:14:55 GMT

Ah. Didnt know it needed zipping...thanks!

and thanks for the quick response 🙂 here is the zipped file...

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

rkmcswain — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 18:28:26 GMT

Try this one, see attached. The name of the solo pattern must match the name of the .pat file.

It works here now.

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

tiffanyLS4HN — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 21:57:37 GMT

Thanks for that @rkmcswain!

I am not sure what wonkiness I have going on...I was a pc user for years and am now getting my sea legs on a Mac and sometimes run into simple things that just get me stuck...

Your posted file works for me too. I did get mine to work, sort of, but the scale of it was all out of wack, like x500. I have issues just accepting that things work - I'm that "but, why?" user. 🙂

Did you just edit the file name in the first line of text in a text editor for the file you posted?

or did you do something else? (teach a man to fish style...)

thank you again.

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

hugha — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 04:26:47 GMT

That very bloated pattern contains much redundancy taking what can be shown with 84 elements out to 2526 resulting in slower hatching within a larger DWG.

HatchKit can analyse and remove redundancy from such over-specified patterns - as attached.

hth,

Hugh Adamson

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

rkmcswain — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 11:36:08 GMT

Hi @tiffanyLS4HN - Yes, I just edited it in Notepad, changing the name of the pattern, and adding the comma in between the name and the description.

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

tiffanyLS4HN — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 17:49:34 GMT

Thank you both for all the input.

I was still lost in confusion for a minute there, as your file, @rkmcswain would load and work just fine, yet the simplified file from @hugha would not load either...

After some back and forth, trial and error, I have concluded that for Mac users, FYI, it is imperative that the file name in the syntax MUST be followed by the comma and description. Excluding the comma and description causes the file to error.

Adding ,description to @hugha 's file fixed it. I super appreciate the simplified version, after the excess was cleaned out. I didn't know some excessive back end coding was bogging down files. I have a few other hatches that I avoid using because they bog the system down and cause crashes, so I will run them through a cleaner sometime.

Thank you both for broadening my understanding.

cheers!

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

hugha — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 02:23:51 GMT

@tiffanyLS4HN wrote:

... After some back and forth, trial and error, I have concluded that for Mac users, FYI, it is imperative that the file name in the syntax MUST be followed by the comma and description. Excluding the comma and description causes the file to error.

Very, very interesting.

Will a comma alone following the pattern name ie:

*NAME,

with a blank description allow the pattern to load?

thank you,

Hugh

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

tiffanyLS4HN — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 17:10:08 GMT

@hugha - I went back this morning for some more testing and have learned, no, it doesn't require the description, just the comma after all.

But, I have also discovered, it will also error our with the header of the file creator info on it, in this case, the Hatch Kit credentials. Leaving that in the file causes errors. Removing the header and adding the comma after the file name fixes it. Picky, picky... 🙂

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

hugha — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 04:42:51 GMT

Thank you for your valuable research.

>Removing the header and adding the comma after the file name fixes it.

The problem could be caused by a blank line lying between the header and pattern definition so I am eager to learn whether the uploaded pattern 1wood-3 (without that blank line) works for you.

BTW the pattern works fine in Windows ACAD with or without a blank line so you may well say macLT is picky.

😶

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

tiffanyLS4HN — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 16:16:06 GMT

Ah...yes.

This file works, so I'd say your soothing is on point!

Header irrelevant. Description irrelevant.

No blank lines and plus comma after the file name are the keys to the kingdom.

Many thanks!

Re: .pat files compatibility with Windows and Mac?

hugha — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 03:39:18 GMT

>No blank lines and plus comma after the file name are the keys to the kingdom.

Many thanks to you as well. Very, very useful !!