Hatch Pattern is not displaying correctly in notepad

[jeremiah]

Hello,

Recently I had to update my computer which meant reloading all my programs along with Autocad Architecture.  When doing so I also reinstalled my hatch patterns from a 3rd party account I've used before.  I downloaded the .pat files and saved them into a file.  When I went to load them into my default file associated with where autocad looks I didn't see them showing up in the hatch command. Yes, I exited autocad and started it again.   After looking back into the file I decided to open the .pat file via notepad and found the code was all crazy like.  It looked like a mixture of languages and code .(see pic).  Is there something I'm missing? 

Any help is great

Thanks,

Jeremiah

[pendean]

3rd party hatches too? Did you get a chance to ask the source for guidance/help?
Your screenshot shows a source file from Corel, not an AutoCAD hatch pattern file.

[jeremiah]

I did contact them but they lady didn't have any idea.  I only question it now because it's the exact spot where I got the hatches from a couple years ago. And I've used them in so many drawings that I need the hatch patterns to work in the drawings. I guess I'm a little confused because the web file says AutoCAD hatch patterns.  Is there a way to convert or use?

[dbroad]

@pendean is correct.  Your image wasn't that of an AutoCAD pat file.  AutoCAD pat files are plain text files. There are no special characters. The word corel is built into that image text.  Download it from somewhere else.

[pendean]

find and open your ACAD.PAT file: that is what a PAT file looks like, very readable and concisely laid out.

Whatever you downloaded the source need to do the conversions for you: if you and them cannot figure it out between you, share a link here for someone here to go look.

[SirKorvak]

What is the web site you are getting them from? Maybe someone can take a look at what they supply & help you out that way.

[hugha]

A bit of a long shot but the first two bytes "PK" indicate your file may well be a compressed .zip or MSOffice file.

Try renaming it with a .zip, . docx or .xslx  extension  and attempt to open the result with PKzip, Word or Excel ...

.

[jeremiah]

http://www.centurionstone.com/architects-and-designers/cad-drawings

I clicked on "download hatch patterns zip".  

The files do come in as a zip file but after extracting them they become .pat files.  thanks

[SirKorvak]

When I downloaded the same ZIP I had the same problem. But then I downloaded the DWG & DXF ZIPs. The "Hatch Patterns" found in those are using splines. As far as I know you can't use a spline in a hatch pattern. Someone can correct me if I am wrong. I then would suspect that they need to be used with the Superhatch command, not as normal hatches. Hope this helps.

[hugha]

That site makes no claim that the DWG or DXF files they provide contain hatch patterns.

The zipped pattern collection appears to be a collection of compressed files, each containing a directory of related files, none  of which appear to be a recognisable text-based AutoCAD .PAT file format. This is at odds with the instructions.

Perhaps call the telephone number mentioned on this page?

[dbroad]

The downloads on that page are compressed Corel hatch patterns. If you download and extract the one marked "Download Hatch Patterns (Zip)", then each of the pattern files is also compressed. Extracting those files leads to a package of folders that are named color, content, meta-inf, previews, styles, and mimetype.

Click instead on the link marked, "Hatch Patterns Instruction Page".  Then download the link clearly marked "Download AutoCAD Hatch Patterns" on that page.  Extract that file and you'll have what you need, per the instructions on that page.

[pendean]

Those people have no idea what they are posting at all. The PAT files are actually XML (ZIP) files, simply rename the extension and see for yourself. There is no AutoCAD content at all.

Not sure what CAD programs use XML for hatch patterns, but it's not AutoCAD.

If you want to use their hatches you will need to use their DWG or DXF files to manually place and manually edit: you might get away with using those DXF/DWG with SUPERHATCH command if you remembered to install Express Tools.

Good luck.