Hatch pattern: linetype problem

[lancionm]

Years ago, I would create a USER hatch pattern with a square grid measuring 12"x12" overlaid on a floor plan, and print it. The plan (with grid) would help my client determine if his equipment would fit in a room.

I changed the hatch pattern's linetype to dotted (or dashed) for legibility.

When I do this with AutoCAD 2021, the outline of the hatch pattern (when I select it) shows as dotted (or dashed) but not the actual hatch pattern! It remains continuous!! What am I doing wrong? See attached image.

Even when I put the hatch on a layer with linetype dashed, the hatch still shows as continuous. How can I dash the USER hatch pattern?

Thanks in advance!

[Kent1Cooper · Accepted solution]

Set the HPLINETYPE System Variable to 1.

[lancionm]

Wow, thank you. That's so absurd. I'm surprised that this command was introduced, and that the legacy was made obsolete/not the default...

[Kent1Cooper]

---

@lancionm wrote:

.... I'm surprised that this command was introduced, and that the legacy was made obsolete/not the default...

---

It's been around since at least as far back as 2015 [as far back as I could find on-line Help using the same kind of web address], and Off/0 [that is, use continuous linetype regardless] was the initial/default value then and ever since.

[lancionm]

Fair enough; whether it was introduced in 2015 or later/earlier, I'm nonetheless surprised that this was introduced at all! Again, thank you for your help!!

[Kent1Cooper]

I found something that indicates it was introduced in 2015.  And they had a reason [emphasis mine]:

• To maintain performance for hatches with non-continuous hatch lines, choose a predefined hatch pattern rather than loading and setting a non-continuous linetype. Beginning with AutoCAD 2015-based products, the HPLINETYPE system variable suppresses the display of non-continuous linetypes in hatches by default.

Which suggests that if you do a lot of this, and in large areas, it might be worth making a pattern in which the "linetype" [dashes & gaps] is part of the pattern definition [easy enough to do].

defined as:

0, -1,0, 0,12, 2,-2
90, 0,-1, 0,12, 2,-2

That's for 12" square at a Hatch scale of 1 appropriate to your usage.  The origin is at an intersection.  Play with the details [starting offsets from the origin, relative dash and gap sizes] as you like.  Dots instead?

0, 0,0, 0,12, 0,-2
90, 0,0, 0,12, 0,-2