Restricting square hatch to only hatch complete squares when filling circle

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I use the hatch (squares) features to fill a 2D circle with squares. I later explode the hatch and use regions -> subtract to get the final shape that I need. Around the boundaries of the circle, the hatch will make incomplete squares because it is restricted by the circular geometry. Is there a way to prevent the incomplete squares from being hatched in the first place?

After exploding I can go in and delete these lines but I have thousands of squares and this is very time consuming.

Thanks!

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous

Welcome to the Community!

I am trying to understand both your process and your desired outcome. Is it possible to attach a sample file and also a couple screen shots or a Screencast video that better displays your process?

If I am guessing properly, you might create a square and then inscribe the circle inside the square. Then turn off the circle and apply the hatch. This should get you full squares.

I am happy to help you find a solution for your workflow.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post fully solves your issue or answers your question.

[wgoenen]

I might consider making a block with joined polyline squares that encompass the entire circle.  Then explode the block and erase the objects you don't want with a fence selection around the circle.  Be sure to turn off running osnaps.  Any squares that hang over will be selected in their entirety and removed.  You may have to go select a few that you miss with the fence, but they can be removed with a single selection instead of having to remove 4 lines separately.  Still may be a bit time consuming though.  The best idea I can come up with.  Hope it helps.

[Kent1Cooper]

If this is what you mean:

[I made the parts I think you don't want on the left yellow, and wiped them out on the right, but they were part of the original Hatch pattern], then I don't know of a way to do that.

Maybe a way could be found to have a Polyline perimeter drawn that would step around the Circle following the "path" of the empty spaces between the squares, and to Hatch that, but it seems very complicated, since the nature of it would differ with every differences in Circle radius and/or Hatch scale.  Also, assuming you want the squares to lie symmetrically in the Circles, the origin for the Hatch would presumably have to be calculated separately for every Circle, based on the Hatch scale, since the origin of that pattern is at the lower left corner of one of the squares, not [as I think would be more convenient] in the middle of one [or in the middle of the space between four of them].

EDIT:  But here's a thought....  If you Explode such a Hatch pattern, then use PEDIT with the Multiple option and Join, and select all the results of Exploding, the complete squares will all turn into closed Polylines.  The partial ones would also become Polylines, but open ones.  A routine could quite easily be made that would delete all Polylines that are not closed from a selection.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your suggestion @wgoenen, I tried something similar...

I made an array of the squares larger than my desired circle size and exploded the array. Then I create a circle and used OSNAPS to center it on one of the squares, in a position where it would be surrounding all the squares. Then, by selecting using Lasso I was able to trace around the circle and only items that were fully encompassed by the lasso were selected. I then also selected the circle and moved all of the objects out together. From here I can use region and subtract as I typically do.

The only problem is selecting the entire circle with lasso can be difficult with dragging the mouse, and even harder for larger circles. (See screenshots, I missed one square from my shaky hands) 

You had suggested using fence, is there a way to select the fence to follow the circle's geometry? Or another selection tool that could do this? 

EDIT: I tried it with fence and that's probably easier than window in that it is easier to go back and delete incomplete squares than having to add squares to match the array. 

[Anonymous]

@Kent1Cooper Sounds promising! I just recently started using AutoCAD so I have not made routines before. I'll look into it though and try it out this week.

Thanks!

[john.vellek]

HI viz272,

I am checking back to see if my post or others helped you with your problem.
Please add a post with your results so other Forum users can benefit.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if a post or posts fully solved your issue or answered your question.