How to create custom hatch patterns?

[Anonymous]

Autodesk has utilized hatch patterns for 30 years or more and not once have they offered a way to graphically create your own.  Seems like a foundational part of the tools that requires a third party app or resorting to archaic comma deliminated text files.  Why haven't you developed this as part of the software?

[Anonymous]

Yep, we need an easy way to create custom hatches in Revit. Editing a text file and importing some ancient standard is real pain point.

[Lance.Coffey]

One option that allows you to draw your hatch pattern without a third party app (although a third party LSP routine in AutoCAD is involved) is described in this Revit Clinic post:

Custom Fill Pattern anyone?

As the post is rather old, I did test this with AutoCAD 2016 and Revit 2016, and it still works. If you are not familiar with AutoCAD, make sure to read the comments which include more step by step instructions.

To submit feedback requesting the option to edit the patterns directly within Revit, use the following link:

Product Feedback

Note: The current implementation of Fill Patterns within Revit allows you to leverage existing AutoCAD Hatch Patterns.

Related Links I found when researching online:

Convert AutoCAD PAT file to Revit (search results for Autodesk forum)

Converting ACAD Hatch Patterns into Revit Hatch Patterns (The BIM Jedi link)

[Anonymous]

Lance, 

Those are good workarounds, but from past experience, they create hatch patterns that slow down navigating views significantly - not just a little stutter, but stop and redraw every time you pan around type of slow.

Haven't tried them ye in more recent versions of Revit, but native support for good hatches should be on the to-do list.

Thanks,

Angelo

[Anonymous]

Lance, Thank you.   However, many firms do not have user level permissions on their computers so to get custom software installed(even lsp routines) can be a chore.  I don't find it acceptable to require a 3rd party app to accomplish something that is foundational to the program.  

[Lance.Coffey]

@Anonymous The issue of performance is interesting. It sounds like there is a possibility that the automated processing of the drawn geometry is leading to an inefficient fill pattern (which is then leading to higher resource utilization to represent this fill pattern).

If you find that this performance issue continues in the latest versions of the software (Revit/AutoCAD) to better understand how the built in pattern differs from the new custom one, you could open both up in a text editor and compare the definitions.

@Anonymous Would you expect that all of the Revit users would be generating their own fill patterns, or would this be restricted to a smaller group (incorporating the fill patterns into your template files)?

[BDMackey]

I am in agreement with Scott. In my experiences most users of an interior team would need this capability, however not all of the architectural interns would. Having to purchase a 3rd party app that now has to be maintained as well deployed etc is a pain.

The way it stands now alot of users draw detail lines which end up getting lost in the design change

[Anonymous]

If given a tool to easily create their own they would. We would have standard patterns for most things as we do now. But the need really arises for specialty finishes to have customizable surface patterns. I.e. Custom tile patterns with accents, marbles, rain screen patterns, decorative glazing, site hard scrapes. The uses are vast.

Scott Brown, AIA

[Revitalizer]

Hi Lance,

I've written a Revit addin which converts DetailCurves into FillPatterns, so I'm deep in the topic.

But as mentioned above, the format is very old and has its limitations, per definitionem.

Each attempt to convert something into a pattern means losing information since not everything can be expressed in that Morse code line definitions.

So what about a new format, allowing abitrary geometry, multi colors, multi layers, curved elements, circles, gradients etc. ?

Revitalizer

[Lance.Coffey]

Another approach would be to switch to the Realistic Visual Style, and then you can control the appearence of elements using the Material (Appearance tab -> tiled image).

You would need to utilize a third party application to edit/create the image to be tiled, but you wouldn't have the same limitations of color or curve.

Note: While you may see slower performance when using the Realistic Visual Style, I would imagine that "allowing abitrary geometry, multi colors, multi layers, curved elements, circles, gradients, etc." could also lead to slower performance (especially for larger filled areas).

[Anonymous]

Yes, sure, you can create a MATERIAL to use as a PATTERN file, but that is yet another workaround for this problem. the .PAT file system is nearly 30 years old now, and I completely agree with Revitalizer above. We need a new pattern FORMAT that supercedes all of this old binary text file system and can more accurately give us fill patterns that extend the use of Revit rather than limit it. 

[petermolloyjnr]

https://youtu.be/2brQiewAh4c

Hi All, 

I run through this on a tutorial on my YouTube channel. Hope it helps.

Peter