Is there any way I can have full control over hatch patterns in section view?

[gontarz]

Hi all, Im pulling my hair out over this. Im open to the most obscure workarounds or dynamo solutions here.

 

I want to make hatch patterns like in the section above. Lets just take the structure - CMU Block first. Ive managed to use a parts filter to get a custom hatch on just the structure and made a custom hatch pattern for it - great, it applied project-wide for my building section template. Not so great - its still just a drafting hatch and I cannot align it properly horizontally or vertically.

The same problem will happen when I do the brick and insulation hatch. Is the only solution to cover it with a 2D area with a model hatch? I have many sheets of this kind of view so that would be kind of a ridiculous solution for such a simple problem.

Thanks in advance.

[ToanDN]

Do you mean the diagonal hatch or the CMU course lines?

[gontarz]

I mean the horizontal and vertical lines. So that the grout lines line up with the lines of the block seen in elevation beyond, for example. I understand that the main application of hatches in section is to add a generic material pattern that wouldnt need adjustment, but I feel like what Im trying to do is common enough in the industry.

Another way this will fail is when I add a standard rigid insulation pattern. They will surely place the lines randomly, and you wont get equal lines on the left and right sides of the insulation.

[syman2000]

I would use wall sweep to mimic the grout cut in the section.

When you change the wall offset, the grout will move with the wall.

[gontarz]

Thanks Syman, this is a creative way to tackle this! It may have to do for now. Unfortunately having it as 3D geometry comes with its own set of problems. It does encumber the file quite a bit with all this new geometry, and Im having grout lines sticking out in the ends of the walls as below - most of this can be solved with some reshuffling of wall joins. Also, I cant really hide the sweeps in less detailed building sections where I wouldnt want to see them (because hiding sweep by filter would still show the negative space between the blocks as two lines). And I also had to move the sweep slightly away from the face of the wall so it wouldnt show on the face or split the wall into parts (unchecking "cuts wall" would mess up the line weight), but it still looks pretty good.

If anyone has any more ways to go about this, please let me know!

[syman2000]

I would offset the profile 1/16" or 1.5mm away from the edge of the wall so the sweep will always hide behind the wall.

[gontarz]

Yes, I did exactly that. But I dont think there is a way to stop the sweep before the end of the wall? So it will always be showing at an end piece or a messy intersection where I cant perfectly miter the wall.

Well, the cost/benefit seems pretty close, when compared to just drawing hatches manually and praying I catch if anything gets moved - still a neat workaround.

[syman2000]

One workaround for the end piece of wall is to use architectural column. Once you have the wall touch the column, it will auto join and the sweep profile will hide behind the architectural column.

[ToanDN]

I use Repeating Detail Component ot Line Based Detail Component.