What is a ʼHatchʼ in Rhino 2D views?
Short Answer
A hatch in Rhino 2D views is a filled pattern or solid area applied to closed planar curves to show materials, cut sections, or graphic emphasis in drawings. The standard professional method is the Hatch command in Top, Front, Right, or Layout detail views. It only works reliably with closed, coplanar boundaries.
What You Need to Know Before
Warning: Hatches often fail because boundary curves look closed visually but actually contain tiny gaps, overlaps, or non-coplanar segments. In section drawings, this commonly causes missing hatch regions or incorrect pattern placement after Make2D output cleanup.
How to Create a Hatch in Rhino 2D Views
Command: Hatch
Shortcut: Hatch
Quick Steps:
- In a 2d view or Layout Detail, select closed planar curves, then run Hatch from the Draw menu or type
Hatchin the command line. - In the Hatch options, choose a pattern such as Solid or a line pattern, then set Scale and Rotation as needed.
- Click to confirm the preview and place the hatch inside the selected boundary.
- In a 2d view or Layout Detail, select closed planar curves, then run Hatch from the Draw menu or type
Variables & Settings
Key Setting: Pattern Scale
Expert Setting: Pattern scale controls hatch density relative to model units. If the scale is too small, the hatch may look solid or cluttered; if too large, it may appear almost empty. Always match scale to the drawing output scale, especially in Layout details.
Why it Fails
- Cause 1 (Geometry): The boundary is not fully closed, is self-intersecting, or contains non-planar segments.
- Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The boundary curve is on a locked layer or referenced geometry cannot be edited as expected during cleanup.
- Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The selected curves form multiple ambiguous regions, or the hatch pattern scale is inappropriate for the current view and units.
Quick Fix & Best Practice
- Quick Fix: Run
SelOpenCrvto find open curves, then useJoinor fix gaps before running Hatch again. - Manager’s Verdict: Use hatches for sections, poche, and material graphics in Rhino drawings, but keep boundaries clean and pattern scales standardized across layouts for consistent plotted output.
FAQ
Can Rhino hatch open curves?
No, hatch boundaries must be closed and planar.
Can I edit a hatch after creating it?
Yes, you can change its pattern, scale, and rotation in Properties.
Is Solid hatch better for section cuts?
Yes, Solid hatch is often the clearest choice for clean architectural and fabrication sections.
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