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Hatch Patterns for VectorWorks
installation and use
Step 1: Install the “PAT import” plugin
Open the Help menu in Vectorworks.
Select Install Partner Products.
The window Install Partner Products will pop-up.
Click on Search bar and type “PAT IMPORT”.
Search for PAT Import and install the plugin into your Vectorworks workspace.
Click on the plugin “PAT import” and then Install.
After installing the plugin, Vectorworks need to be re-launched.
Step 2: Download the .PAT hatch file
Go to Stone Designer.
Click on the Stone Pattern thumbnail to choose the Stone Pattern.
Select your preferred stone pattern (ie. Veneer – Rounds Consistent Small – DP031, Veneer – Ledgestone – DP122, etc.).
You can see this Stone Designer interface on the web browser.
Click on the Save button.
Click the file format dropdown menu and select Vectorworks Hatch.
After selecting Vectorworks Hatch, the preview will display as a hatch pattern instead of a texture image, as shown in the image.
To achieve a cleaner and more readable hatch pattern in Vectorworks, the joint spacing must be adjusted before downloading the .PAT file.
Due to line limitations within the .PAT format, very small joints may generate overly dense or unclear hatch patterns. Increasing the joint spacing helps improve hatch clarity and overall performance inside Vectorworks.
Locate the Joints section in the Stone Designer and adjust the joint spacing as required (for example: 0.25″).
Click Download to generate the hatch pattern file.
Save the downloaded .PAT file to your preferred folder location.
Step 3: Load hatch into a Vectorworks project
To demonstrate, we are using a sample project to apply Hatch Pattern to the selected Terrace Floor.
Navigate to the Tools menu on the upper ribbon.
Click on Third-Party option.
Select the Option PAT import.
Click on Import Pat.
Select the .PAT file you previously downloaded.
Click Open to import the hatch pattern into your VectorWorks project file.
The hatch will be automatically on your resource manager (cmd+R on Mac | ctrl+R on PC), on the hatches section.
To apply the hatch on the surfaces, go to your Attributes Palette, click on Fill section and Select the Hatch option.
Select Stone Curators hatch you downloaded.
To modify the applied hatch pattern, click the three dots button in the hatch settings.
Adjust the Length value to increase or decrease the hatch scale as desired, then press Enter to apply the changes.
IMPORTANT NOTE: AutoCAD, Revit and Vectorworks downloads are in the standard .PAT hatch exchange format. These exchange files work perfectly for hatches comprised of straight sides. For stone patterns with rough edges, the exchange files may not be as perfect. You may see artifacts in the lines due to the limitations of the .PAT file format. These artifacts are most apparent when zoomed in on the hatch, and much less apparent at typical plan scales. In cases where .PAT files are not “good enough” ,consider using a .DXF, .SVG or .PNG hatch format.
Give our natural stone hatch patterns a try and let us know what you think.
