HOW TO load downloaded hatch pattern?

I've searched the web to do this and tried the method suggested. This was download the file. Copy & paste the notepad text from the download and paste in acad.pat & acadiso.pat. I also ensure that there was a blank line in between custom hatch & the following line.

Problem is, when I go to hatch in my drawing the custom pattern doesn't appear?

Anybody have any experience with this?

Doesn't appear in what way? Is the custom hatch pattern listed as one of the choices?

Try saving the file as it's own .PAT file (name the file the same as the pattern), make sure it's in the support file search path, and then try to load it as a "custom" type in the Hatch dialog.

More info here: http://dotsoft.com/acadhatch.htm (Scroll down about 1/2 way)

After i copy and paste code for custom hatch into acad.pat and attempt to save the file i get an access denied prompt

Leave acad.pat as is. Any changes you make to standard files such as ACAD.PAT will vanish when you reinstall or go to a new version.

Keep custom patterns separated in their own files in a separate, possibly shared, directory.

• Create a (possibly shared) directory to store your custom patterns.
  
• Add that directory to ACAD's Support File Search Path in Tools > Options.
  
• Store custom patterns in that directory, one pattern per file with internal pattern name matching the file name (i.e. pattern "X" in X.PAT).
  
• Choose the pattern to use via the Hatch Dialog's "Custom" tab.
  

hth

Hugh Adamson

www.hatchkit.com.au

I suggest following hugha's guide above but if you HAVE to put it into the ACAD.PAT, are you making sure you leave two empty lines after the code you enter? As this is also a requirement for it to show up. I found it easier to get custom hatch patterns to work as a seperate .PAT file. But remember that the name of the hatch in the .PAT file must match the name of the .PAT file itself.

I've attached an example of one of my hatch files. I could only attch it a .TXT file, but if you change the .TXT to .PAT and copy it to:

C:/Documents and settings/*user name*/Application Data/Autodesk/AutoCAD 2009 LT/R14/enu/support (where *user* is your username and obviously your version of CAD will differ to mine)

Then the hatch pattern should now show up in your hatch list in AutoCAD (may have to reset AutoCAD I find sometimes before it appears)

Hopefully this example pattern file will help you find any issues with your own!

However, I would still suggest following hugha's guide as to creating a new directory for these patterns.

Hope that helps.

Wood1.txt