Working with Hatches, Gradients, and Tool Palettes - AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011: No Experience Required - page 555

CHAPtER 11
Working with
Hatches, Gradients,
and tool Palettes
Hatches can be abstract patterns of lines, they can be solid ills , or they
can resemble the surfaces of various building materials. With a nearly endless
number of combinations, hatches are incredibly versatile, and they provide
a way to introduce depth and texture into otherwise flat plans. One way this
is achieved is through the use of gradients, visual features that shift from
one solid color to another over a specified distance. To give the appearance of
texture to a drawing, an AutoCAD user can hatch in areas or fill them in with
a solid color or gradient. Solid fills in a drawing can provide a shaded effect
by screening a hatch using the new hatch transparency property. Also new
in AutoCAD 2011 is the ability to combine a pattern hatch with a solid fill, or
background color as the software calls it, into a single hatch object.
In an architectural floor plan, the inner sides of full-height walls are often
hatched or filled to distinguish them from low walls in the foreground. Wood
or tile floors can be hatched to a parquet or tile pattern. In a site plan, hatches
are frequently used to distinguish between different surface treatments such
as asphalt and gravel, or even to represent the location of protected wetland
areas. When you're working with elevations, you can hatch almost any sur-
face to show shading and shadows. Realistic hatch patterns can illustrate the
surfaces of concrete, stucco, or shingles. Hatches and fills are widely used
in mechanical, landscaping, civil, structural, and architectural details as a
tool to aid in clear communication. Make sure your hatch patterns add to
the readability of your drawings and do not hinder it by making the drawings
appear cluttered.
To learn how to hatch and fill areas, you'll start with some of the visible
surfaces in the south elevation of the cabin. You'll then move to the floor plan,
hatch the floors, and put hatch patterns and fills in the walls and a gradient on
the balcony. You'll use the Hatch And Gradient dialog box for all hatches and
gradients. It's a tool with many options that you can use to create a sense of
depth or texture in your drawings.