Vector hatches in LO
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Hi all,
As I understand it, some folks would prefer vector hatches in Layout. I don't now use hatching very often but I have been experimenting with a way to do it. Of course I realise that my version of hatching will exist only in Layout & will not be 'Smart' in any way. I apologise if this has been thought of/discussed before.
Essentially, I create a single hatch in a SU file, insert into a Scrapbook & then simply drag-n-drop into the Layout workspace. For instance, a line of batting (insulation) is drawn at full size in SU. The array length should be made long enough to fill the expected space (in LO), at the expected scale. A cross hatch should, of course, be arrayed in both the X & Y directions and again long enough in two directions to fill the expected space in Layout.
Once in Layout the hatch can be manipulated in any way that an inserted SU file can be because it is just another Viewport. In this way rectangular areas can be filled quite easily & quickly. More complex shapes can be filled by tracing round the shape perimeter and using the trace to produce a Clipping Mask from the hatch. More awkward are shapes with an 'island' or hole but with experimentation it is sometimes possible to produce a trace that is joined throughout, including the hole. Once the clipping mask is applied the trace stroke can be turned off in the Format tab leaving just the hatch. A simple filled shape would work as well.
I attach a Layout file (LO 2015) and a PDF of the same. This will, I hope, go some way to illustrating what I have come up with.
Layout file with sample hatching
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Hmmm, If I'm understanding what you are saying you are using a SU file reproduced in Layout as vector and so to utilise the "clipping mask" option! If I'm understanding correctly, you get 10 out of 10 for being a genius!!!!
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Good work! I believe there are hatch plugins that can make the sketchup hatch to start with.
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Thank you Richard & pbacot,
The SU hatch file can be used as it is, straight from a Scrapbook (or wherever it is saved) with adjustments to scale, line weight & visibility/style of viewport edge; and then, using the grips, fitted to where it is needed. The Clipping Mask comes in when the shape to be filled is other than a rectangle. Each hatch can be copied within the Layout and re-used at a different scale etc.
I will check out the plugin.
All the best
Brian
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Ok then yep 10 out of 10!!!! You are a modern day hero!
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Hello All
I re-visited this thread recently and would like to share what I have been doing in relation to hatches in Layout. This is very much experimentation but it may be of use to someone.
Start in Photoshop with a new file. After a few tries with different size layers in Photoshop I went with a 1400px by 1400px transparent base layer and drew lines to form the hatching using the Path tools. These I believe are vector elements. I had an idea that if, instead of drawing the hatch lines themselves, I could fill the negative spaces with wide lines and leave the hatch lines as transparent spaces. The image is saved as a PNG. I formed just two (hatch) lines in the image as this was near the maximum that the Path line tool can cover (1000px max width of Path line). I'm no expert in Photoshop (or SU/Layout for that matter) so my explanation is probably lacking in detail. However, it does seem to me that the Path tools give a better/crisper line result even when zoomed.
In Layout, the PNG can be loaded into the Pattern inspector tab. A solid fill is enabled in the Shape inspector and this is masked by the PNG. The colour of the shape fill is, therefore, visible through the transparency of the PNG. Thus the hatch can be any colour. The limitation with this method is the hatch lineweight is fixed by the PNG image although when zoomed the line does thicken.
Attached is a version 2015 Layout file with three hatch pattern PNGs plus a PDF of the same. These are used at different scale factors and fill colours.
Have a look and see what you think!
PS Did anyone catch the Sketchup April Fool on Youtube? Worth a look!
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