TechDraw Hatching

Templates

Preferences

TechDraw

Overview

TechDraw has two hatching tools: Hatch Face using Image File (tile based) and Apply Geometric Hatch to Face (line based).

For either tool, select a Face,

then press the appropriate icon. The face will be hatched initially using default values. Edit the hatch properties to get the desired pattern.

Hatch Face using Image File

Hatch Face using Image File uses SVG or bitmap bases tiles to cover the selected Face.

SVG tiles are typically 64x64 pixel images. Some examples are available on GitHub.

Any bitmap file can be used (png, jpeg, etc) as a fill. Results are best with many small repeated images rather than fewer larger images.

Default Hatch fills can be specified in TechDraw Preferences.

Geometric Hatch

Apply Geometric Hatch to Face forms a pattern of lines based on a specification read from a file. This file is generally compatible with the widely used AutoDesk® PAT format. A small selection of patterns is included in the FCPAT.pat file:

; standard PAT patterns

*Diamond, 45 diagonals L & R, Solid, 1.0 mm separation
45,0,0,0,1.0
-45,0,0,0,1.0
*Diamond2, 45 diagonals L & R, Solid, 2.0 mm separation
45,0,0,0,2.0
-45,0,0,0,2.0
*Diamond4, 45 diagonals L & R, Solid, 4.0 mm separation
45,0,0,0,4.0
-45,0,0,0,4.0
*Diagonal4, 45 diagonal R, Solid, 4.0 mm separation
45,0,0,0,4.0
*Square, square grid, Solid, 5.0 mm separation 
90,1,1,0,5.0
0,0,0,1,5.0
*Horizontal5, horizontal lines, Solid 5.0 separation
0,0,0,0,5.0
*Vertical5, vertical lines, Solid, 5.0 separation
90,0,0,0,5.0

You can add your own patterns if you have write permission to FCPAT.pat, or you can create your own *.pat file and point to it in TechDraw Preferences.

PAT File Path

The FCPAT.pat file can be found in the following location.

• Windows: C:\Program Files\FreeCAD\data\Mod\TechDraw\PAT\
• Mac: /Applications/FreeCAD.app/Contents/Mod/TechDraw/PAT/
• Linux: /usr/share/freecad/Mod/TechDraw/PAT/
  • freecad-daily PPA: /usr/share/freecad-daily/Mod/TechDraw/PAT/

Templates

Preferences

TechDraw

TechDraw

• Pages: Insert Default Page, Insert Page using Template, Redraw Page, Print All Pages
• Views: Insert View, Insert Active View, Insert Projection Group, Insert Section View, Insert Complex Section View, Insert Detail View, Insert Draft Workbench Object, Insert Arch Workbench Object, Insert Spreadsheet View, Insert Clip Group, Share View, Project Shape
• Stacking: Move view to top of stack, Move view to bottom of stack, Move view up one level, Move view down one level

---

• Decorations: Hatch Face using Image File, Apply Geometric Hatch to Face, Insert SVG Symbol, Insert Bitmap Image, Turn View Frames On/Off
• Dimensions: Insert Length Dimension, Insert Horizontal Dimension, Insert Vertical Dimension, Insert Radius Dimension, Insert Diameter Dimension, Insert Angle Dimension, Insert 3-Point Angle Dimension, Insert Horizontal Extent Dimension, Insert Vertical Extent Dimension, Link Dimension to 3D Geometry, Insert Balloon Annotation, Insert Axonometric Length Dimension, Insert Landmark Dimension, Adjust Geometric References of Dimension
• Annotations: Insert Annotation, Add Leaderline to View, Insert Rich Text Annotation, Add Cosmetic Vertex, Add Midpoint Vertices, Add Quadrant Vertices, Add Centerline to Faces, Add Centerline between 2 Lines, Add Centerline between 2 Points, Add Cosmetic Line Through 2 points, Add Cosmetic Circle, Change Appearance of Lines, Show/Hide Invisible Edges, Add Welding Information to Leader, Add Surface Finish Symbol, Add Hole or Shaft Tolerances

---

• Extensions:
  • Attributes and modifications: Select Line Attributes, Cascade Spacing and Delta Distance, Change Line Attributes, Extend Line, Shorten Line, Lock/Unlock View, Position Section View, Position Horizontal Chain Dimensions, Position Vertical Chain Dimensions, Position Oblique Chain Dimensions, Cascade Horizontal Dimensions, Cascade Vertical Dimensions, Cascade Oblique Dimensions, Calculate the area of selected faces, Calculate the arc length of selected edges, Customize format label
  • Centerlines and threading: Add Circle Centerlines, Add Bolt Circle Centerlines, Add Cosmetic Thread Hole Side View, Add Cosmetic Thread Hole Bottom View, Add Cosmetic Thread Bolt Side View, Add Cosmetic Thread Bolt Bottom View, Add Cosmetic Intersection Vertex(es), Add an offset vertex, Add Cosmetic Circle, Add Cosmetic Arc, Add Cosmetic Circle 3 Points, Add Cosmetic Parallel Line, Add Cosmetic Perpendicular Line
  • Dimensions: Create Horizontal Chain Dimensions, Create Vertical Chain Dimensions, Create Oblique Chain Dimensions, Create Horizontal Coordinate Dimensions, Create Vertical Coordinate Dimensions, Create Oblique Coordinate Dimensions, Create Horizontal Chamfer Dimension, Create Vertical Chamfer Dimension, Create Arc Length Dimension, Insert '⌀' Prefix, Insert '〼' Prefix, Remove Prefix, Increase Decimal Places, Decrease Decimal Places

---

• Export: Export Page as SVG, Export Page as DXF
• Additional: Line Groups, Templates, Hatching, Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, Preferences

User documentation

• Getting started
• Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
• Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate

---

• Help: Tutorials, Video tutorials
• Workbenches: Std Base, Arch, Assembly, CAM, Draft, FEM, Inspection, Mesh, OpenSCAD, Part, PartDesign, Points, Reverse Engineering, Robot, Sketcher, Spreadsheet, Start, Surface, TechDraw, Test Framework, Web

---

• Addons: Addon Manager, External workbenches, Scripting and macros

---

• Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub