How to Scale and Edit Hatch Patterns Correctly in Rhino 8

Rhino 8’s official documentation describes the Hatch and HatchScale tools, which fill closed curves with patterns in architectural drawings and manage hatch scale in model views. This guide walks through creating hatches from boundary curves, adjusting pattern position and angle, and understanding how scaling options affect a drawing workflow. The documentation explains how the tools work in Rhino 8; it does not recommend ready-made patterns or scale values for specific projects.

1. Prepare hatch boundaries and select regions

1. Identify the curves enclosing the area to be hatched. The Hatch command fills the inside of selected boundary curves with a pattern. Input curves can be in model space, layout space, or both.

2. For direct selection, use closed planar curves. If you need to select closed regions formed by intersecting curves, use the Boundary=Yes option on the Hatch command line. This option lets you select closed regions created by intersecting curves.

3. When there are multiple regions, the CombineRegions setting determines whether they are combined into a single hatch or created as separate hatches. Set it to Yes to combine regions into one hatch; set it to No to create separate hatches. Depending on this combining setting, AllRegions creates either one hatch from the outer boundary or separate hatches for the subregions.

Checking which boundaries and subregions will be included before creating a hatch can help avoid unexpected results. Since the combine option affects the outcome, especially in drawings with multiple inner regions, consider the setting alongside the boundary geometry.

2. Set the pattern, base point, and appearance

1. In the Hatch creation dialog, set the pattern, scale, rotation, and other options. The official documentation notes that most settings can also be edited later in Hatch properties.

2. Use Base point to control the pattern’s starting position. This setting shows the pattern’s starting coordinates; you can choose a new position in the viewport from the dialog. Use base point every time remembers the current base point for new hatches.

3. Change the pattern angle with Rotation. You can set the angle in the dialog or select it in the viewport. Scale sets the pattern’s scale factor. Note that scaling the hatch object does not change the pattern scale.

4. Adjust the display options as needed. Background fills the area inside the hatch boundary with a color. When the fill type is Solid, Display Color sets the pattern’s display color; Show Boundary displays the boundary curve around the pattern. Use Fill Style to choose a solid color or a different gradient type.

The base point affects how hatches with the same pattern align in a drawing. If you want patterns in multiple areas to appear consistent, consider remembering this point for new hatches. However, the documentation does not specify a single base point or scale value for every project; choose settings based on the drawing’s requirements.

Rotation also behaves differently for hatches with history enabled. Changing the pattern angle or rotating the hatch together with its boundary curve does not break History. Rotating the hatch by itself may break History. For hatches without history enabled, rotation updates the pattern angle.

3. Using HatchScale in model views

HatchScale is the command for setting the scale of hatch patterns in model views. According to the documentation, the command changes hatch scaling settings in the document properties. Specify a HatchScale value when running the command; the Scaling option controls the scaling behavior.

The documentation does not recommend a numeric HatchScale value. The options listed here describe the scaling behaviors available in the tool; they are not recommended values for a specific project. Before changing the setting, determine whether you want hatches in model views to scale according to the HatchScale value.

Detail views behave differently when printed: according to the Rhino documentation, hatches in these views print at the same scale regardless of the zoom factor. So do not assume that scaling settings in model views work the same way as output behavior in detail views.

4. Architectural drawing workflows and common mistakes

When separating closed areas with hatches, architects and interior designers can check boundary curves and how subregions are handled together. Hatch lets you adjust the pattern’s base point and rotation, as well as whether regions are combined. For archviz artists, the tool provides a way to create drawing hatches from curves in model or layout space and change pattern position.

When using these tools in architectural drawing workflows, pay particular attention to the different scaling behavior of model and detail views. The official documentation does not provide information about hardware requirements, licensing terms, or compatibility with other software. No conclusions should be drawn about these topics beyond the scope of the sources.

Common mistakes

• Treating closed, non-planar boundaries the same as the closed planar curves documented for direct selection.

• Creating a hatch without checking the effect of CombineRegions and AllRegions; the result may be one hatch or separate hatches for subregions.

• Assuming that scaling the hatch object also changes the pattern scale. The documentation distinguishes these two behaviors.

• Assuming that the model-view Scaling setting also makes the print scale in detail views dependent on zoom.

• Overlooking the possibility that rotating a hatch with history enabled by itself may break History. Changing the pattern angle or rotating the hatch together with its boundary curve does not break history.

Use HatchBase to change the pattern’s base point. The documentation shows the UntrimAll command for removing holes in a hatch. When making these edits, check that the correct hatch is selected and that the resulting drawing matches your expectations.