progeCAD support, tips and troubleshooting forum. progeCAD works very similar to some versions of AutoCAD. Moderated.

Moderators: caddit, Moderators

#99 by rotorsrule
Wed May 07, 2008 10:06 am
Please help,

I am busy evaluating progecad 8.0.18.6 for private use. ESNAP now working great thank you :D .

When i want to hatch an area there is now hatch patterns available.
DRAW/HATCH/PATTERN The drop down menu for hatch is empty.

What do i do? Can hatch patterns be added? :cry:

#187 by zoomout
Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:54 am
i am now exploring the hatches of ProgeCad. It has a pretty good library of useful hatches.
But they can't be modified in AutoCad. I tried re-pathing AutoCad's hatch folder and experimented with ProgeCad's pattern folder but it seems that they're not compatible.
AutoCad cannot read the .sld hatch patterns of ProgeCad.
I tried editing an AutoCad hatch on ProgeCad and it gets distorted even if i cancel the hatch manager.
Another thing is the hatch, once it has been modified and gets distorted, cannot be brought to its old form by 'undo-ing'. It stays distorted even if you've reached the 'nothing to undo' indication.

I'll try to post all the questions as i go along. Thanks guys! :D
#191 by caddit
Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:40 am
May I ask at this point what version of AutoCAD(LT) you might be using? I ran a basic round robin test for hatching:

1) I created a simple box of lines and filled with ANSI31 hatch in AutoCAD 2005
2) The file opened fine in progeCAD (spelling here is correct).
3) I could edit and remove the hatch from AutoCAD 2005 with progeCAD 2008
4) I filled the geometry with a new hatch from progeCAD's exclusive extended 300 hatches library "Extras.pat".
5) I saved the file to AutoCAD 2004 format and successfuly opened it back with AutoCAD 2005 and the hatch was still the new one from progeCAD. It looked fine.

Sorry I wasn't able to reproduce a serious error, although I am not sure about the .SLD compatibility between systems.

If you wish, please send us example files of these problems. Both the xclipping and this one about hatching so we can see where further issues exist. The email address to send files to is shown HERE.

HTH Hope That Helps
#193 by zoomout
Wed Jul 30, 2008 6:24 am
hello, caddit!

i followed what you did in your example. and and yes, there were no errors.
Maybe because ANS131 exists in both AutoCad and progeCAD.

But try hatching a box in progeCAD using a pattern that doesn't exist in AutoCad. like the "Delta" for example under icad.pat. then save it as an AutoCad 2004 .dwg file. I'm using AutoCad 2005, when i open the .dwg file with the "Delta" hatch on AutoCad, and then try to modify the hatch by double-clicking it, it says: "error in reading the pattern file." I tried experimenting with the AutoCad and progeCAD hatches by copying it and re-pathing the hatch folders but it doesn't work.
It looks normal when i'm not modifying it.

On the other hand, i tried modifying the AutoCad hatches on progeCAD, and re-pathed progeCAD's Hatch pattern into my AutoCad Hatch Pattern folder. Most hatches work although without having a preview on the Hatch Manager.

I'm thinking maybe it's all in .sld compatibility. Because progeCAD can read AutoCad's .pat files once it has been re-pathed. But AutoCad can't read progeCAD's .sld files even after re-pathing.

Regarding the hatches, I think i can send you a sample file I've been working with. But i doubt if i can send you the one with multiple xref's on it. That would be a violation of the regulations here in the office. Sorry. :(
But i think you can generate one.
It's just a file with about 14 exterior elevations on it and reference plans above every exterior elevation. The xref's were Floor Plans with "xrefd" Landscape Plan and Survey Plan. In short, multiple xrefs.
When i try to copy the xrefd plan to start another exterior elevation, it doesn't show up instantly. I have to REGEN to make it appear. Every exterior elevation has a corresponding "partial" floor plan, so you need to xclip the Plan per elevation. Here, i have to REGEN again to show the extent of the xclipping. here's where the major trouble is. when i "XCLIP OFF" one of the multiple partial floor plans, all xrefs get xclipped. Meaning there is a big mess of unclipped floor plans. The undo doesn't work with the xrefs. Everything stays messy even if there's nothing more to undo.

Sorry, Caddit for the long post, and maybe the xclipping is out of topic.
I just put it in here for ease of reading. I'm gonna send you a file on the hatches soon. Big thanks again! :D