Hatch patterns have been around since the beginning of AutoCAD.

By launching
the HATCH (or BH) in the command line and selecting an enclosed object or
boundary, you can quickly fill an area in your drawing with a repeating hatch
pattern. The pattern simply fills the area and then stops when it reaches the
perimeter of the boundary to be hatched.

Snapshot of 2600 Hatch Patterns

Hatches can also be associative, meaning the hatch is dynamically updated as
you change the outlining boundary. Every hatched area created with the HATCH
command are associative by default until you decide to explode it.
It is recommended to keep the hatch pattern intact (unexploded), this way the
AutoCAD hatch pattern is treated just like a block. You can easily move, erase and
copy them as though it were one entity. Associative patterns can also be stretch
and the hatch will update itself automatically to the new shape.

How to Add custom pattern to AutoCAD

So you have downloaded or created your own AutoCAD pattern. Now you want to
use it. But how?

There are two ways to do this: you can combine your custom pattern with
acad.pat or add a support file search path. I personally will recommend the last
one. You may loose your custom pattern if you somehow need to reinstall
AutoCAD or your Windows account corrupts. Or you may just make your acad.pat
corrupt.

Combine with acad.pat

You can find acad.pat in support folder. It should be something

like C:UsersYOURWINDOWSACCOUNTAppDataRoamingAutodeskAutoCAD XXXX
EnglishRXX.0enuSupport. Find acad.pat and open it with text editor like notepad
or notepad ++. Do not use Microsoft Word. I suggest you to make a backup of this
file before you start to work.
Open another instance of Notepad and open your custom hatch. Select all, then
copy it using [ctrl] + C. I use chainlink pattern from DotSoft website.
Paste it at the bottom most of your acad.pat file.

There is a comment that if you add user defined hatch below that section, then
when you upgrade your AutoCAD this file will be migrated properly.
However, I still avoid this method.

Now save this file. Now you should immediately see your custom hatch in pattern
list.

Add support file search folder

If you place all your custom hatch in your own folder, you can simply add support
file search path. Open AutoCAD options (type OP then enter). In files tab, below
support file search path, add your folder.
Click OK to accept this changes, then when you activate hatch command, you
should see it in your pattern list. If you cant find it, you may need to change pattern
type to user defined.

If you use hatch dialog box, you can change pattern type to custom or user defined.

I always use the last method, and avoid the first one. So I never really have
problem or may be benefits of the first method. If you use the first one, why do you
choose to use it? Will you recommend it instead of the last method?
INSTALACIN DE SOMBREADOS PERSONALIZADOS

Para instalar estos sombreados debes ejecutar los siguientes pasos:

1. Copia todos los archivos a una carpeta en el disco duro.

2. Selecciona Opciones en el men de AutoCAD.

3. Posiciona el ratn sobre Ruta de bsqueda de archivo de soporte.

4. Haz clic en el botn Aadir.

5. Haz clic en el botn Examinar y selecciona la carpeta en la que se copiaron los

sombreados.
6. Selecciona OK y a continuacin Aceptar.

Los sombreados se podrn visualizar en la pestaa Personalizado, del cuadro de

muestra de las tramas.