Topic: Hatch - point directly on object

[DanB]

Fishing for some clarification if possible...

Try this:
1. Draw a closed polyline, something simple for testing purposes.
2. Draw a line, one endpoint falls inside the polyline.
3. Begin Hatch command
    A. Use Pick point option
    B. Use Endpoint object snap, select endpoint of line that falls within closed polyline.

Result? = Boundary Definition Error - Point is directly on an object

Why does AutoCAD care that the point I have defined is on an object or not? The object in question does not prevent the polyline from forming a closed boundary. I could still successfully pick a point a hair's width away from the endpoint and no error would be generated.

I can/will explain what I was attempting to do but this just bothered me a bit - it is Monday after all.

[James Cannon]

It's using the line as part of the boundary definition if you use "pick point" method.  If you pick a point ON the boundary, it doesn't really know which side of the boundary you are intending to hatch, and thus falls sort of the necessary information required to form a complete hatch.

If you're going to go to the effort of drawing a closed pline to make the boundary, use the "object" method... it's also MUCH smarter for retaining associativity.  I avoid pickPoint whenever possible.

*edit*

..after testing, I see that it does not make the line 'dashed' to indicate that it's being read as part of the boundary... but I've seen cases where it does that.... I thought.  I dunno... the aforementioned was my general instinct, but eh.  I may be off this time.

[Kate M]

Notice that it says that the point is directly on AN object. It doesn't care what you picked, only that you didn't pick somewhere in empty space. You'd get the same error if you drew a line in an empty drawing and tried to pick one of its endpoints as the "pick point" for a hatch, never mind that a boundary doesn't exist there at all. It just can't calculate a "pick" boundary when you start on an object.

[DanB]

James - this was just an excercise (sp?) in testing what I had come across in a slightly more complex drawing. In fact in my drawing I didn't have a closed object to pick.

My scenerio is as follows. An existing road is being reworked - widened, additional sidewalks, regrading swales, etc. What I needed to do was hatch an area that was between the existing pavement and the widened proposed pavement. This was for approximately 3000 feet in length. Well because AutoCAD forces you to zoom out far enough to see the extents of the desired hatch area (my experience anyway), it is very difficult to pick a point that falls inside the widened area. So I thought I had a clever solution: draw a line that has an endpoint inside the hatch area, use said endpoint for pick point and ta da! hatch....but err no go 

Still not sure I understand the why - except, that's just what AutoCAD does.

[James Cannon]

Yea, I find Autocad sucks like that :\

I really dislike the hatching, sometimes.

[T.Willey]

If you have the full version, then you can set a variable and use that as your pick point when you have zoomed all the way out.  Before you issue the command, zoom into a part, and type
(setq pt (getpoint))
Now pick a point that you want hatched.
Zoom out all the way.
Issue the hatch command.
Select the pick point option.
At the command prompt type ' !pt '.  This will use the point you selected.

[James Cannon]

If you have the full version, then you can set a variable and use that as your pick point when you have zoomed all the way out.  Before you issue the command, zoom into a part, and type
(setq pt (getpoint))
Now pick a point that you want hatched.
Zoom out all the way.
Issue the hatch command.
Select the pick point option.
At the command prompt type ' !pt '.  This will use the point you selected.

Holy crap that's an awesome idea.  I never would have thought of that.  I'll have to keep that in mind!!  Thanks a million for that.

[T.Willey]

If you have the full version, then you can set a variable and use that as your pick point when you have zoomed all the way out.  Before you issue the command, zoom into a part, and type
(setq pt (getpoint))
Now pick a point that you want hatched.
Zoom out all the way.
Issue the hatch command.
Select the pick point option.
At the command prompt type ' !pt '.  This will use the point you selected.

Holy crap that's an awesome idea.  I never would have thought of that.  I'll have to keep that in mind!!  Thanks a million for that.

You're welcome.

[DanB]

Very nice, thanks for that.

[T.Willey]

Very nice, thanks for that.

You're welcome.