Expert: Bill DeShawn - 7/28/2009

Question
Can you thicken up hatch patterns. In other words, make the lines in ANSI31 thicker and bolder lines...this would allow the pattern to stand out more (without making it a solid) when overlaying the hatch on aerials or photos, etc, and basically give you more patterns to use because of the thicker lines. There may be a simple fix out there, but I've found absolutely nothing on the 'net..and turning on the LWT toggle visually thickens up things on screen but not when printed. I could really use your help as I need to get these modifications to some lawyers (groan)..and I'd rather not have to explode hatching to thicken it.

Answer
Printing with STB files ("named" plot styles):
206 different "plot styles" can be assigned per STB plot style table found in folder when invoking the _STYLESMANAGER command and when named plot styles is the plot style method in use.  Lineweights are contolled separately in each style.  The plot style of each object is a property that can be changed with PROPERTIES or CHPROP command or with the PROPERTIES toolbar.  The name of each plot style in a plot style table can be renamed.  Hence the name: "Named Plot Styles".  To change the lineweight of the line, you change plot style in PROPERTIES or other ways mentioned above to reflect the desired line weight.  The LWT button at the bottom of the screen allows you to get an idea of what the objects' lineweights are as compared to each other while drawing.  I prefer a full plot preview, myself, but everybody to his own preference.



Printing with CTB files (color-dependent plotting):
255 colors are available for assignment.  Line weight is one of the features assigned to each color.  Line weight is changed in the plot style table (the ctb file) found in the folder which is presented when the _STYLESMANAGER command is invoked.  In each table, each color has it's own lineweight.  Hence the name:  "Color-dependent".  Lineweight can be either:
Default - lineweight conforms to assignment in the CTB file.
ByLayer - which can also be default or can be assigned a value.
ByBlock - which will be affected by the lineweight properties of a block in which the object resides.  It would appear that if lineweight becomes an issue with a particular line of a particular color, AutoCAD would have been improved to the point that a user can still assign a different lineweight to an object independently of its color if he so desires.  Also, the effects of the LWT button would seem to support that assumption.  However, because of my own experiences, and possibly yours as well, even though a lineweight property assigned, the values in the CTB file are not overruled or suppressed, but instead they take precedence.  If you are doing color-dependent plotting and if this is what you are experiencing, then, I suggest you assign a different color to the hatch pattern.  Look in your plot style table (ctb file) for a color that plots thicker.


Before Named Plot Styles were adopted in AutoCAD, all the plotting was color-dependent.  Many people prefer the one way and then many people prefer the other.  It's probably safe to say that "old school" drafters are the ones that favor color-dependent plotting to named plot style plotting, because they are used to it.  


Based on what I have explained above, if there is not enough information, or if you still need help making your hatch patterns stand out, or if you have trouble determining which plotting method you are using, or whatever questions you may still have, write me a "follow-up" and lets get the issue resolved.

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn