Draft Pattern

From FreeCAD Documentation

Description

Draft objects with a DataMake Face property can display an SVG pattern instead of a solid face color.

An ellipse and a polygon with an SVG pattern

Usage

  1. Make sure the objects are closed and planar, and do not self-intersect.
  2. To close a Draft Wire, a Draft BSpline, a Draft CubicBezCurve or a Draft BezCurve set its DataClosed property to true.
  3. To close a Draft Circle or a Draft Ellipse set its DataFirst Angle and DataLast Angle properties to the same value.
  4. Select the objects.
  5. Switch to the View tab of the Property editor.
  6. The ViewDisplay Mode must be set to Flat Lines.
  7. Select a ViewPattern.
  8. Optionally change the ViewPattern Size. Note that a higher value results in a denser pattern.
  9. The pattern is not displayed when the objects are selected. Deselect them to check the result.
  10. Optionally reselect the objects to change the pattern properties.

Available patterns

Notes

  • SVG patterns are stored in .SVG files. It is possible to use your own custom patterns. See Preferences.
  • The patterns themselves are not saved in the FreeCAD document. Objects whose ViewPattern cannot be found are displayed with a solid face color instead.

Preferences

See also: Preferences Editor and Draft Preferences.

  • To change the ViewPattern Size used for new objects: Edit → Preferences... → Draft → Visual → SVG pattern size.
  • To specify a directory with addition SVG patterns: Edit → Preferences... → Draft → Visual → Additional SVG pattern location.