First, a critical distinction. ArchiCAD doesn't treat all patterns equally. You need to know the difference between Surfaces and Building Material Hatches:
Pro Tip: Don't confuse the two. A beautiful 3D texture does not guarantee a correct-looking construction document. You must assign a specific "Cut Fill" Hatch to every Building Material. archicad hatch
To produce Archicad files that engineers and contractors love, follow these "Hatch Rules": First, a critical distinction
The fastest way to access the Archicad hatch menu without digging through menus is the Info Box. When you select a wall or slab, the Info Box displays a small square icon labeled Fill. Clicking it opens the Fill pop-up, allowing you to scroll through previews of every hatch in your project. Pro Tip: Don't confuse the two
Options > Element Attributes > Hatches
| Property | Details |
| :--- | :--- |
| File Formats | .pat (AutoCAD), .2dl (ARCHICAD native), .tif/.jpg (Bitmap) |
| Max Pattern Size | Unlimited (limited by system memory) |
| Scale Range | 0.001% to 10,000% |
| Angle Precision | 0.001 degrees |
| Performance | Hardware-accelerated 2D redraw; supports multi-threading for large fills |
Even veteran users get frustrated with Archicad hatch issues. Here are the top three problems and fixes.