XML tags for custom patterns

In the new release, the think3 application offers you the liberty to customise your own xhatch patterns. It would help you to get familiarise with few XML tags that are essential to design customised patterns.

Here is the list of the XML tags that are essential for creating the customised xhatch patterns. A description of each tag is available by following the corresponding links.
xhatch Main tag for any Xhatch pattern customization. This tag is mandatory.
pattern Tag for specifying the name of the pattern. This tag is mandatory.
sub_pattern Tag for xhatch pattern data input. It is mandatory to have atleast one sub_pattern.
angle Tag to define the angle to be subtended by the sub_pattern lines with the x-axis. This tag is optional.
origin_x Tag to specify the origin for the x-axis.
origin_y Tag to specify the origin for the y-axis. It is mandatory to specify the origin for both the X and y-axis.
dist_btw_lines Tag to specify the distance between two lines of a particular sub_pattern. This tag is mandatory.
dist_along_lines Tag to specify the distance between two succeding lines of a single sub_pattern. Even this tag is mandatory.
line_type Tag to specify the desired Line type for the sub_pattern. This tag is mandatory.
XML Tags
TagDescription and Notes
<xhatch ...> This tag has to be present on the first line, while creating your own patterns.

Example:

<xhatch xmlns="http://think3.com/2dDraft/pattern">

<Pattern> This tag is used to define a name for the new custom pattern to be created. you can also define the units of measurement in this tag. It contains atleast one sub_pattern.

Example:

<pattern name="Template" unit="mm">

<sub_pattern> Using this tag, you can create any number of custom patterns. It is used as a data input tag. All the attribute tags necessary for creating a custom pattern are included under this tag..

Example:

<sub_pattern>
<angle>0.0</angle>
<origin_x>0.0</origin_x>
<origin_y>0.0</origin_y>
<dist_btw_lines>1</dist_btw_lines>
<dist_along_lines>0.0</dist_along_lines>
<line_type>2.0 -0.25 0.25 -0.25 0.25 -0.25 </line_type>
</sub_pattern>

<angle> Enables you to define the angle to be subtended by sub_pattern lines with the x-axis. The default angle is 45 degrees for all the patterns

Example:

<angle>10</angle>

Now the xhatch will subtend an angle of 55 degrees with the x-axis.

<origin_x> Enables you to set the origin for the x-axis.

Example:

<origin_x>0.0</origin_x>

<origin_y> Enables you to set the origin for the y-axis.

Example:

<origin_y>0.0</origin_y>

<dist_btw_lines> Enables you to specify the distances between two lines of a particular sub_pattern.

Example:

<dist_btw_lines>1</dist_btw_lines>

<dist_along_lines> Enables you to specify the distance from which the successive lines of that particular sub_pattern should start.

Example:

Suppose <origin_x>0.0</origin_x>
<origin_y>0.0</origin_y> and
<dist_along_lines>2.0</dist_along_lines>

then the successive xhatch lines will start from x+2, y+2 units from the reference xhatch line.

<line_type> Enables you to determine the line type for the xhatch lines in that sub_pattern. It is usually denoted by alternate positive and negative values. Positive values denote the actual line(pen-down), negative values denote blank space(pen-up) and 0 denotes a point.

Example:

<line_type>2.0 -0.25 2.0 -0.25 2.0 -0.25</line_type>

will be displayed as: