HatchBit
HatchBit stretches any AutoCAD hatch pattern independently in X and Y — and lets you reposition the origin without losing the scale.
Core concept
How HatchBit works
AutoCAD scales hatches uniformly. HatchBit removes that restriction — X and Y are independent. The result is a real HATCH object, with its original boundary intact.
1. Select
Click Select Hatch Pattern < and pick any line-based HATCH object in your drawing. Both predefined and user-defined patterns work.
2. Define scale
Enter the original and new lengths for X and Y separately. Type values directly, or use the Pick < buttons to measure distances in the drawing.
3. Apply
Click OK. HatchBit rescales the pattern in place. The boundary is untouched. The result is still a fully editable HATCH object — not a block or a workaround.
4. Reposition
Use Set Origin < to align the pattern to a specific point in your drawing — without ever losing the custom scale you just applied.
Interface
The HatchBit dialog
Type HATCHBIT to open. Every control is in one compact dialog.
CompanionBits
X scale ×1.5 · Y scale ×0.6 · non-uniform
Select Hatch Pattern < — Closes the dialog temporarily so you can click a hatch in the drawing. The dialog reopens with the status indicator confirming your selection. The click point is also used as the scaling anchor.
X-Axis / Y-Axis Scaling — Two independent sections. Enter the original length of a pattern repetition and the new target length. The scale factor is calculated as new ÷ original. Use Pick < to snap distances directly from the drawing.
Set Origin < — Launches HATCHBITORIGIN directly. Closes the scaling dialog, lets you select a hatch and pick a new origin point. The scale is preserved. Works on any hatch — not only ones just scaled by HatchBit.
Step by step
Workflows
The two commands that make up HatchBit — and how to use them.
Stretch a hatch independently in X and Y. Works on predefined patterns (ANSI31, NET, etc.) and user-defined patterns alike.
- Type HATCHBIT to open the dialog.
- Click Select Hatch Pattern <. The dialog closes. Click the hatch in your drawing. The click point becomes the scaling anchor — the pattern scales outward from there. The dialog reopens showing Hatch Selected ✓.
- In the X-Axis Scaling section, enter the original tile/repeat width in Original Length and the desired width in New Length. Or click Pick < to measure both distances directly in the drawing.
- Repeat for Y-Axis Scaling. Use a different ratio to get non-uniform scaling.
- Click OK. The pattern is rescaled instantly. The boundary stays exactly as it was.
Align any hatch pattern to a specific point in the drawing — a wall corner, a tile joint, a grid intersection. Works on both scaled and unscaled hatches.
- Click Set Origin <in the dialog, or type HATCHBITORIGIN directly at the command line.
- Click the hatch whose origin you want to reposition.
- Pick the new origin point. Use object snaps to land precisely on a corner, midpoint, or intersection.
- The pattern shifts so that a line-group starts at exactly the point you picked. Scale is fully preserved.
The most accurate way to set lengths is to pick them directly in the drawing — snap to existing geometry rather than typing approximate numbers.
- Click one of the four Pick < buttons. The dialog closes and AutoCAD prompts for a distance.
- Click two points in the drawing — for example the two ends of an existing brick or tile — or type a distance. The measured value is transferred back to the edit field automatically.
- The dialog reopens. All other field values are preserved.
- Repeat for the other axes as needed, then click OK.
HatchBit wraps every scaling in a single UNDO group. One step restores the original pattern completely.
- Press Ctrl+Z or type UNDO once.
- The hatch returns to its state before HATCHBIT was applied — original scale, original origin, original pattern type.
How it works
What HatchBit actually does
No rocket science — just three things AutoCAD doesn't do for you.
The pattern is rescaled, not the hatch object
AutoCAD's own scale setting applies uniformly to the whole pattern. HatchBit goes a level deeper and rescales the actual line geometry inside the pattern — independently in X and Y. The hatch object itself, including its boundary, is never replaced or rebuilt.
Origin is set differently than AutoCAD does it
When you move the origin in AutoCAD's own hatch editor, it reloads the pattern definition from scratch — which resets any custom scale you applied. HatchBit's Set Origin writes the new position directly into the pattern data, skipping that reload entirely. That's why the scale survives.
The scaled result is stable
The scaled result is stable across saves, reloads, and drawing transfers. AutoCAD's REGEN respects the pattern geometry stored in the entity. The result stays a real, editable HATCH object — though it becomes non-associative, so the boundary no longer drives it automatically.
Good to know
Limitations
HatchBit works on all line-based patterns, but a handful of edge cases deserve attention.
| Case | Behaviour | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Solid fills (SOLID pattern) | Cannot be scaled — solid fills have no repeating line geometry | N/A — no repeating geometry |
| Gradient fills | Cannot be scaled — gradient fills have no line-based pattern | N/A |
| Predefined patterns (ANSI31, NET, etc.) | Fully supported | — |
| User-defined patterns | Fully supported | — |
| Annotative hatches | May lose the annotative property after scaling | Re-enable annotative scaling via Properties after HatchBit |
| Very dense patterns / extreme scale-down | AutoCAD's MAXHATCH limit may block generation | Increase MAXHATCH system variable before scaling |
| Associative hatches | The hatch becomes non-associative after scaling | Finalise the boundary before scaling; re-hatch if the boundary changes later |
| Origin via AutoCAD native tools after scaling | HATCHEDIT / Properties / origin grip will reset the scale to default | Always use Set Origin < or HATCHBITORIGIN |
| Multiple hatches at once | One hatch per operation | Run HATCHBIT multiple times, or use a script |
The most important rule: after scaling with HatchBit, never use AutoCAD's own origin tools on that hatch. HATCHEDIT, the Properties panel, and the origin grip all trigger AutoCAD's internal pattern regeneration, which recomputes the geometry from the original .pat definition at scale 1.0 — erasing your custom scale. HatchBit bypasses this entirely by writing directly to the DXF database.
This is not a limitation of HatchBit specifically — it is a fundamental behaviour of AutoCAD's hatch engine. The only reliable way around it is to avoid HATCHEDIT for origin changes and use HATCHBITORIGIN instead.
Commands
Commands
HatchBit is made up of two commands at the command line.
HATCHBITOpens the main dialog: select a hatch and scale the pattern independently in X and Y.
HBShort alias for HATCHBIT — opens the same dialog.
HATCHBITORIGINRepositions the origin of a hatch to a chosen point while preserving the scale.
Bigger picture
CompanionBits
HatchBit is part of the CompanionBits suite for AutoCAD. Every tool solves one problem — completely.
BlockHub
Scans your existing DWG folders, renders clean thumbnails for every block, and lets you find and insert anything in seconds — without touching a single file.
StyleFitter
Find all objects matching your filter and apply layer, style, and ByLayer properties in one click. The fastest way to normalise a drawing received from a third party.
QuickLister
Scan zones in your drawing and generate legends that stay in sync. Hatches, symbols, linetypes and references — one scan, every legend, always current.
StateSync
Links viewports to Layer States and watches for changes. Coloured frames show sync status at a glance. Fix mismatches with one click.
All tools work independently and install as a single bundle. One licence per tool — only pay for what you use.
Ready to try HatchBit?
Scale hatches non-uniformly and move the origin without losing your scale. A free SnipBit from CompanionBits.