Modifying the Geologic Hatch Pattern Styles in the Geotechnical Modeler

When you import data into the project database, the Geotechnical Modeler automatically builds hatch styles for all geology types found in the data source (CSV or AGS). Each style is assigned a random color and the hatch style is set to Solid.

The hatch styles are stored in a TOML style configuration file that can be modified using a standard tect editor allowing you to easily add new styles or modify the default hatch styles that were generated during the data import.

To access the TOML style configuration file

It is recommended th at you open a drawing with a subsurface profile view already created so that any changes to the hatch patterns will be visible in the Civil 3D project. Open the Subsurface Profiles dialog box by selecting Subsurface Profiles from the ribbon.
Open a new File Explorer dialog box (Win + E) and paste the following path:

%PROGRAMDATA%\Autodesk\C3D-GeoTechModeler-2022\StyleTemplateDrawing

This should open the following folder: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\C3D-GeoTechModeler-2022\StyleTemplateDrawing
First create a backup of the configuration by duplicating the file and changing the extension to "BAK".
Open the configuration file named GeologyHatchStyle.config in a text editor.

Note: The # character is used to denote comments. Any lines beginning with # will be ignored by the application.

Each line of the file represents a geology type and the paramters required to define the hatch pattern. The examples included in the default configuration file appear below:

#Example... 
#"GeologyCodeOrName"=["AutoCADHatchPattern","BlockName","Scale","Angle","Color"] 

# Example hatch styles 
#"101"=["EARTH","","0.25","45","255,0,0"] 
#"102"=["EARTH","","0.25","45","0,255,0"] 
# "205"=["DASH","","0.25","0","0,0,255"] 
# "206"=["DASH","","0.25","0","10,20,40"] 
# "212"=["GOST_GLASS","","0.005","315","111"] 
# "213"=["GOST_GLASS","","0.005","315","111"] 
# "220"=["DASH","","0.25","0","3"] 
# "404"=["AR-SAND","","0.025","0","2"] 
# "409"=["AR-SAND","","0.025","0","2"] 
# "601"=["FLEX","","0.25","0","31"] 
# "604"=["FLEX","","0.25","0","31"] 
# "605"=["FLEX","","0.25","0","31"] 
# "803"=["SACNCR","","0.25","315","5"] 
# "804"=["BRICK","","0.125","0","4"] 
# "811"=["CROSS","","0.25","0","6"] 
# "BOULDER CLAY"=["DASH","","0.25","0","3"] 
# "COARSE GRAINED IGNEUOS"=["CROSS","","0.25","0" "6"] 
# "FILL"=["EARTH","","0.25","45","1"] 
# "GLACIAL TILL"=["AR-SAND","","0.025","0","2"] 
# "LIMESTONE"=["BRICK","","0.125","0","4"] 
# "PEAT"=["FLEX","","0.25","0","31"] 
# "SANDSTONE"=["SACNCR","","0.25","315",]

Each line of the file must contain a value for the geology code/name. This code will match with the AGS standard or custom geology types included in your dataset.

All parameters other than geology code are optional and they must occur in the following order surrounded by square brackets: ```
[GeologyCodeOrName,HatchPattern,BlockName,Scale,Angle,Color]

Example:

"GeologyCodeOrName"=["AutoCADHatchPattern","BlockName","Scale","Angle","Color"]

GeologyCodeOrName is the name of the material that will be hatched.
HatchPattern is the AutoCAD hatch pattern that will be applied.
BlockName is the name of the block that will be used. If the block size exceeds the area to be filled, it will be trimmed. If the block is smaller than the area to be filled, it will be arrayed and trimmed as required.

Note: BlockName is not supported at this time.

Scale is either the hatch pattern scale, or the amount the block will be scaled.

Angle is the angle that will be applied to the hatch pattern or how much the block will be rotated.

Color is the color applied to the hatch pattern expressed as either an AutoCAD color index (1-255) or an RGB value (255,0,255).

The following styles are allowed:

404 = [AR-SAND] 404 = [AR=SAND, “”, 0.025”] 404 = ["AR-SAND","","0.025","","] "LIMESTONE"=["FLEX","","0.25","0","1"] "LIMESTONE"=["FLEX","","0.25","0","255,0,0"]

GeologyCodeOrName is the name of the material that will be hatched.
HatchPattern is the AutoCAD hatch pattern that will be applied.
BlockName is the name of the block that will be used.If the block size exceeds the area to be fille, ot will be trimmed. If the block is smaller than the area to be filled, it will be arrayed and trimmed as required.

Note: BlockName is not supported at this time.

Scale is either the hatch pattern scale, or the amount the block will be scaled.
Angle is the angle that will be applied to the hatch pattern or how much the block will be rotated.
Color is he color applied to the hatch expressed as either an AutoCAD color index (1-255) or an RGB value (255,0,255).

To modify an existing hatch pattern in the geotechnical hatch library:

Open the hatch style configuration file.

Note:You do not need to close Civil 3D. 2. Find the hatch style entry in the configuration file. 3. To change the AutoCAD hatch pattern, change the first parameter enclosed within the brackets.

To change the hatch pattern from BRICK to FLEX, change the line to: "LIMESTONE"=["FLEX","","0","1"]
To change the Block in use by the hatch pattern or add to a block for the hatch pattern change the second parameter enclosed within the brackets. The AutoCAD hatch pattern can remain and will be overridden by the BlockName. Blocks can either exist in the active drawing or in the following folder: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\C3D-GeoTechModeler2021\LithologicPatterns.

Note: If BlockName is present, it will supercede the AutoCAD hatch pattern setting.

Note: BlockName is not supported at this time.

To increase or decrease the hatch style scale, change the third parameter enclosed within the brackets.
- To double the hatch style size from 0.125 to 0.25, change the line to: "LIMESTONE"=["BRICK","","0.25","0","1"]
To change the rotation of the hatch style, change the fourth parameter enclosed within the brackets.
- To change the rotation from 0 to 45 degrees, change the line to: "LIMESTONE"=["BRICK","","0.125","45","1"]
To change the color of the hatch pattern, change the fifth parameter enclosed within the brackets.
- To change the color from AutoCAD color index 1 (red) to RGB 0,255,0 (green): "LIMESTONE"=["BRICK","","0.125","0","0,255,0"]
After you’ve saved your modifications, you can use them immediately without closing Civil 3D.
- In the Civil 3D drawing click the Subsurface Profiles button from the Geotechnical Model ribbon then click Update to rebuild the profile view and associated sticklogs. The hatch styles should reflect the changes made to hatch style configuration file.
- If you’ve modified the colors of the hatch styles and would like the stratum surfaces to reflect those changes, you can rebuild the stratum surfaces using Build Stratum Surfaces or you can update the surface styles manually.

Note: As noted previously, when you import data into the project database, the Geotechnical Modeler automatically builds hatch styles for all geology types found in the data source (CSV or AGS). Once a hatch style exists in the hatch style configuration file, it will not be overwritten if you import additional data into the project database.

To add a new hatch pattern to the geotechnical hatch library:

In most situations there is no need to manually add a new style to the hatch style configuration file because all styles are generated automatically when you import data into the project database.

If you need to predefine the styles based on your company’s standards, you can easily create new styles by copying one of the examples in the configuration file and modifying it using the instructions from the previous section on modifying hatch styles.

Copy an existing example style in the configuration file.
Paste it below the section titled [HatchStyles]
Remove the comment flag (#).
Modify the geology code/name.
Modify the style using the instructions from the previous section on modifying hatch styles.
After you’ve saved your modifications, you can use them immediately without closing Civil3D.