Custom Fill Pattern

There are four types of fill patterns, Windows stock, bitmap, vector, and picture patterns. You can create custom bitmap, vector, or picture patterns. You can add patterns to the palette, replace existing patterns in the palette, or remove patterns from the palette.

Creating a Custom Fill Pattern

To create a custom pattern:

1. Open the fill properties. You can open the fill properties by selecting an object that can contain fill (for example, a rectangle) and opening the Fill Properties section in the Property Manager or by double clicking on an object and opening the Fill Properties page.

2. Click the sample fill pattern.

3. Select a bitmap, vector, or picture pattern in the pattern palette using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The pattern type is listed beneath the pattern name when a pattern is selected.

4. After selecting a pattern, click on the Custom button at the bottom of the fill pattern palette to create new patterns.

5. Edit the pattern using the features in the Custom Pattern dialog as described below.

The Custom Pattern Dialog

The Custom Pattern dialog contains three pages, Bitmap Pattern, Vector Pattern, and Picture Pattern. You can create any type of pattern from this dialog regardless of the type of pattern you selected in the pattern palette.

Bitmap Patterns

If you would like to create a new bitmap pattern, click on the Bitmap Pattern page. Bitmap patterns consist of designs that are eight pixels high by eight pixels wide. Patterns created on the Bitmap Pattern page cannot have transparent backgrounds.

The pattern design box appears on the left side of the Bitmap Pattern page. Create new patterns by clicking areas in the box. When an area is clicked, a black box appears. Click the area a second time to remove the black box. The black box is one pixel in size.
The Name field indicates the name of the selected pattern.
The Sample box shows the new pattern.
Click the Add to List button to add a new pattern to the end of the pattern palette. Type the new pattern name into the Name field before adding the new pattern.
The Replace button replaces the selected pattern with the modified pattern.
Click Remove From List to delete the selected pattern.
The Pattern Palette on the right side of the page shows all available patterns.
Dragging a pattern inserts it into a new location.

Vector Patterns

Vector patterns consist of straight-line segments. Vector patterns are scalable and can contain transparent backgrounds.

The pattern design box appears on the left side of the Vector Pattern page. Create new patterns by creating straight-line segments in the box. Click the starting point and ending point to create a line. The line segment starting and ending points snap to the closest grid node when clicking the starting and ending points.
Click and then click on a line to select it.
Click to clear all lines from the pattern design box.
Click to delete a selected line.
Click to undo the last action (remove the last drawn line or to restore a deleted line).
The status bar above the pattern design box the shows the cursor position.
The Name field indicates the name of the selected pattern.
The Sample box shows the new pattern.
Click the Add to List button to add a new pattern to the end of the pattern palette. Type the new pattern name into the Name field before adding the new pattern.
The Replace button replaces the selected pattern with the modified pattern.
Click Remove From List to delete the selected pattern.
The Pattern Palette on the right side of the page shows all available patterns.
Dragging a pattern inserts it into a new location.

Picture Patterns

Picture patterns are bitmaps that can be stretched or tiled to fill an area. New pictures are created by importing or pasting a bitmap.

The pattern design box appears on the left side of the Picture Pattern page. You can create new patterns by clicking the button and importing a Windows Bitmap [.BMP] or Compuserve Bitmap [.GIF]. Alternatively, you can paste a copied image as a bitmap by clicking the button.
To use the bitmap in another program, you can click the button to export the bitmap or click the button to copy the bitmap.
The Name field indicates the name of the selected pattern.
Click the Add to List button to add a new pattern to the end of the pattern palette. Type the new pattern name into the Name field before adding the new pattern.
The Replace button replaces the selected pattern with the modified pattern.
Click Remove From List to delete the selected pattern.
In the Designed for group, select Tiling or Stretched as the best mode to view the picture fill in an object. If a bitmap is designed for tiling, it usually contains edges drawn so that the pattern appears seamless when tiled.
In some cases, the bitmap resolution is not contained in the bitmap file. You can enter a resolution in the Best Viewing DPI field.
The Pattern Palette on the right side of the page shows all available patterns.
Dragging a pattern inserts it into a new location.