Fill Properties

Use the Fill Properties to change fill properties for selected objects in the document. You can set default line properties through File | Options | Defaults by clicking on Fill.

Most fill properties are edited in the Properties window in a Fill Properties section. When changing fill properties for a selected object, the Fill Properties section will appear in a different location in the Properties window, depending on the type of object selected.

Occasionally, objects will open a Fill Properties dialog to access the fill properties.

Edit the Fill Properties for a selected object in the Properties window.

Sample

The sample shown next to the Fill Properties line shows the selected pattern, foreground color, and background color.

Fill Pattern

Change the Pattern by selecting a pattern from the fill pattern palette. Open the pattern palette by clicking the pattern button. Click on a new pattern in the list to select it.

Foreground Color

Foreground color is the color of the pattern lines or pixels. Select a new color by clicking on the color in the color palette . Only the foreground color can be applied to solid colors. The foreground colors can be applied to any stock hatch pattern or grayscale image pattern. They cannot be applied to the None pattern or non-grayscale image patterns. Click the button at the right of the color sample to open the Colors dialog, where you can specify a custom color.

Foreground Opacity

The Foreground opacity is the amount of transparency of the fill. This is a value from 0% (completely transparent) to 100% (completely opaque). To change the value, highlight the existing value and type a new value. Press ENTER on the keyboard or click anywhere else in the Properties window to make the change. Alternatively, click and drag the to change the opacity percentage. Opacity is disabled if it does not apply to the current pattern. Note that for true color image fill patterns the Foreground opacity applies to the image in its entirety.

Background Color

Background color is the color behind the pattern. All patterns must have a background color. If you do not wish to see the background color, change the Background opacity to 0%. Click on the button at the right of the color sample to open the Colors dialog, where you can specify a custom color.

Background Opacity

Change the Background opacity by entering a value from 0% (completely transparent) to 100% (completely opaque) or dragging the slider to change the opacity percentage. Opacity is disabled if it does not apply to the current pattern.

Stretch

Check the Stretch option to stretch image fills to completely fill the geometry. If Stretch is not selected, the image will be repeated to fill the geometry.

Load a Fill Pattern File

To load a fill pattern from a raster image file, click the File or Clipboard button in the Load from field. The Clipboard button is only active when there is an image on the clipboard suitable to use for a fill pattern. If you select File, an Import dialog will appear. Click on the image file and click Open to load the image as the fill pattern.

Pattern Offset

The Pattern Offset can be changed for image patterns. The offset controls the location of the pattern within the geometry. Change the X and Y values separately to move the image in the desired direction.

Pattern Scale

The Pattern Scale can be changed for image patterns. The scale controls the density of the pattern. In the Properties window, check the Proportional box to connect the X and Y scale values.

When the scale is proportional, the current aspect ratio is maintained. Changing the X or Y scale will cause the other scale to be adjusted proportionally to maintain the aspect ratio at the time the scale was set to proportional.