How to Exclude Sections from Hatch/Groundcovers – Hatch Islands / Multiple Option

Issue

You want to exclude an area (not a plant) from your hatch or groundcover.

Want to exclude shrubs from a groundcover or other hatch? Use our Exclude Shrubs tool.

Solution

The Multiple option won't work with the Stipple hatch pattern. If you want to exclude insteior objects from a hatch, make sure that hatch is assigned a pattern besides Stipple.

1. Draw an additional polyline around the areas you want to exclude. 

2. When placing your hatch/groundcover, type M.

3. The Command line will prompt you to select the outer boundary first. Click the outer boundary to select it.

4. The Command line will then prompt you to select as many interior boundaries as you desire. Click your desired boundaries to select them.

5. Press Enter when finished.

Cannot process multiple boundaries because the outer polyline includes loops.

 

Seeing this error message when trying to use the Multiple option while placing a hatch?

 

Here's what to do.

Not seeing an error message but can't get the hatch to place correctly and exclude the interior objects? Here's what to do.

For more detailed information and screenshots on this process, see our articles on placing groundcover and Shrub Area hatches and placing site hatches.