The rect function will draw a rectangle and can fill it with diagonal lines at 
specified angle and density.  But before you do that, really consider if and 
why you want to.  Using the diagonal lines became popular when the only way to 
get quality graphics was with a pen plotter (mechanical arm actually drawing 
the plot with a pen), filling an area was not reasonable (you could use a 
really high density of lines, but that usually made you unpopular with everyone 
else waiting for their turns, and often just wore a hole in your paper).

Research has shown (see Tufte's book) that patterns of lines are not the best 
approach, they can produce what is called the Moire effect which gives an 
illusion of color and movement.  These pattern fills are better at producing 
headaches and nausea and less effective at conveying information and producing 
useful plots.

-- 
Gregory (Greg) L. Snow Ph.D.
Statistical Data Center
Intermountain Healthcare
[email protected]
801.408.8111


> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:r-help-boun...@r-
> project.org] On Behalf Of St.Jeff Shang
> Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 8:34 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [R] How to fill in a region with different patterns?
> 
> Hi to all,
> 
> 
> 
> Here is a question which I cannot solve. Appreciate so much for any
> suggestions!
> 
> 
> 
> I have a squared region which is irregularly divided into many
> rectangular patches.
> 
> Each patch is associated with a value, and two patches possibly share a
> common value.
> 
> I hope to fill in each patch a pattern according to its value. For
> instance, if a patch has value 1, then I fill in that patch with
> pattern A; if it has value 2, then fill in it with pattern B,...
> 
> 
> 
> The pattern is something like a rectangular region with certain colored
> lines in it. For instance, pattern A may be a white rectangular region
> filled in by two thick black lines;
> 
> pattern B may be a white rectagular region filled in by 10 thick black
> lines,...
> 
> 
> 
> Is this available in matlab? I have serached "polygnon" in matlab user
> guide and found a
> 
> "fill function" may work, however, there is still a long way to finally
> complete it.
> 
> 
> 
> Many thanks again!
> 
> Jeff
> 
> 
> 
>       [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
> 
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> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-
> guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.

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