We have the topology tools to get hatching by area(the area calculation is based on the toolset).
We don't have a robust offset support from the engine side.
dellus wrote
This would be a fantastic new feature. Advanced commercial cad packages do offer this.
Another substantial improvement would be the possibility to define an offset for the hatch pattern. Then you could place the pattern correctly within a given shape, for example bricks in a facade or tiles in a bathroom wall or floor.