Color can be specified for individual drawing statements in a pattern definition, or for the entire pattern in a pattern reference. You cannot specify color for the entire pattern in a pattern definition.

 

When a pattern reference specifies a color, any drawing  statement that is part of the pattern and does not have its own color specification is drawn in the color specified in the pattern reference. In the example of nested boxes:

 

pattern Cubes is

    box 200 200          # Outermost box

    move 10 10

    red box 180 180      # Middle box

    move 10 10

    green box 160 160    # Innermost box

    move 80 80           # Move to center

 

the drawing statements that display the two inner boxes have color specifications; the middle box is red and the innermost box is green whenever the pattern Cubes is displayed. The drawing statement that displays the outermost box does not have a color specification. When this box is drawn, it is drawn in the color specified in the pattern reference or the foreground of the referencing object, if no color specification is given.

 

For example:

 

aqua pattern Cubes

 

draws the box in aqua, whereas:

 

pattern Cubes

 

draws the outermost box in the foreground color of the graphical object whose contents contain the pattern reference.

 

If the graphical object that contains this pattern reference has no color specification, the outermost box is drawn in white:

 

key Shapes at position 300 200

    pattern Cubes

 

If a color has been specified for a particular drawing statement in a pattern definition, it cannot be changed for that drawing statement in any pattern reference.