AutoCad lettering

Hi,

I'm using AutoCAD 2004 and would like to create some lettering to be imported into a cabinetmaking CAM program. These will be simple words to create signs machined out of craftwood. How do I go about creating words to be saved as a dxf so I can then import them into my software and applied to the craftwood?

Thanks in advance,

Dale

Depending upon your secondary software (not autocad) the font may make a pen type requirement. A font with an SHP or SHX file extension. The most common raster type will then be ignored in your CNC application.

Wm.

The software I use accepts dxf files. What is the easiest way to create the lettering in autocad to be opened as a dxf in my cam software?

The software I use accepts dxf files. What is the easiest way to create the lettering in autocad to be opened as a dxf in my cam software?

I think that Autodesk invented the DXF system back in the 1980's and most any of their systems will acept the format.

But, there now is a differing style of DXF systems that can only be assessed by attempting to open up the file then. The original files were totally of lines to make up lineworkd of varying widths, and text lines. Raster text does not fit in to this in any way. Your system may "substitute" in a standard type of text for one not easily found. Thus it may say your text is of some character, it is actually that of some default type.

Wm.

Wouldn't the lettering reallt have to be reduced down to lines and arcs to be acceptable for use with your cam software? Sounds like the text would have to be exploded.

Yes ReMark that's what I'm refering to. What is the easiest process for creating the words and letters I need and turning them into simple lines and arcs for my CAM software to recognise?

Thanks for your help,

Dale

Find a font you like then, if you have Express Tools loaded, look under Text for the Explode Text command. With different fonts your results may vary. Try it on one of the single line fonts first like Romans.

Find a font you like then, if you have Express Tools loaded, look under Text for the Explode Text command. With different fonts your results may vary. Try it on one of the single line fonts first like Romans.

That is pretty much what I did, but I used a true type font that I liked.

After exploding the text I created closed polylines out the parts and then extruded them and unified them into one object.

With the font that I was using, for some reason AutoCAD would not close all the segments surrounding a letter, but it would let me make a portion, which I then closed.

Since I needed them to be 3D anyway, I extruded them, unified them and then subtracted them from the solid that I wanted them incised into.

Simplier to do than it sounds. Making the lettering rotate around a quarter cylinder was the difficult part ... to figure out anyway.