Dr Pepper Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Hi, I am totally new to Autocad 2011 and have just started to grasp the basics. In 2D I need to create some alpha-numeric content that will be uploaded to a CNC machine for production. For example the numbers '7 1 9' and characters 'U N I T' need to appear on screen exactly as they will be when CNC machined from metal. I am not sure what the capabilities are of Autocad for this kind of work in terms of WYSIWYG and what kind of styles I can create. In particular my requirement is to have the alpha-numeric characters quite substantial and not 'thin' (so far I can only think of using bold). Really grateful for any pointers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Mather Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Best bet is to put the text in using CAM software (like MasterCAM) rather than in AutoCAD. If this isn't possible - post back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Pepper Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 Thanks for the reply. I'm not familiar with CAM software. The reason I focused on AutoCAD is because I was told that the CNC machinery can read .dwg files and also that if I created the characters in something like MS Word and then converted the file to .dwg it may not be an exact conversion. What is the main reason why AutoCAD is not suitable compared to CAM software? Is it a case of text in AutoCAD is for annotation and does not offer enough flexibility to be used for direct production. Or is it that CAM is specifically for CNC production? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Mather Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 More information is needed on your product design intent and manufacturing process. You might have a different application, but most CAM coding of cut text is single centerline path of cutting tool. The tool provides the thickness to the letters - following the path. Text in AutoCAD has boundary thickness rather then single centerline. Post some examples/links to something that represents what you are after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
designerstuart Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 if the text is limited or not likely to be changed before the final print, it could all be drawn as linework, couldn't it? do you need it to be in a particular font? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 It is possible to explode text-objects to get lines from it, which perhaps is what a CNC-machine can read. I remember seeing numerous threads on these things, I'll see if I can find some update: See This thread - there are some suggestions there that could get you started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.