Create 3D Angled/Bevelled/Chiselled Text

[Dahzee]

I have been using CAD for over 30 years but have only just started doing some in 3D.

 

One of my clients asked me if I could create 3D text that looks like the type of text seen on gravestones or created using a CNC router but the other way up.

 

What seemed easy to create physically (think gravestones) or visually when software shows a preview of what routed letters will look like when cut using a V-shaped CNC tool, proved to be in my case a particularly lengthy process.

 

The final result was going to be produced on a 3D printer so the letters would be raised instead of being cut into stone or wood.

 

The other restriction was I had to work with the font they gave me.

 

On the more challenging letters, it took me nearly an hour per letter, which was particularly painful.

 

Bearing in mind I didn't really know what I was doing I tried a couple of ways which got me halfway there but not what the client was looking for.

 

I tried chamfering the letters which sort of worked but with all the curves and non parallel lines it left me with either flats on the top face of the letter or the chamfer didn't go all the way to the base of the letter.

 

The workflow I went for in the end was to draw a triangle from the end of the letter, turn it into a block and use MEASURE to duplicate it around the letter and then rotate the triangles to be perpendicular (I should have made the triangles perpendicular with the letters centreline before using MEASURE instead of being parallel to the base of each letter, which I worked out later) to what would be the top of the letter (i.e the pointed top centreline part in the middle of the letter).

 

I then exploded the triangle blocks and adjusted the two ends of each triangle that were on the base to fit the profile of the letter.

 

Using LOFT then got me along and around the letter to create what I needed.

 

This worked pretty well until I got to the ampersand whereby I had to do it in multiple parts to prevent the LOFT from intersecting itself!

 

I did finally create what they were looking for but I certainly didn't make any money!

 

I am using the latest version of Bricscad V24 Pro, so there may be a better program out there to do this but was wondering if anybody else has either done this in the past or has a much better way of manipulating the letters than the workflow I came up with?

 

I have attached the file so you can see what I started with and what I managed to achieve.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated in my transition from 2D to 3D.

Bevel Text Test.dwg

[CyberAngel]

My strategy would be to use a second copy of the text. Have one with thickness and one without. Move the zero thickness version "inside" the surface (if that's the goal) and use LOFT to connect the two. Not sure how well that would work.

 

Kudos for getting the job done!

[BIGAL]

1st step is get a copy of Text2GEOM by ASMI, it explodes text and attempts to make plines of the text, yes still need to clean up letters. But no way takes an hour. I am no expert on 3D solids so I am sure others will provide some answers. Have you tried using extrude path. One suggestion is scale the text 1/2 width makes the triangle easier to workout. Used rotate3D to stand up.

 

 

Text 2 geom.zip

[Dahzee]

@CyberAngel& @BIGAL,

 

Thanks for the help, I was unable to make Text2geom work (I used NETLOAD on the .dll and got the error below).

Error Message: Could not load file or assembly 'file:///C:\V24_ MyLisps\STSC_Text2Geom_v19.dll' or one of its dependencies. Operation is not supported. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131515)

 

I did have a play with EXTRUDE using Path and also the SWEEP command and they could have made my life easier.

 

I still have a lot to learn and I think taking on that project was a bit too early in my 3D journey.

 

I don't think there is a magic bullet in Bricscad that would suffice for all the letters, but I think I could have done it a bit quicker after learning a bit more first :-)

 

Thanks again.

[BIGAL]

I will reload it and see what I get with BCAD. Can you post a dwg with correct font and message etc.

[SLW210]

Maybe try recreating the text, the splines seem troublesome on some of the letters and when converted to plines, some (what should be straight sections) have a lot of vertices, so maybe weed those out, but just seems better to create the text with straight sections as plines to begin with.

 

I will look again on Tuesday when I get back to my work computer.

 

Busy today, but maybe Blender is an option for you? Should be a tutorial on YouTube or Blender sites IIRC.

 

P.S. I once had to do some work with a specific font that wouldn't cooperate, I kept searching and found a very similar font that was easier to work with. A search on the internet for Image search of fonts and/or font match site, greatly narrowed the choices.

[Cad64]

31 minutes ago, SLW210 said:

Busy today, but maybe Blender is an option for you? Should be a tutorial on YouTube or Blender sites IIRC.

 

I took a quick look at this last week in Blender, and I found a suggestion on the Blender Stack Exchange, but I've been super busy too and haven't had much time to try it out. I do plan on diving deeper into it when I get a chance though, and if it works out well, maybe I'll make a video tutorial for my channel.

 

https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/100117/modeling-v-engraved-chiseled-text

[Dahzee]

@BIGAL I didn't get far enough to try Text2geom on any text as the error message (which I copied and pasted) is what I got when I tried to load the routine, not actually running it.

 

There was no font in the original file I was sent, it was just a .dxf with spline shapes of each letter.

 

@SLW210Yes, the splines were quite comprehensive but I was being chased for the file so basically did what I could as quickly as possible.

Blender as you say could well be the answer but I have never used it.

 

@Cad64Like everybody else I am super busy so don't even have time to learn Blender.

Sadly the amount of times I would need to use it I would probably have to relearn it each time :-)

 

I am heartened by the fact that it wasn't a straightforward task (especially in Bricscad) so at least I can feel proud of myself achieving what I did with my limited knowledge in the time I was given.

 

I just hope it stands me in good stead for my next 3D project.

 

Thanks again for everybody's assistance.