1 Topic by accusedmonk

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Topic: Text following a circular profile

A friend asked me to draw up and print a logo for him.  The only issue I'm running into is none of the software I have will let me make text in a circular profile that I can then extrude.  I don't mean raised or embosses text on a cylinder, but just text in a semi circle in a logo.

I have Creo Elements Direct Modeling, which is my main source.  Their Creo Parametric seems like it was up to the task but it was such a vast difference in how things are drawn I didn't get the hang of it before the trial ran out.

I'm in a trial version of Geomagic Design from 3DSystems but it doesn't have that ability either apparently.

I have OpenScad, but I have very limited programming background.  My brain also doesn't like not seeing what I'm doing before I do it.

Any ideas?  It's quite frustrating since Creo Direct has been able to do everything with extreme ease for absolutely free, but I can't put a circle of text on something without it costing me thousands for a bundled software license.

Bowden SD3, Rumba, E3D hotend, Mk5 with RtRyder changes, Direct drive Y axis and bearings, GT2 pulleys and braided fishing line, Lawsy linear bearing conversion, M3 Z screw.

2 Reply by Krythis

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Re: Text following a circular profile

There's probably an easier way to do it, but I would use Sketchup as explained in the link below or use something like MS PowerPoint WordArt to make the text then take a screenshot of the text. Import that screenshot into Blender or Sketchup and trace the text onto an object.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/ … BZ2nxJv4d0

E3D-v4 Hotend, MK5 carriage with round plastic wire conduit , 3/16" tempered glass,  Well nut, SureStepr SD8825 1/32 Extruder Driver, PowerEdge 2650 500W PS, QU-BD heated bed, circuit board fan, hinged plexiglass enclosure with plastic tray top. Other than that mostly stock SD3

3 Reply by accusedmonk

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Re: Text following a circular profile

That way in sketchup isn't quite what I need, I tried finding a good video on it for sketchup as well.  I could definitely just move each letter by hand, but the time consumption isn't worth the one off design.

I was thinking about trying the word art idea, I'll have to look more into that.  I'm just really surprised this isn't more of a common tool available in all the software i've been looking at.

Bowden SD3, Rumba, E3D hotend, Mk5 with RtRyder changes, Direct drive Y axis and bearings, GT2 pulleys and braided fishing line, Lawsy linear bearing conversion, M3 Z screw.

4 Reply by michael.t.albers

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Re: Text following a circular profile

Could you use sketchup's text addon for each letter, then rotate it by however many degrees you need (number of letters divided by 360 should give you a close enough angle)?  Move them around a circle shape.  If you need to do detail work, explode em.

5 Reply by michael.t.albers

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Re: Text following a circular profile

Here's a sample I threw together in 10 minutes

Post's attachments

circular text sample.skp 31.02 kb, 11 downloads since 2014-07-15 

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6 Reply by accusedmonk

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Re: Text following a circular profile

Hmm, that example you gave me michael might actually do the job.  Is Sketchup Make the same thing as Pro?  I thought sketchup was free, could be wrong though.

Bowden SD3, Rumba, E3D hotend, Mk5 with RtRyder changes, Direct drive Y axis and bearings, GT2 pulleys and braided fishing line, Lawsy linear bearing conversion, M3 Z screw.

7 Reply by michael.t.albers (edited by michael.t.albers 2014-07-16 05:14:34)

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Re: Text following a circular profile

yes, this was done on Make.  Make is the freebie version.  Pro allows you to do things like film it for presentation and other stuff I am too broke to do....

8 Reply by accusedmonk

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Re: Text following a circular profile

Ahh, so the modeling portion is all there, it's just extra fluff with presentation then?  Thanks for the help, it's much appreciated.

Bowden SD3, Rumba, E3D hotend, Mk5 with RtRyder changes, Direct drive Y axis and bearings, GT2 pulleys and braided fishing line, Lawsy linear bearing conversion, M3 Z screw.