machining text

[bennett71]

Is there an easy way to engrave text in M-Cam? All I need to do is create a path from a single line. When I create the text, I get an error that says selected sub chains do not meet the branch point. If I use true type fonts I can either pocket or contour with no problem. These are just for serial numbers, so I do not need anything fancy, just a simple path to follow the number. Thanks, Tom

[justin_sane420]

create your text, then select toolpaths, contour toolpaths, under your selection menu, select box, then put a box around your text to select it all, then enter, and go through the toolpath options as you would any other toolpath.

if you are worried about accidentally selecting other geometry, create your text on a different level, then make all other levels invisible for selection purposes (then turn them back on after you are finished.

with the selected sub chains error, try using your delete duplicate entities function, you might have created duplicates by accident and it causes problems with toolpath creation.

let me know if that works for you.

[justCNCit]

what if you want to extrude text making it solid

giving it a thickness either as a surface or as solid.

because with that ability, you can do just about anything with it then . . imprint it, scale it, translate parts of it and rotate (if it's solid) if its surface then you are more limited.

Would someone enlighten me from their great MC skill.

[bennett71]

justin_sane420,

Thanks for the tips. I was trying to chain drafting text & it didn't work but using a window to select the path does? Come to find out we needed to use the font provided in the Cad file so I just set the tool dia. to .001, used contour & a center drill @ a depth of -.005 & it looked great. This was a good learning job as I did not know that M-Cam will support any true type font from any program on your pc. The only bad thing is that I can see a lot of people asking... "can you do this for me" LOL. Thanks, Tom

[justCNCit]

Sure it's possible to do, but say you want to scale up the text so that each letter is say 6" height. Then say you want to raise the font, say a basic Arial type, half an inch over the backing. Then lets say we need to add thickness to this text, so it is visible at a distance of a couple hundred feet.

MC should be capable of that, shouldn't it?

[bennett71]

justCNCit,

M-cam is capable of that, you just pocket out everything around the text. You are only limited by the length & diameter of your tool. Is this what you mean?

[cadcam]

if the geo is drafting there is an option to change draft geo to standard lines so you can use it for engraving.

Also use any tool you want size wise but set the tool comasation to off and go.
What version are you using?

[justCNCit]

What I'm looking for is three dimensional SOLID text. I've seen some programs that can create it such as Milkshape 3D, however running a test right now in it to see if it's capable of exporting that data in a usable way.

It doesn't look like it. Any kind of machining I do will be fairly complex three dimensional contour type work.

I'm looking to eventually get self employed with the CNC router doing things like aftermarket dashboards and LED light boards, signs, and possibly mock up work for more unique customer needs.

I'm very adept in AutoCAD and getting there in Mastercam now but I see text manipulation in MC as being quite ackward in regards to my potential purposes. I need solid text, solid data. All I'm getting is lines.

[justCNCit]

Ok well at least some text can be made solid by extruding the outlined type font.

Now half the letters won't even chamfer. Damn, Mastercam is a finnicky program.

[justin_sane420]

take text youve made in any other program pretty much, but one that uses vectors would probably work best, make a drawing of the letters in the font you want, export it as a DXF or something like that, import it into mastercam, and after working a little magic you can use the geometry from the outside edges to contour the letters. kinda like how MC ART can take a hand drawn drawing that is flat/2d, and blow it out to a 3d shape and machine it.

Finniky? a little bit, but the things you can do with it is just incredible.

[cadcam]

Justcncit do you have a sample drawing of any thing that you want I have made all kinds of 3d leters in MC over the years.

Not sure what you are looking to do. What version are you useing (Mastercam that is)?

[justCNCit]

using Mastercam 9.1

justin_sane420, how do you do convert the wires in a DXF to 3d geometry? could you give me a couple of menu options just to get the hands dirty.