Text Help Please

[Randy727]

I am trying to figure out a way to put single line text on a part in SW. I am not going to extrude it. It will be etched with a laser. I can easily put text in, but can not figure out how to put single line text in without drawing it. I can not seem to find a font in the ones that it lets you use that is single line fonts. They are in my windows fonts but do not show up in solid works. I am assuming that is the case because SW expects people to use them only as extrudes. Please help. Thanks in advance.

[DareBee]

There isn't any.
You have to draw it.

[Badiroc]

Gibbs has a font called Moorpark i believe it is a single line font used it years ago but only in Gibbs. Might not be applicable for SW

[ME87]

Create a drawing from your part. Create a layer that your laser knows it needs to etch. Use the text function from within the drawing and put w/e text you want. Save the drawing as a dxf. It will output as single line. This is one way. The other way is to use solid works DWG editor to edit the dxf. file and use the text function there. Very easy process.

[Randy727]

Thanks guys. I am aware of other ways to do it. I was just hoping there was a way to do it directly in SW. I prefer all of my parts as SW parts, and try not to use dxf or dwg's if I can get around it. I just used a different cad program to draw it as a dxf, then turned the text to construction lines. Then just simply traced over them with my line tool. Then named the layer to ETCH. That seemed to be the easiest way I could come up with without saving as dxf. Thanks for the replys.

[ME87]

What nesting software are you using that allows you to take SW parts straight into the post processor?

[Randy727]

I use what is called Sheetworks. It is a bend program with Solidworks built into. It is really awsome software. It is sold by Amada wich is what brand of laser we use. It automaticly converts the solidworks data to what is called sddj files. The sddj files is what the laser software is able to read. My bending program will also read it. That is why I do not like using dxf files anymore. Plus the sddj files and solidworks files will store material types. DXF's will not. If I have a customer that buys something from me, and turns around two years later and orders it again, I will no everything about the part without having to store paperwork. Anyone that is running amada lasers or pressbreaks should really have this software. Worth every penny of the very, very high price tag that it comes with.