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Thread: Raised Text

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    10

    Raised Text

    Hi Guys, I have been trying for a while to find a quick and simple solution to milling a small project which will give raised text like my example shown here.

    I can get as far as the design, but everything I try gives me a cutting path which produces the opposite - engraved text.

    I have sheetcam, cambam and lazycam (yes, I have no budget). I would appreciate any comments with no/low cost solutions.

    My DXF is included for expert perusal

    Thanks
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails roland_stamp.jpg  
    Attached Files Attached Files

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538
    You can create the raised text with Elefont, but not the border or background.
    http://www.armanisoft.ch/webdesign/elefont/Elefont.html

    Then, if you can convert the .dxf to an .stl, you can mill it with freemill.
    www.cncportal.com

    Accutrans should be able to convert it, it's $20. 30 day free demo.
    http://www.micromouse.ca/

    There's a lot of free 3D software floating around, although the learning curve might be steep. You might want to look at Moi. http://moi3d.com/
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    259
    This is how V Carve handles the job.


    John S.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538
    I didn't think of doing pocketing. Can't the same thing be done with SheetCAM?
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    521
    Hello Roland,

    Here it is done in CamBam...

    CamBam does not handle 3D dxf surfaces very well I apologise, so it looks pretty yuk when you open it up, but I deleted the unwanted objects which left the letters and outline as good old 2D splines.

    I then converted the splines to polylines and joined them.
    There are some instructions in this thread on how to do island pockets like this using regions and a pocket.
    http://www.forum.cambam.org/index.php/topic,39.0.html

    The latest version of CamBam does a much more efficient toolpath now I have added some optimisations.

    I've attached my final CamBam file and initial one (after tidying) for you to look at.

    Good Luck!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails cambam-island-milling.jpg  
    Attached Files Attached Files

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    758
    Quote Originally Posted by 10bulls View Post
    Hello Roland,

    Here it is done in CamBam...

    CamBam does not handle 3D dxf surfaces very well I apologise......
    Hi there,

    I would think you could generate this as a height-map in CamBam using a bitmap.... as well as by use of the DXF file you created..

    hope this helps

    Danny (aka Yohudi)
    What one man can do another man can do..
    BitMaps to Models, 3D2Relief, tutorials and FREE CNC Software http://cnc4free.org

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    761
    Use an image carve program and invert the grayscale so the cutter is high on the text area.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails rolandtest.JPG  
    Wayne Hill

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    1113
    No expert help here - converting dxf to stl. then STLWORK2 (also a free 30 day demo) got the letters not the Oval/ellipse. Heres the output in NC plot (free), and the stlwork2.
    http://www.stlwork.com/
    If you could save as stl files cuts out one bit of software and step. Took more time to find my software than to do the convert!
    :cheers: Jim
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Roland01.jpg   Roland02.jpg  
    Experience is the BEST Teacher. Is that why it usually arrives in a shower of sparks, flash of light, loud bang, a cloud of smoke, AND -- a BILL to pay? You usually get it -- just after you need it.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    10
    Thanks Guys - what a dizzying array of solutions - and some really good suggestions for me to follow up. It's interesting to see something so simple become complicated. Then again, if it were so simple we would all get bored

    It's great seeing my name all over the place too!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    10
    Quote Originally Posted by 10bulls View Post
    Hello Roland,

    Here it is done in CamBam...

    CamBam does not handle 3D dxf surfaces very well I apologise, so it looks pretty yuk when you open it up, but I deleted the unwanted objects which left the letters and outline as good old 2D splines.

    I then converted the splines to polylines and joined them.
    There are some instructions in this thread on how to do island pockets like this using regions and a pocket.
    http://www.forum.cambam.org/index.php/topic,39.0.html

    The latest version of CamBam does a much more efficient toolpath now I have added some optimisations.

    I've attached my final CamBam file and initial one (after tidying) for you to look at.

    Good Luck!
    I downloaded the latest update to CamBam and tried to follow the guide from the forum. I cannot seem to get the "R" and the "n" to be be added to the region. It looks like they get selected, but when I select the inner oval, then the R and N get deselected.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails cambam1.jpg  

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    521
    Quote Originally Posted by roland88 View Post
    I downloaded the latest update to CamBam and tried to follow the guide from the forum. I cannot seem to get the "R" and the "n" to be be added to the region. It looks like they get selected, but when I select the inner oval, then the R and N get deselected.
    I looks like the message window down the bottom is reporting "can only create regions from polylines". Can you confirm the R and n are polylines?
    Can try these shortcuts...
    CTRL+A (select all the objects)
    CTRL+P (convert all selected objects to polylines)
    CTRL+J (try and join all selected polylines...I used join tolerance 0.01)
    Then try make the region again.

    I hope this helps. If you want to upload the file, I can take a look.

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