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drawing text on an radius
jess_klenda
Member Posts: 8 ✭
I'm sure my question has been addressed somewhere on this forum, but I don't see it, so I'm starting a new one.
I need to recreate this maker stamp for my dad. They moved, and he hasn't updated his stamp since. Now his health has failed, and I'd like to present him with the new stamp before time runs out.
My problem, I cannot figure out how to get the text to follow a radius. The only thing my student account will let me do with text is write in a straight line and invert the text, but nothing I do lets me put it on an arc like his old stamp was. I've googled this question, and according to Google, it should be easy, but at this point I don't know what I'm missing, and I don't have time to keep chasing my tail.
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Comments
Hey Jess. This should work for you. - Scotty
Scotty,
thank you for sharing this. I find this to be very strange, I saved your example file for surface text in my profile so I can edit it, and so long as I'm in that specific project i can access the surface text tool. However, if I go back to my project and my existing model and search for the surface text tool it isn't available
my project…
your project saved to my profile. both with the same search in the same profile with different results. Do you have any idea why I'm getting this result?
At least it looks like I can use your project to finish mine, but I'd like to figure this out so that I can use the surface text tool on future projects without having to build the model in the surface text proejct.
-Jess
Scotty,
Is it possible to invert surface text and add an angle to the side of the text? This is a stamp, so the text has to be inverted to transfer correctly, and the angle allows it to release from the material without sticking. I've figure out how to do everything but these two things using your idea.
Hi @jess_klenda I use a different feature called Text. Here's where I got to with this to give you some ideas on how to use the tool.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/2e9cf75905a23f8bcf7cfec4/w/9c3be690d47027ae2fad756f/e/9ea7bc28bdcade56d994769e
A couple things:
The amount you can draft (adding an angle to the side) is influenced by font and letter size. The one in your father's stamp looks very aggressively drafted, but with my font choice and size I can only draft it 10 degrees. You can go in to the Text tool and experiment to see what you can get away with.
Here's where you can read up on Text:
And if you want to Add the tool to your toolbar (so it's available in other documents), find this dropdown next your "Search tools…" (far right of toolbar). Click "add custom feature" at the bottom:
When the dialog pops up, put in the URL of the Text feature (or Surface Text, this works for all custom features) and it will show you the doc of interest. Click that doc:
Then select the custom feature:
If you do it correctly you'll get a message saying it was added to your toolbar and then you can find it in your custom features toolbar (where we started!)
Really terrific idea and I hope your dad loves it. Were you planning on having it cast or 3d printed or machined? I have a recommendation if you need help there too.
Good luck!
Jnewth
Thank you for the detailed response. Unfortunately, the text tool in my profile doesn't have the same functionality as it does in yours. I have played with this tool extensively, but I cannot find a way to get it to do anything other than generate text in a straight line. As you can see in my second screenshot, this tool only allows me to write text, select a font and font size, and invert or flip the text, but that's it. So the only other option to curve the text would have to be done after the text is generated but I cannot find a way to do that..
Jnewth,
Also, thank you for creating a model for me. I was able to use your model to make a first prototype. It's not perfect yet, but at least I will have something to give him today.
Thank you!!
The distinction here is that the Text feature in the example doc I gave you is a custom feature. The Text sketch tool is only active when a sketch is open, is built in to the Onshape sketch environment, and unfortunately is very limited, as you have discovered. Custom features are written by users to overcome various gaps in Onshape functionality and to specialize it for particular needs (like text layout, though I would argue if this is a common enough use case to build in to the sketch tool then Onshape should make it good).
If using the doc I created gets you close enough, go for it! Make a copy of that doc and make it your own and start tinkering. And I like helping out on the forums (as do many others). If you get yourself in to a pickle, ping back on this thread. Also you can share your doc (upper right corner, big blue SHARE button, make it public). This will mean anyone can see it which helps us (forum friends/fiends/weirdos) debug your problem.