I need help in creating a 3D text wrapped around a cylinder , kind of like the writting on a bottle.

Do you want to paste a label on a bottle? Or do you want to make the text an integral part of the cylinder? If the latter, do you want it to be raised above the surface, or engraved in the surface, or flush with the surface? Should the text and the cylinder be the same material and color, or different?

Henry H

Henry,

I'm just experimenting and yes it would be nice been able to master all the scenario you've just mention. So far I was able to do some marking on a flat surface using the txt tool & explode than giving it a thickness.

I was able to do some marking on a flat surface using the txt tool & explode than giving it a thickness.

If you make your text flexible in the settings you can give it a thickness in the 3D setting.

I need help in creating a 3D text wrapped around a cylinder , kind of like the writting on a bottle.

Have you tried bending the text?

I did this by adding 3D Flexible text to a "box", and then bending.

Down side - the more characters, the longer the bending time. Setting the bend parameters BEFORE adding the text to it will save a lot of time.

Also, the box and text don't need to touch, but in order to make the bend, they do need to be selected in the right order - text first.


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Have you tried bending the text?

I did this by adding 3D Flexible text to a "box", and then bending.

Actually, Don, it is possible to bend just the text. I used "Standard" mode, exploded to Polylines, then Simple Extruded to make a bendable object.

Henry H

*EDIT:* You can bend it in the other plane, too. An alternative to "Text Along Curve," maybe.

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Wow!

Didn't know you could do that with text.

Every time you think that you are getting to know TC something new comes along.

Actually, Don, it is possible to bend just the text. I used "Standard" mode, exploded to Polylines, then Simple Extruded to make a bendable object.
Henry H

Smart, Henry!
Did you bend each character individually?

*edit* More fiddling tells me that they can be bent together. Don't know what I was doing wrong.

Hi Henry

How did you bend all characters at once?

I need to do to 3D text along a curve on the back of a 3D solid object (with the text sitting proud of the object) - this is for milling.

I've looked at the Text Along an Arc tool but it has 2 problems:

• cannot use the font I need (Tempus Sans) - for some reason this tool uses different fonts than installed on the PC (any idea how to add more?)
• apparently this tool is no good if you intend to mill the parts (http://forums.turbocad.com/index.php/topic,3154.0.html)

So it sounds like I need to use normal text, and do what you've done by bending characters.
Thanks very much
Tim

Hi Henry

How did you bend all characters at once?

Don't recall how I did those, Tim, but I just verified that this works: Create the text using "Flexible" Mode; explode it into polylines (watch the Selection Info palette and keep exploding until it is reported as a bunch of "Polyline"s, one for each character); extrude with "Use compound profile" enabled (thus making it a single 3D object); apply the Bend tool.

Henry H

Great thanks for that Henry.

I think my problem is that I cannot find the Bend tool - it's not on the 3D tools or modify palette.  I'm guessing because I've got the student version (which annoys me as it says it has all the Pro features - it's why I bought it).

Great thanks for that Henry.

I think my problem is that I cannot find the Bend tool - it's not on the 3D tools or modify palette.  I'm guessing because I've got the student version (which annoys me as it says it has all the Pro features - it's why I bought it).

Which version number do you have?

Henry H