Chamfered 3D text
George Hartzell wrote:
I think I just connected the dots to a big reason to work with in the
2D space: text is a 2d object and you can't mix it with 3d objects
like cubes....
Speaking of which, I haven't yet found a decent solution to produce engraved
/ embossed text where the 3D effect is chamfered rather than extruded out at
a straight perpendicular.
I can produce a base layer of 2D text, and using "offset" I can produce the
smaller (still 2D) version that sits at the other end of the "extrusion" but
what I can't do is join those two 2D objects to make a solid.
Do I have to resort to interpolating at multiple different vertical
positions and sizes to progressively dig out the text?
That does work, but produces a much higher surface count than simply joining
the two 2D polygons together vertex-by-vertex would.
For 3D printing it's kinda OK, because I can set the interpolation on the Z
axis to match the print resolution, but if I wanted proper smooth polygons
for other purposes it doesn't look great, either.
Ray
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AFAIK, there is no neat way to do it in OpenSCAD. An approximation may be
built with minkowski: it is time-consuming, generates more vertices than
needed and rounds the character corners.
chanfer_text("Text","Liberation Sans:style=Bold", 2, 10);
module chanfer_text(text, font, h, ang) {
d = htan(ang);
minkowski(){
linear_extrude(height=h0.0001)
offset(-d)
text(text, font=font);
linear_extrude(height=h,scale=h*0.0001)
circle(d);
}
}
The offset may be suppressed depending on what you want.
2018-02-06 7:48 GMT-02:00 RayBellis openscad@ray.bellis.me.uk:
George Hartzell wrote:
I think I just connected the dots to a big reason to work with in the
2D space: text is a 2d object and you can't mix it with 3d objects
like cubes....
Speaking of which, I haven't yet found a decent solution to produce
engraved
/ embossed text where the 3D effect is chamfered rather than extruded out
at
a straight perpendicular.
I can produce a base layer of 2D text, and using "offset" I can produce the
smaller (still 2D) version that sits at the other end of the "extrusion"
but
what I can't do is join those two 2D objects to make a solid.
Do I have to resort to interpolating at multiple different vertical
positions and sizes to progressively dig out the text?
That does work, but produces a much higher surface count than simply
joining
the two 2D polygons together vertex-by-vertex would.
For 3D printing it's kinda OK, because I can set the interpolation on the Z
axis to match the print resolution, but if I wanted proper smooth polygons
for other purposes it doesn't look great, either.
Ray
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In the Topic "DXF to "3D-printable" lines with thickness", I introduced a
small Python program to convert lines and arcs into function calls. I wrote
modules to generate cylinder and torus pieces, but you can define your own
modules that extrude chamfered sections or created chamfered arcs by
combining cylinders and cones.
I used it to engrave a motto onto a sigil. I drew the motto as text in
LibreCAD, exploded the letters into lines and arcs, and used that as the
input for the Python program.
Mind you, you will still have some work defining the right modules, but at
least it is a possibility.
http://forum.openscad.org/file/t1601/afdruk.png
You can download the program from
http://www.w-p.dds.nl/dxflines2scad_py.txt
(after download, rename it to "dxflines2scad.py")
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This is what I came up with. I didn't try printing with it yet, but I think
it would work:
module Embossed(step = 0.05, height = 1, grad = 0.5) {
for (z = [ 0 : step : height ]) {
translate([0, 0, z])
linear_extrude(height = step)
offset(delta = -z * grad, chamfer = true)
children();
}
};
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This is a standard solution. Unhappily, besides the staircase surface, it
is more time-consuming than using minkowski because of the union of many
objects. It doesn't round corners, though.
2018-02-06 11:35 GMT-02:00 RayBellis openscad@ray.bellis.me.uk:
This is what I came up with. I didn't try printing with it yet, but I
think
it would work:
module Embossed(step = 0.05, height = 1, grad = 0.5) {
for (z = [ 0 : step : height ]) {
translate([0, 0, z])
linear_extrude(height = step)
offset(delta = -z * grad, chamfer = true)
children();
}
};
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Varying the second object in Ronaldo's code changes the effect... e.g. the
following chamfers at 45 degrees (I think) in the X direction.
chamfer_text("Text","Liberation Sans:style=Bold", 3, 10);
module chamfer_text(text, font, h, ang) {
d = htan(ang);
minkowski(){
linear_extrude(height=h0.0001)
offset(-d)
text(text, font=font);
rotate([90,0,0])
linear_extrude(d) polygon(points=[[-d,0], [d,0],[0,d]]);
}
}
On Wed, Feb 7, 2018 at 3:59 AM, Ronaldo Persiano rcmpersiano@gmail.com
wrote:
This is a standard solution. Unhappily, besides the staircase surface, it
is more time-consuming than using minkowski because of the union of many
objects. It doesn't round corners, though.
2018-02-06 11:35 GMT-02:00 RayBellis openscad@ray.bellis.me.uk:
This is what I came up with. I didn't try printing with it yet, but I
think
it would work:
module Embossed(step = 0.05, height = 1, grad = 0.5) {
for (z = [ 0 : step : height ]) {
translate([0, 0, z])
linear_extrude(height = step)
offset(delta = -z * grad, chamfer = true)
children();
}
};
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Nice; to have the specified height and angle the polygon should be:
polygon(points=[[-d,0], [d,0],[0,h]])
2018-02-06 16:11 GMT-02:00 Frank van der Hulst drifter.frank@gmail.com:
Varying the second object in Ronaldo's code changes the effect... e.g. the
following chamfers at 45 degrees (I think) in the X direction.
chamfer_text("Text","Liberation Sans:style=Bold", 3, 10);
module chamfer_text(text, font, h, ang) {
d = htan(ang);
minkowski(){
linear_extrude(height=h0.0001)
offset(-d)
text(text, font=font);
rotate([90,0,0])
linear_extrude(d) polygon(points=[[-d,0], [d,0],[0,d]]);
}
}
On Wed, Feb 7, 2018 at 3:59 AM, Ronaldo Persiano rcmpersiano@gmail.com
wrote:
This is a standard solution. Unhappily, besides the staircase surface, it
is more time-consuming than using minkowski because of the union of many
objects. It doesn't round corners, though.
2018-02-06 11:35 GMT-02:00 RayBellis openscad@ray.bellis.me.uk:
This is what I came up with. I didn't try printing with it yet, but I
think
it would work:
module Embossed(step = 0.05, height = 1, grad = 0.5) {
for (z = [ 0 : step : height ]) {
translate([0, 0, z])
linear_extrude(height = step)
offset(delta = -z * grad, chamfer = true)
children();
}
};
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Here’s my solution to the same problem, using Minkowski…
//(c)2018-01-06 Alex Gibson: admg chamfered text module
//Licence: Creative Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
module admg_chamfered_text(some_text_here,text_height,text_depth,chamfer_depth,chamfer_width)
{
translate([0,0,text_depth-chamfer_depth])
difference()
{
translate([0,0,-(text_depth-chamfer_depth)])
linear_extrude(text_depth)
text(some_text_here,text_height,valign="center",halign="center");
minkowski()
{
difference()
{
cube([500,500,text_depth],center=true);
translate([0,0,-text_depth])
linear_extrude(text_depth*2)
text(some_text_here,text_depth*2,valign="center",halign="center");
}
translate([0,0,text_depth/2])
cylinder(chamfer_depth,0,chamfer_width);
}
}
}
admg_chamfered_text("hello, world!",20,10,0.5,0.5);
Alex Gibson
+44 7813 810 765 @alexgibson3d 37 Royal Avenue, Reading RG31 4UR
admg consulting
edumaker limited
· Project management
· Operations & Process improvement
· 3D Printing
From: Discuss [mailto:discuss-bounces@lists.openscad.org] On Behalf Of Ronaldo Persiano
Sent: 06 February 2018 20:20
To: OpenSCAD general discussion
Subject: Re: [OpenSCAD] Chamfered 3D text
Nice; to have the specified height and angle the polygon should be:
polygon(points=[[-d,0], [d,0],[0,h]])
2018-02-06 16:11 GMT-02:00 Frank van der Hulst drifter.frank@gmail.com:
Varying the second object in Ronaldo's code changes the effect... e.g. the following chamfers at 45 degrees (I think) in the X direction.
chamfer_text("Text","Liberation Sans:style=Bold", 3, 10);
module chamfer_text(text, font, h, ang) {
d = htan(ang);
minkowski(){
linear_extrude(height=h0.0001)
offset(-d)
text(text, font=font);
rotate([90,0,0])
linear_extrude(d) polygon(points=[[-d,0], [d,0],[0,d]]);
}
}
On Wed, Feb 7, 2018 at 3:59 AM, Ronaldo Persiano rcmpersiano@gmail.com wrote:
This is a standard solution. Unhappily, besides the staircase surface, it is more time-consuming than using minkowski because of the union of many objects. It doesn't round corners, though.
2018-02-06 11:35 GMT-02:00 RayBellis openscad@ray.bellis.me.uk:
This is what I came up with. I didn't try printing with it yet, but I think
it would work:
module Embossed(step = 0.05, height = 1, grad = 0.5) {
for (z = [ 0 : step : height ]) {
translate([0, 0, z])
linear_extrude(height = step)
offset(delta = -z * grad, chamfer = true)
children();
}
};
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This brings up a point I've been meaning to address. The linear extrude
function has a "scale" parameter that can scale one end of the extrusion.
It seems like a logical and useful addition to this would be an "offset"
parameter, that would do the same thing, but offset the other end instead
of scaling. It would solve this problem and many others.
Of course, it might take some consideration, obviously, to ensure that it
correctly handles areas that become zero-thickness (or negative-thickness)
when a negative value for offset it used, as well as ensuring that the
resulting object remains manifold when areas merge or holes close up. This
makes it more complicated to implement than the existing scale parameter,
but I think it would be a worthwhile addition.
On February 6, 2018 at 15:13:47, Alex Gibson (alex@alexgibson.net) wrote:
Here’s my solution to the same problem, using Minkowski…
//(c)2018-01-06 Alex Gibson: admg chamfered text module
//Licence: Creative Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0]
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
module
admg_chamfered_text(some_text_here,text_height,text_depth,chamfer_depth,chamfer_width)
{
translate([0,0,text_depth-chamfer_depth])
difference()
{
translate([0,0,-(text_depth-chamfer_depth)])
linear_extrude(text_depth)
text(some_text_here,text_height,valign="center",halign="center");
minkowski()
{
difference()
{
cube([500,500,text_depth],center=true);
translate([0,0,-text_depth])
linear_extrude(text_depth*2)
text(some_text_here,text_depth*2,valign="center",halign="center");
}
translate([0,0,text_depth/2])
cylinder(chamfer_depth,0,chamfer_width);
}
}
}
admg_chamfered_text("hello, world!",20,10,0.5,0.5);
Alex Gibson
+44 7813 810 765 @alexgibson3d 37 Royal Avenue, Reading RG31 4UR
admg consulting
edumaker limited
· Project management
· Operations & Process improvement
· 3D Printing
From: Discuss [mailto:discuss-bounces@lists.openscad.org] *On Behalf
Of *Ronaldo
Persiano
Sent: 06 February 2018 20:20
To: OpenSCAD general discussion
Subject: Re: [OpenSCAD] Chamfered 3D text
Nice; to have the specified height and angle the polygon should be:
polygon(points=[[-d,0], [d,0],[0,h]])
2018-02-06 16:11 GMT-02:00 Frank van der Hulst drifter.frank@gmail.com:
Varying the second object in Ronaldo's code changes the effect... e.g. the
following chamfers at 45 degrees (I think) in the X direction.
chamfer_text("Text","Liberation Sans:style=Bold", 3, 10);
module chamfer_text(text, font, h, ang) {
d = htan(ang);
minkowski(){
linear_extrude(height=h0.0001)
offset(-d)
text(text, font=font);
rotate([90,0,0])
linear_extrude(d) polygon(points=[[-d,0], [d,0],[0,d]]);
}
}
On Wed, Feb 7, 2018 at 3:59 AM, Ronaldo Persiano rcmpersiano@gmail.com
wrote:
This is a standard solution. Unhappily, besides the staircase surface, it
is more time-consuming than using minkowski because of the union of many
objects. It doesn't round corners, though.
2018-02-06 11:35 GMT-02:00 RayBellis openscad@ray.bellis.me.uk:
This is what I came up with. I didn't try printing with it yet, but I
think
it would work:
module Embossed(step = 0.05, height = 1, grad = 0.5) {
for (z = [ 0 : step : height ]) {
translate([0, 0, z])
linear_extrude(height = step)
offset(delta = -z * grad, chamfer = true)
children();
}
};
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@Gibson
I guess your second text call should have the same parameters as the first
one: text_height instead of text_depth*2.
Anyway, I think you will get the same result with a simpler code:
module
admg_chamfered_text1(some_text_here,text_height,text_depth,chamfer_depth,chamfer_width){
minkowski() {
linear_extrude(text_depth*2)
text(some_text_here,text_height,valign="center",halign="center");
cylinder(chamfer_depth,r1=chamfer_width,r2=0);
}
}
2018-02-06 21:12 GMT-02:00 Alex Gibson alex@alexgibson.net:
Here’s my solution to the same problem, using Minkowski…
Hi Ronaldo,
Sort of. While I’m pretty sure there are some redundancies in my code, it’s actually working slightly differently…
Rather than being the minkowski sum of the letters and a cone so that the top surface is the original letter, and letters get wider and with rounded corners, instead I’m using minkowski() to make the equivalent of a tool path to subtract from the letters – the chamfering reduces the top surface and the outer edges of letters are the original font.
Does that make sense? Have a look at the 2 side by side.
Both are potentially useful – I might make an updated 3D text library module that will allow you to select either and emboss or engrave, etc.
There’s probably still some unnecessary translations I could weed out and I could potentially subtract from a simple cube rather than fully described letters – this was a rough solution to the same problem the OP was having…
Cheers
Alex Gibson
+44 7813 810 765 @alexgibson3d 37 Royal Avenue, Reading RG31 4UR
admg consulting
edumaker limited
· Project management
· Operations & Process improvement
· 3D Printing
From: Discuss [mailto:discuss-bounces@lists.openscad.org] On Behalf Of Ronaldo Persiano
Sent: 07 February 2018 00:28
To: OpenSCAD general discussion
Subject: Re: [OpenSCAD] Chamfered 3D text
.
I guess your second text call should have the same parameters as the first one: text_height instead of text_depth*2.
Anyway, I think you will get the same result with a simpler code:
module admg_chamfered_text1(some_text_here,text_height,text_depth,chamfer_depth,chamfer_width){
minkowski() {
linear_extrude(text_depth*2)
text(some_text_here,text_height,valign="center",halign="center");
cylinder(chamfer_depth,r1=chamfer_width,r2=0);
}
}
2018-02-06 21:12 GMT-02:00 Alex Gibson alex@alexgibson.net:
Here’s my solution to the same problem, using Minkowski…
The linear extrude function has a "scale" parameter that can scale one end
of the extrusion. It seems like a logical and useful addition to this
would be an "offset" parameter, that would do the same thing, but offset
the other end instead of scaling. It would solve this problem and many
others.
I totally agree. For my sigil, which I intend to cast, I need all cut-out
vertical walls to be slightly tapered, so that the final wax image does not
break when the sigil is taken off.
An offset parameter rather than a taper parameter would greatly help for
detachable casting models.
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Yes, being able to offset an extrusion (such that each edge within the 2D
polygon is offset relative to itself rather than from the shape's overall
center c.f. how scale works) would be very useful.
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I am quite sure this has been discussed before but I couldn't find the
thread. The idea was rejected (or perhaps postponed) exactly because the
issues that may arise from offset An offset may change the number of
vertices and the topology of a shape. A connected set may become
disconnected and holes may disappear.
As the proponent, Whosawwhatis, said: " Of course, it might take some
consideration, obviously, to ensure that it correctly handles areas that
become zero-thickness (or negative-thickness) when a negative value for
offset it used, as well as ensuring that the resulting object remains
manifold when areas merge or holes close up. This makes it more complicated
to implement than the existing scale parameter, but I think it would be a
worthwhile addition."
2018-02-07 11:57 GMT-02:00 RayBellis openscad@ray.bellis.me.uk:
Yes, being able to offset an extrusion (such that each edge within the 2D
polygon is offset relative to itself rather than from the shape's overall
center c.f. how scale works) would be very useful.
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In the area in which I work professionally, we call that "letting perfection
be the enemy of the good".
In other words, just because it might not work in all conceivable
situations, doesn't mean it shouldn't be done.
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Gibson said: " Rather than being the minkowski sum of the letters and a
cone so that the top surface is the original letter, and letters get wider
and with rounded corners, instead I’m using minkowski() to make the
equivalent of a tool path to subtract from the letters – the chamfering
reduces the top surface and the outer edges of letters are the original
font. "
Thank you, now I understood your code. It avoids to round "convex letter
vertices" although the "concave vertices" are rounded what is less
noticeable. Nice solution.
This is something that could - in principle - be done in userspace if the
font geometry information were available.
I'm not sure how hard it would be to make a '2Drender()' or
'textgeometry()'. Failing that, I guess you could scrape character
geometry from postscript into a library.
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http://forum.openscad.org/file/t2140/beveleda.png
I think I'm getting the 'fins' from floating point rounding, and I have a
workaround, but it's a bit of a chore to implement.
roof.scad http://forum.openscad.org/file/t2140/roof.scad
beveleda.stl http://forum.openscad.org/file/t2140/beveleda.stl
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Ok, so I think I've got the strange stuff worked out. ...
a.scad http://forum.openscad.org/file/t2140/a.scad
text2.scad http://forum.openscad.org/file/t2140/text2.scad
roof2.scad http://forum.openscad.org/file/t2140/roof2.scad
Though it seems to run out of memory if I try to do "the quick brown fox
jumps over the lazy dog."
testtext.stl http://forum.openscad.org/file/t2140/testtext.stl
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Nice result!
There is a somehow dirty emboss approach that is based on the union or
intersection of skewed copies. Although it is not perfect and F6 render may
take its time, I sometimes use it because it is so straight forward. Note
that intersection_for has convexity problems on F5. I removed all logic,
to show you the bare principle:
http://forum.openscad.org/file/t887/taper.png
//taper_down(.2, .2) linear_extrude(1) text("hello world");
taper_up(.5, .5) linear_extrude(1) text("test text", font="Times New
Roman:style=Regular");
module taper_down(x=0, y=0)
rotate([0, 0, 180])
for(i=[-x, 0, x], j=[-y, 0, y])
skew(x=i, y=j) scale(-1) children();
module taper_up(x=0, y=0)
intersection_for(i=[-x, 0, x], j=[-y, 0, y])
skew(x=i, y=j) children();
module skew(x=0, y=0, z=0)
multmatrix([[1, z, x], [0, 1, y]]) children();
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Parkinbot wrote
Nice result!
There is a somehow dirty emboss approach that is based on the union or
intersection of skewed copies. Although it is not perfect and F6 render
may
take its time, I sometimes use it because it is so straight forward. I
removed all logic,
to show you the bare principle:
...
Yeah, that looks way easier (and smarter), but isn't going to work well with
diagonal intersections like the one in the x.
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