confused about tiny incised lettering... "engraving fonts" ?

[iSign]

I love my Multicam, but the intense learning curve has been a roller coaster for a couple years already..
and the economy these last few years made it not such a good time to "study" ...so, I've been running a minimal crew, and working insane hours just to cover the nut without going belly up...


...but, I digress... I like learning new stuff, and I let the variety of jobs rolling through here dictate what new thing I learn at any given time... and right now I need to quickly figure out a way to complete a job I promised out for Monday...

The sign is only 6" x 10" and has a simple raised border, a single bold word in raised block lettering, and a 2" x 5" raised panel with some 1/4" copy.

I thought I could do this with a conic tool... and in fact I think I did it a year or so ago... but I ran a few tests & wasn't getting my intentions properly sent to the machine, so the results were incorrect...

Is there something like a centerline font that my conic bit can follow, for a simple sans serif engraving? I don't mind buying a new font if anyone knows for sure that this will help me get the job done.

I am using Enroute 4

 

[Custom_Grafx]

I haven't used enroute before, but have used newing hall software in the past, and I think what you are referring to is a 'single line font'? In the newing hall software, there were a few single line fonts included.

It's been a while, but I remember them being identified by the prefix 1L (1 line).

There is a long way to make one liners using illustrator as well, using a simple thin font like helvetica ultra light, and rasterising it, then live tracing it, using strokes rather than fills (this will get the centreline for you).

Sorry, maybe I was of no help, but thought I'd spill what I know about the topic just in case any of it is of use to you.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Not sure if this will help you but, when I upgraded to Omega 3, I found a bunch of them suddenly appeared in my font menu ... and I don't engrave. If you have Omega 3 or later, you could set your text there and export/import it over to Enroute.

 

[iSign]

cool, thank you both... I have Omega 3, so I will check

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

It took me a second to understand what you were talking about Doug. I have something on my laptop that may work. I believe it's a ttf too. LMK and I'll look for you. You're basically looking for the most simplest of font with single line vectors correct?

 

[CES020]

Doug, if you have CorelDraw X4, there are some single line fonts in there. I don't have it, but I know they are in there.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

http://www.featurecam.com/general/support/engrave_fonts.asp

 

[Si Allen]

Doug ... if you have Corel X4 orX5:

1. Type the text in Corel

2. Convert to curves

3. Covert to bitmaps

4. Centerline trace

5. Import into your cutting program.

It only takes a couple of minutes!

 

[GB2]

I don't think you need an engraving font, I think you need to set up your job differently in the Enroute software. I'm very short of time right now but I'll try to look and see if I can find the right thing for you. You are not engraving, rather you are incise carving/routing.

 

[V-ENGRAVE]

The sign is only 6" x 10" and has a simple raised border, a single bold word in raised block lettering, and a 2" x 5" raised panel with some 1/4" copy.

If you really need border and text to be raised you need to setup hatch fill routing in your program. If I was doing this I would engrave it with laser anyhow.

On the other hand, if all you need is text and border to be engraved into material then single line font and box can be creating in engraving program and exported to PLT format for you to import into Enroute 4.

 

[iSign]

the hatch fill routing is not a problem. That is everyday stuff... it's the small text that I am trying to see if I can do myself, instead of outsourcing. I realize a laser engraver is "the right tool" for the job... but the tool I have at my disposal is a pretty capable tool as well, and one that I admittedly haven't scratched the surface of all that it is capable of doing...


so, for better or worse, I routinely agree to do jobs that I haven't yet done, and don't exactly know how to do... which ties in to why I bought a CNC in the first place... I was quite profitable doing the same old same old... but I don't want to do the same old thing... I want to learn new things...

anyway, this is the proof I created for the client, using a photo of the Jatoba (Brazillian Cherry) wood that I had on hand & offered to use for this job:

I assumed incise carving was the right path to look down, but in two attempts on Friday, my conic bit went too deep, and carved outside the vectors of the standard (double line) text... I tried something different on the second attempt, but still haven't stumbled onto the right approach.

The job is due tomorrow, so I will be firing up the machine shortly & if all else fails, I will rout everything except the 1/4" text & will try to get some rush laser engraving down on another material to add to this sign... which is what the client originally assumed I would need to do...

 

[Fred Weiss]

Looks great but I think you have Hooleiatgrandwailea spelled wrong.

 

[CES020]

I don't know the software you use, but in cheaper software, like VCarve Pro, that would be easily done with the "V-Carve Toolpath". If you have a 90 degree cutter, or 60 degree, it'll eat that little stuff right up. Here's a preview done with 1/4" letters and a 90 degree cutter, using "V-carve". I'm guessing you have a similar command, since this is lower end software I'm doing it with.

It'll do this with any font, no special fonts needed.

 

[V-ENGRAVE]

I see now what you need.

Try this - it should work.

 

[CES020]

You spelled Provided wrong in that file.

 

[V-ENGRAVE]

Wow, my bad.
Second try.....

 

[iSign]

thanks guys...

I pulled out the extra L on both instances of "Wailea" but then I saw the word "please" missing...

I got enough letters to cobble it together, but was just leaving to run some errands before coming back to face this challenge...

so, if you are still here V-Engrave... would you mind that one more little favor?

CES020, I'm sure you're right, but I just don't know enroute's way yet..

does your software require a single line font for this type of incised letter?

 

[CES020]

No Doug, it doesn't. It'll do any font. It varies the depth and uses the tip of the tool to make angles, etc. Next chance I get, I'll film it and show you what it does. You can take any font, use a 90 degree cutter (or some other angle, it's only limited by the geometry of the letter), and it'll make it happen.

I have the most basic package, so if what I have will do it, I'm sure you have a way to do it. Maybe once this is over and done, it'll be worth figuring out. I use it fairly often. Not so much for small letters, but it'll carve the crap out of large letters, done down into a piece (reverse prismatic letters?). If the cut is deeper than the cutter can go, it'll move it over and handle all the steps, automatically.

It's very slick. Not perfect, but good enough to make signs with

 

[V-ENGRAVE]

Revision 3

 

[iSign]

the latest question has to do with the progress I am making, as well as the things that are not seeming to work as expected still..

I replaced the small text in my file, with the center line font V-Engrave sent me.

The results are much better than I was getting before, but I want to try a few more things. Here is a pic of three test runs at different depths. I ran them at .03 at .01 and .005 ...but they all look exactly the same.

I think the result will be slightly more legible if I can not run the tool as deep, but I'm wondering if setting the toolpath as an "engrave" function, somehow seems to make the depth of cut not within my control?

Here is a pic: