Can I make text follow a path?

[karossii]

I know conforming vectors allows centerline text in a carve region. When I first saw it, I assumed it was something else entirely, though. And that something else is a feature I would like - and which may already exist. I don't know.

I would like to make a path, say a simple circle or rectangle (or a spline path, possibly), and then have text conform to that path. So say I want to have text all around the border of a picture frame, it would follow the rectangular, ovular, hexagonal, or any other path of the frame, wrapping as needed.

Is this possible, aside from manually positioning every word (or even every letter) as needed?

[bergerud]

Text along a vector path is a feature introduced in Designer 2.0. What version of Designer do you have?

[karossii]

I am on 1.187. Assuming I can get my CW up and running, and use it to make a few extra bucks, I was going to buy the 3.0 upgrade in a week or three... I guess for now I will manually position. :/

[bergerud]

With 1.187, you can still do text on an arc.

[karossii]

Yes, I have done that. I was hoping to do something a bit more complex; but it is too difficult to do by hand, or at least for my current levels of patience; so I came here hoping I could get some cheaper than $300 upgrade to allow me to do it. I have centerline and the 3D suite, never got the 2D suite or anything else, though. So I am extremely limited in what I can do...

[dbfletcher]

If you dont really care about the typeface you use, and you have access to some program that can save to Adobe Illustrator v 8.0 or lower files (Corel Draw, Inkscape (free), Illustrator (trial)), you can use any single stroke font and lay everything out in on of those programs and then use ai2mpc (search forum) to bring the vectors in to designer. You will still need to assign bits to the vectors once is designer (or you can assign them before ai2mpc processes it (explained in documentation for ai2mpc).

[Digitalwoodshop]

Thinking outside the box... You could type one letter at a time and move and place the letter along a path...

[myshop1044]

karossii (http://forum.carvewright.com/member.php?6131-karossii) I was reading your request and since I just picked up 3.0, this is one of the good features that you can do.
I created a picture frame with text all around the sq. and then I just played with the spacing to make it fit.
This gives me some great ideas for some new projects for the craft shows, I will make a couple of samples and then take orders.
Thank you for your idea. I know it does not solve your problem, sorry.
Perry B.

[karossii]

Doug, I may try that. I do have the CS6 suite, including illustrator; I had never heard of ai2mpc (or if I had, have forgotten about it).

Al, I actually tried that, and was frustrated by two things. First, the letters were not coming out sized evenly, or it doesn't seem they were, meaning manually resizing each letter in addition to manually positioning them. And second, it was taking very long, and looking not so great. Adjusting angles, and trying to get appropriate kerning, was not only difficult manually, but far too tedious for me. (That's why I said above that it was too difficult for my current level of patience, lol!)

Perry, glad I could help. Maybe I can help a bit more... my idea was to have the text more centered on the line, carved as centerline, the use a cutout on an offset path to have the frame (inside and out) follow the text, about an inch out from it. A lot like what Michael Tyler did in his tutorial video (http://youtu.be/021I_UgkI5U?t=3m5s), but around a square, hexagon, or irregular shape (I was personally thinking of a rectangle with one corner cut off at an angle, and with the bottom a bezier curve).

Of course, I knew I would have to buy the 2D drawing tools to do that; but I had planned on that anyway... and had HOPED that maybe with those tools I could have gotten the text to follow a path.

[mtylerfl]

Ken, when you upgrade to version 3, you will have access to a feature called "Decorate with Text" (as Dan already mentioned). This feature is built-in both version 2 and 3 of Designer and not a part of the 2D Drawing add-on. I am assuming this is what Perry used in his example above. The feature allows text to follow a drawn vector line or curve.

Wrapping text around a shape can be done, but it's a bit more challenging for say, a triangle or octagon. Sometimes it will be easier to do your text in portions (one or a few words at a time) and rotate/align manually to get the effect you want around certain shapes. The automatic wrapping may put some text upside down when you want it right side up, or it might wrap a part of a word on a corner, when you really wanted it to wrap on a straight part of a shape. So, there are times when you want to 'parcel' sections of the text no matter what program you are using.

[karossii]

Michael,

I would have to see a video tutorial, or else play with it myself, to be sure - but I think that is exactly what I would want it to do. I'd planned on making a complex vector shape (or even not actually close it and leave it a series of connected lines, splines, and arcs), and having the text follow that path; preferably centered on the path (his sample image looks like it is floored on the path, not centered) - but either way would work. Then, I would play with the spacing and font choice to get the words to break where and how I wanted, and outline the text then use a path offset on the text's outline (just as you did for the JODY plaque), and make that outline a cut path for the front of a frame. In photoshop, I made a quick and dirty example in under a minute... it is nowhere near as neat as I would make an actual frame... but it shows the idea.

70645

[Underdog]

Wrapping text around a shape can be done, but it's a bit more challenging for say, a triangle or octagon. Sometimes it will be easier to do your text in portions (one or a few words at a time) and rotate/align manually to get the effect you want around certain shapes. [...] So, there are times when you want to 'parcel' sections of the text no matter what program you are using.

What would make this SO much easier, is if we had REAL font size controls.... Not this "I'm eyeballing what size this font is as I rotate and put it in place" kinda controls...... Seriously? :rolleyes:

[lynnfrwd]

What would make this SO much easier, is if we had REAL font size controls.... Not this "I'm eyeballing what size this font is as I rotate and put it in place" kinda controls...... Seriously? :rolleyes:

Designer PRO has the ability to flow text along an open path. (Remember text flows in the direction the path is drawn.) You can also set the size of the fonts in Designer PRO. SERIOUSLY!

[Underdog]

I'm assuming that "Designer Pro" means the new 2.0 or 3.0 versions?

[lynnfrwd]

I'm assuming that "Designer Pro" means the new 2.0 or 3.0 versions?

Yes. Designer BASIC is 1.187. Designer PRO is currently 3.102.

[cestout]

I have found situations where shaping the envelope works better than following a line.
Clint

[Underdog]

Shaping the envelope? What's that?

[bergerud]

That is the Edit Envelope, a feature of Designer 2 and 3. Text and patterns can be "distorted".

[Underdog]

Designer is finally starting to catch up with the big boys, eh? It might actually be competition if they keep this up.

[lynnfrwd]

Underdog, I think it is more of a case of you needing to catch up with Designer. Edit envelope, Text (and Patterns) Along a Path, Font Tools...all introduced over a year ago.

[rickroy]

I think that you could use text in PhotoShop and shape it however you want. Rasterize it and save it with a transparent background as a .PNG file Then import as you would any graphic or photo and scale to your needs. I've done this several times before upgrading to Designer 3 which is much easier!

[FWMiller]

I think it is more of a case of you needing to catch up with Designer..

I'll be more agreeable to this after you offer an integrated pocket cut;)....And that also doesn't cost me $199.:D

[lynnfrwd]

It's not an $199 add-on. It's Designer Pro upgrade and currently on sale for 20% off.

[Underdog]

Hey. Well I was all set to buy the DXF importer when you hit us with those upgrade prices. Threw me for a loop. Couldn't make up my mind what I was going to do.
Give me a few. I've just now bought the 2D Vector module... Can't buy it all at once...

[lynnfrwd]

I totally understand not being able to get everything at once and folks working off of a budget.

It is the potshots you keep taking at LHR that I don't understand.:(

[Underdog]

(I'm hoping you don't delete this or censor me, because I think I have something important to say to LHR.)

First off, you'll have to be patient with me. I'm a bit of a curmudgeon and a puddleglum. The critical attitude comes from being a perfectionist and wanting everything to be exactly right... I'll take responsibility for that. My sincere apologies. I'll try to be more constructive...

That being said, I'm used to using *Brand Name Omitted- (but it's $10K per seat)* where all this stuff I wish(ed) for in Designer is standard issue. And your nearest competitor in price (Brand Name also omitted, but it's only $2K per seat) is just as good as the more expensive brand.
So when I look at the capabilities of Designer that are finally catching up to these packages, (for the same price or more as your nearest competitor) which have had these capabilities for years, I'm disappointed. I can't lie about that.

Potshots aside....

I am happy that LHR is continuing to make improvements in the software, and hope to upgrade my licenses to eventually have all the modules. I'm also happy that LHR has taken steps to improve their machine in their most critical failures - ie, heavy duty X axis belts, solid chuck, and dust collection (albeit 3rd party). You guys took a pounding in purchaser reviews for so long that I think you're still fighting that negative press even today when those corrections have been made for quite some time. It is HARD to overcome that initial bad press. (Just ask Cabinet Vision.*) You might be glad to know that I defend you to other CNC users... So keep up the good work!

I am happy with my second hand machine with it's improvements, and note that it's a unique tool that outclasses, in my opinion any other desktop machine in it's class. Why? Because your X axis is nearly unlimited... No other CNC router has this capability. At least, not that I'm aware of.

I'd still like to see LHR get out of the proprietary market though, and distribute their software for use on other machines, and open their machines to other software. I think this limits you to a market that is much too small.

*By the way, I'm a staunch defender of Cabinet Vision also. They had some really bad issues with their software and support mechanism about 12 years ago, and were fighting a lot of negative press. But today they have a top of the line product, and they have the best program manager and support mechanisms of ANY software that I use, bar NONE. And yes, I (and many others) have been quite critical of their software too. But the thing is? They listened to us and made the improvements necessary to gain back power-users trust. THAT is the key. Take your most critical users and address the issues they complain about. THAT will gain customer respect.

[Carl H]

I am working on a budget and sometimes I need text that is warped or follows a path.
I do it one of two ways. I either create my text to path with my desktop publisher and export it as a raster image.
Or if I need it carved with centerline I export it as a png and import that into a font. The entire text becomes a dingbat and I can then use the centerline module to carve it.
Eventually I will get the modules I need but for now this is a work around.
Importing graphics to a font has been a godsend for me.
77696
If you do not cave centerline you can import as a pattern and trace the outside edges. At least then you have outlined text

[mtylerfl]

Hi Carl,

Would you be so kind to explain the details of how you "import graphics to a font"? I'm sure a lot of folks would be interested in your procedure (software used, step-by-step).

Thanks in advance!

[Carl H]

I use a software called SigMaker 3. it is free and can import glyphs to any TTF font. It is very straight forward. I found the only real issue is if the glyph has too many lines.
You can import most simple line art like logos etc.
I tend to install the new fonts on a short term basis only, They can quickly clutter your font directory. The only drawback of the free version of this software is it only imports one glyph at a time.

[mtylerfl]

Thank you very much for the additional info, Carl! Good stuff.