Engrave text from Solidworks

[kunfuzed]

When the engineers create a tool or a die, often it has some sort of p/n and other identification on it. In solidworks they project the text(maybe using "wrap") onto the solid, which when imported into mcam can have edge curves applied to it. The problem is that these are closed contours. We would like a sort of stick font that we could engrave with a centerline contour without having to create stick font in mcam over it.

 

Does anyone have a solution for this? I understand that solidworks may require closed contours for it's "projection", so there may be no better way.

 

Or does anyone know of a chook or something that will create center lines of text?

 

Thanks.

[crazy^millman]

Could you take a slice of the solid or surfaces and put it on a separate level then put curves on all edges to then engrave with??

 

HTH

[kunfuzed]

Thanks. We are able to do that, but what I'm taking about is getting solidworks to export text that is a stick font. Example being an "o" that is one circle instead of two concentric circles, that way we can just select one contour and engrave it with a small endmill.

 

We don't actually use real "engraving". Just contours with comp off.

 

Thanks.

[Lars Christensen]

I have a Camworks font that write like "stick" in Solidworks, but since it is a stick you can not extrude it, what means that your writing stays as a "sketch" entity. Mastercam only brings in the Solids from Solidworks, so I think you are stuck.

[Lars Christensen]

Unless you have "Mastercam inside Solidworks"

[kunfuzed]

Ha ha, yeah. Maybe I'll suggest that.

[Odell]

I just use mastercam and slap the text on how I want it. It only takes a min.

[kunfuzed]

That's what we end up doing. But why do something twice if it could be done once. The model is supposed to have the text as part of our procedures.

[Lars Christensen]

I also use Odells procedure but I agree with kunfuzed, it seems kinda silly that I model something in Solidworks where engraving is part of the feature, for then "slap"(like that expression ) mcx text on top. Now I know that Mastercam only gets whatever Solidworks hands down to them, in regards to converting Solidworks files into another format (like mcx) and I would not be surprised that sketch geometry might be pretty secured and locked up by Solidworks.

[heavychevy2155]

Not sure if this could help but, create edge curves, then xform offset contour to shrink the contours to look like stick letters. Not even sure if it works like that, might be something to try.