Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: dfurlano on January 14, 2007, 11:08:35 PM
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Anyone know of any free engraving fonts? I know about the write wizard but I am looking for other single line fonts.
Dan.
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Dan, I use this one www.simplythebest.net/fonts
Did notice their site is down at the moment but do a google on fonts and you'll find a 1000 more with quite a few offering free dnloads.
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How many fonts do you want? I've been collecting fonts for a few years I think I have about 10,000
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Well, maybe I don't understand something. I would like to cut some very small text. When you use a "regular" font and convert it for engraving it creates a double line that loses it's definition when cut, unless you use a laser. I would like to try and find some single line fonts that would yield a finer cut line.
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Single line fonts are Vector Fonts which are mostly related to cadd
If you use a single line font such as a vector font then you will not be V-Carving you will have to use machine along a vector strategy which will make the depth of your letters all the same.
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Gary,
That may be true with the wizard, but some cam packages do this. They have a v-carve wizard for this.
Brett
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Brett, don't use the wizards so cannot comment on them, correct me if wrong but in my experience if you use a single stroke vector font you can not v-carve or create a centre line to v-carve as you have no closed vectors as you have with a true type font.
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I guess the more I think about this it would depend on the software package your using and how it handles the different fonts.
My cam package does handle fonts differently to my cadd package.
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You know Gary, thinking back I think you are right. I will have to play with my cam package and see.
Brett
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What cam and cad packages do you guys have?
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I run ArtCam Pro for modeling and cam then I use Visual Cadd for all my architectural drawings.
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I have read about artcam pro. How is the learning curve? Does it have good features? I assume it can do a rotary axis with no problems? Any limitations that you have run into?
Thanks.
dan.
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Dan, I would have to say the learning curve is not that bad, just depends on an individuals computer illiteracy, but to be some what proficient takes time and work for the modeling side, drawing, cam, v-carving etc very straight forward quick and easy.
Has some of the top all round features of any package, guess I'm a little bias, there is a fews things I would prefer in the software but no limitations on my behalf. And yes you can output for an indexer
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I use ArtCam as well. Another program you may want to look at is Vectric. It was developed by the same folks. Here is a link.
http://www.vectric.com/
Brett
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Good point Brett, Tony & Brian have an excellent package in their V-Carve pro and now their 3d machinist software, for the money its hard to beat
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But I do not think vcarve has a rotary output????
Dan.
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Have you talked to Tony about this?
Brett
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No, I just read the web site. Didn't see anything about an A axis output.
Dan.
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I look for Tony to jump in this thread at some point.
Brett
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I did a search on their forum and found a post that asked about controlling a rotary axis and the answer was that vcarve pro cannot output to a rotary axis.
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Hopefully I'm seeing Tony at the weekend as we are attending an exhibition in London.
If he get planning permission from SHMBO ;) he will be demonstrating our X3 CNC mill with VCarve and Cut 3D.
On pain of him having to buy all the beer I'll ask about a 4th axis addition.
John S.
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Sorry for the delay in replying.
Single Stroke Fonts - VCarve Pro currently only supports True Type fonts and not single stroke fonts that are quite different. TTF's are always closed vectors that can be engraved using a 'Fill pattern' or vcarved. Single stroke fonts are open lines and arcs that ate typically machined with the tip of the cutter running 'on' the lines.
If you have a CAD / Design package that creates single stroke fonts these can be imported and machined using the Profile = On machining strategy.
We are planning to add single stroke fonts to VCarve Pro but it's going to be around the middle of the year before this is ready.
Rotary Axis Machining - We are also planning to add support to the postprocessors for saving rotary axis toolpaths, but again it's going to be around the middle of the year before this is ready. This will be based on locking one of the axes and wrapping the other moves, which is the way most rotary chucks are driven.
Thank you,
Tony