Creating a border around 3D text

[RWElphinstone]

Hi all,

I am trying to determine how to create a border around 3D text, similar to the graphic included below:

I have created text in my graphics package, and have created a fairly large border which surrounds each letter and encroaches into the next letter automatically, effectively surrounding the entire word in formed border. In the end, I'm looking to use the "Push/Pull" button to extrude the text to a certain level, and extrude the border to a different, lesser level, which will create a nice beveled edge surrounding the text. It doesn't look like an easy fix, but I'm open to ideas!

Thanks!

Rick

[Gaieus]

Hi Rick,

I think that after you create the 3D Text, the Offset tool would be ideal to "thicken" the borders. Of course, this thickening should be done with each, individual letter and since it merges with the neighbouring offset, some intersection and clean-up would definitely be needed.

[RWElphinstone]

@gaieus said:

Hi Rick,

I think that after you create the 3D Text, the Offset tool would be ideal to "thicken" the borders. Of course, this thickening should be done with each, individual letter and since it merges with the neighbouring offset, some intersection and clean-up would definitely be needed.

Wow - I wasn't certain on how that would work, but it does exactly what I had hoped. I actually had an extruded letter, but when I used the tool on the face, and 'pulled' outward, it did create the effect I was looking for. Awesome idea! (...and so fast, too!) I'm going to do some playing, and post my results!

Thanks!

Rick

[Gaieus]

In your particular case it would probably be better to start with a non-extruded text as that will be the easier after you clean up and extrude.

Since the "filling" is more or less continuous, I would even make a group of it and extrude it separately. Probably nice effects could be achieved by extruding the letters and this background by different values but when separately grouped, you can always play around separately and end up where you really like it.

[RWElphinstone]

@gaieus said:

In your particular case it would probably be better to start with a non-extruded text as that will be the easier after you clean up and extrude.

I learned that one the hard way. Actually, it's a lot more challenging than first expected, as letters such as "lowercase e" extrude upon themselves, cutting in on each section of the letter which overlaps one another, shown in the view below:

It's not pretty, especially when you're offsetting letters into other letters, as they intersect each other and set off very funky angles. So, what I did for my final was to explode the word, 'move' each letter alternating up and down so that they were away from everything else, and then did the offset on each letter. I moved them back into position, trimmed the intersecting lines and lines I did not need, and came up with this roughly:

As you can see, it still needs some touching up, but IT WORKS! I'm very happy with the result, as I'm trying to create a 3D sign to be exported to my CNC software for carving.

Again, my sincere thanks!

Rick

[Gaieus]

Ah well, it is not only "pretty" but was quite fast, too!
(The moving of the letters up/down was an excellent trick, too).