AutoCad 2008 3D Text Help

[RaTix]

Anyone familiar with AutoCAD, preferably 2008? I am using the 3D modeling to design a product and can't seem to find an easy way to add 3D text to the surface.

To put into context, think of a remote for a Sony TV with the letters SONY raised out of the plastic a bit. I know I could do it manually by manipulating polygons and such into the letter shapes I need, but seems a little long winded for something so simple. The closest I've come is using the Extrude Face command on the .shx letters but that only gives me a flat ribbon type of lettering and doesn't allow to add any width to it.

Any help is appreciated.

[AndyPants]

If you want a true 3d representation of the text in 3d you need to explode the text to turn it into line/arc/polyline segments using the express menu command NOT the "explode" a.k.a. "x" command (that will only turn text in to attribute text which is good for making dynamic blocks but that is for another time)

At the top menu click Express>Text>Explode text. Some of the fancier text can get a little messed up but you can explode the resulting polylines and remove the stray lines created.

Granted this is assuming you installed the express menu when installing acad although it might be standard now a days (i used 2000i for a long while and now am on 2006) If you didn't install express I would suggest doing so as there are lots of great commands in there.

Another technique I've used for fancier text is to load an image and trace with a spline (then you can trim to close it all up) I know splines are all funky and I don't do my 3d in acad so check and make sure it is treated as a solid so it can get faces and all that 3d goodness.

My 9-5 is architectural Cad Monkey so hit me up anytime you get stumped.

[RaTix]

Thanks Pants, If anyone was going to reply to this, I knew it would be you lol. I had tried the "Express-> Explode" option before and never seemed to work. I just did it now and noticed the error message in the command window on the bottom.

"View needs to be in plan (0 0 1)"

Figured out it needed to be the top down "blueprint" style view. It then exploded the letter. Seems a bit quirky though, I'll have to toy around with it for a bit. I used Arial font and it seemed to work. I thought you had to use .shx fonts.