exporting text to dxf

[CD-]

My system
OS: Windows 10
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.18.16110 (Git)
Build type: Release
Branch: (HEAD detached at upstream/releases/FreeCAD-0-18)
Hash: f7dccfaa909e5b9da26bf50c4a22ccca9bb10c40
Python version: 3.6.6
Qt version: 5.6.2
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.3.0
Locale: English/Australia (en_AU)

My issue. I'm using freeCAD to design a CNC file to cut. I need to export the text as plain lines to match others previous work. At present it exports the text as having width but with the tooling it gives a poor rendering. Too wide as it gives a second cut. Is there any way to do so. Someone suggested I use Heshey format when using Inkscape but I couldn't find the font I needed, Brie Lite. It's in the font index but for Heshey. Is there any similar process in FreeCAD. Though I'm a beginer in both programs I'm more familiar with FreeCAD.

[UR_]

Some time ago, I used this workflow for something similar.

- download zipped font files from: http://www.mrrace.com/CamBam_Fonts/ (attached below)
- unzip desired font to your working directory
- use Draft WB Shapestring to generate your text
- use Draft WB Downgrade to explode chars to single lines and arc
- export as dxf

Screenshot 001.png (1.19 KiB) Viewed 2572 times

test string.FCStd

(431.65 KiB) Downloaded 54 times

CamBam Stick Fonts.zip

(107.26 KiB) Downloaded 72 times

teststring.dxf

(121.82 KiB) Downloaded 52 times

[CD-]

Thanks for all that. It has been useful to point me in another direction to explore except other people external to the current machine, that I can't contact currently have used the Brie Lite ttf, or similar. I have to make plaques to match using a 'stick' type font which I can't seam to find & I was hoping that FreeCAD may have had a function to do that style of thing for me. So I either have to find a stick font with that exact type face, make my own or find an app to convert it to a stick font. Tis a quandry.

[kisolre]

Did you tried Google? Brie Light font

[CD-]

Yeah. I've been hunting google for days but without any luck. Right now i'm reverting to making the pencil line (string or stick font) myself. An interesting & time consuming exercise to say the least.

[kisolre]

Did I misunderstood that You wanted that "Brie Lite ttf" font file? Google returns font files for "Brie LIGHT" (which I linked in previous post) and nothing meaningfull for "LITE". Is this a typing error? Had you checked the BrieLight font? If not exact match It might be a good start to modify to match your exact requirement without starting all from scratch.

[chrisb]

You can try the following; it is not quite what you want, but I'm afraid that's as near as you get without using lots of python. You still get two strokes but they are nearer together.

- create the shapestring
- downgrade the single characters in Draft workbench
- Part->2D-Offset
- Set a negative offset appropriate for the ShapeString size.

Thing can be improved even further when treating the characters indivdually after Draft->Downgrade.

[CD-]

Thanks folks.
Yeah you're right. It's Brie Light.
I'll give that a go with the downgrade. though I was hoping to have a simpler approach but it looks like it's the best i can get for now.

[chrisb]

If you have only few of these letters you can redraw them in Sketcher, as they seem to have very pure geometric shapes.
If you have lots of them you can create your own font, e.g. with fontforge.

[bejant]

Yeah. I've been hunting google for days but without any luck.

Yeah you're right. It's Brie Light.

I found it here:
https://www.wfonts.com/font/brie-light

I was hoping to have a simpler approach but it looks like it's the best i can get for now.

If you have only few of these letters you can redraw them in Sketcher,

It's pretty easy to do in Sketcher (as chrisb wrote) and I added Constraints, although you don't have to.

• In your word processing program (I used Libre Office Writer) use Brie Light and type whatever text you want to CNC cut.
• Export the document as a .jpg file.
• Open FreeCAD, change to the Image WB, and Import your .jpg as an Image Plane (I put mine on the X-Y Plane).
• From the Data Tab (by default at the lower left corner of the FreeCAD window) change the XSize and YSize to whatever you need.
• Also from the Data Tab, change the Position of the Image Plane so that it is slightly behind the plane of your Sketch (I moved my Image Plane to Z = -0.1 mm.
• Create a New Sketch, and trace over your letters:

20190628a.png (84.15 KiB) Viewed 2463 times

20190628-BrieLight.FCStd

(77.07 KiB) Downloaded 62 times

OS: Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS
Word size of OS: 32-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 32-bit
Version: 0.18.1.
Build type: Release
Python version: 3.6.7
Qt version: 5.9.5
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.3.0
Locale: English/UnitedStates (en_US)