[OpenSCAD] 3D Text

[Ethan Dicks]

On 3/19/10, Tony Buser <tbuser at gmail.com> wrote:
> I've been trying to figure out a way to programmatically turn text
> into 3D printable objects.

You are not the only one.

> I couldn't find any tools to easily do this...

There are no easy tools that I have found, either.

> so I thought I'd try to figure out a way to create a DXF file
> that could then be extruded in OpenSCAD...

Limitations in OpenSCAD will make this more than slightly difficult.

> Unfortunately I ran into a problem, it seems openscad doesn't like the
> DXF autotrace creates.  I get a blank stl file and the following
> warnings:
>
> WARNING: Unsupported DXF Entity `VERTEX' (2713x) in `foo.dxf'.
> WARNING: Unsupported DXF Entity `POLYLINE' (17x) in `foo.dxf'.
> WARNING: Unsupported DXF Entity `SEQEND' (17x) in `foo.dxf'.
>
> Is there anything I can do about this?

Add code to OpenSCAD that knows how to process VERTEX, POLYLINE, and
SEQEND?  Rewrite autotrace to only use DXF entities that OpenSCAD
supports?  (which are LINE, CIRCLE, and SQUARE, IIRC, not even
ELLIPSE).  Create a new font by drawing vector entities that are only
composed of supported entities?

Given that I'm not up to my elbows in OpenSCAD code, I thought I might
approach the problem of text in OpenSCAD models by hammering out a
simple block font (suitable for printing on a Makerbot with letter
sizes under 5mm tall) made up of only SQUARE, LINE, and CIRCLE
entities.  I haven't made any real progress on that.  I think just the
digits from 0-9 would be a great start.

-ethan