Using FreeCAD for engraving text (shape strings) and pictures
Vložit
- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- In this video we will demonstrate how to create engravings of text and pictures. We will use "Shape Strings" with free to use fonts to create decorative engraved text and show how to take any jpg picture and create an engraving from it. - FreeCAD is a great FOSS cad/cam package that allows you to be creative in design and manufacture.
Links:
FreeCAD macros
bitbucket.org/ianj001/freecad...
Octoprint: octoprint.org/
Octoremote: play.google.com/store/apps/de...
Cura: ultimaker.com/software/ultima...
Fusion 360: www.autodesk.com/products/fus...
Fusion 360 API: help.autodesk.com/view/fusion...
FreeCAD: www.freecadweb.org/
Raspberry Pi: www.raspberrypi.org/
Blender: www.blender.org/
Inkscape: www.inkscape.org
OBS: obsproject.com/
PxKeystrokes: github.com/Phaiax/PxKeystroke...
Songs:
Raw Space by Spazz Cardigan (intro) - Jak na to + styl
Thanks for another great video !!
And I mean NO disrespect to all the people who dedicate their time and effort on creating and sharing their work on FreeCad. But I would personally find it almost impossible to learn and "advance" without Your, and other people who so graciously share their knowledge here on YT.
Best regards.
PS. it might be that I'm working in a "another" version ( V.021.2 on Linux), but "here" it is (quite often) possible to write in "calculations" in the input fields, so that You don't have to do it "in Your head" or another program.
For example when You made the measurement and wanted to move it half that distance You could (if Your program works like mine) just feed in 54/2 and press "Enter", and FreeCad will make the calculation... Which in this case is trivial, but it can do "more advanced calculations". You can use parenthesis and even some mathematical functions. Though I would advice to double check it if the measurements are "vital", as it sometime seems to be a bit "odd" when it comes the "rounding" (I guess it's all "python behind the scenes" ;)
Thanks for the input. Yes you can create equations in those fields but I try to keep it simple. I prefer to do equations in the spreadsheet and reference those from the boxes.
Thank you a lot! This was my first FreeCAD tutorial, and it really helped me to get familiar with this software.
Glad you enjoyed it.
As always GREAT video! and even learned about using the Axis for X,Y,Z angles!! cool! :)
Thanks Jeff
Just thought I'd post a big "Thank You". I haven't really used FreeCad in years. The online stuff has really spoiled me. But I got a 3018 and wanted local software to do simple stuff like this. YT took me back to FreeCad. It's truly amazing free software. But was still having problems with their forum how to's and other videos. But this one walked me right through it. I know vidies are work and a pain but you put this one together perfectly. So again Thank's. I just subscribed.
Glad it helped you. Freecad is truly amazing free software.
Great video,great instruction! Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video and Happy New Year.
Thanks Bruce, happy new year!
Amazing video. Great explanations!!
Thanks for making this, it has helped me a lot!!
Glad to hear it
Thanks for this video you have helped me a great deal.
Great to hear!
Great video. I used shape string to design luggage tags for 3d printing.
That's a great idea!
Great tutorial! I’ve wasted 2 days trying to figure this out. In 30 minutes I’ve got my design converted.
Thanks for the feedback. Glad it helped.
Thanks for taking the time to make this. I've been stuck for 3 days trying to do what I used to do in fusion 360 but can't use in win7 anymore!
You are very welcome
Super video thanks for sharing
You are welcome, thanks for the feedback.
Awesome vid thx thx
You are welcome
Thanks you! I finally managed to make my system to work! Sadly the version of Mach3 I am using doesn't support the wizards. But this is so much better: much more flexibility (the angled text is gorgeous!) and the ability to choose dozens of thousands of fonts is superb. Jeez dude. I would buy you a beer anytime.
Thanks!
for Newbies like me. a couple of comments.
1. make sure your preferences/general/units are the same as your cnc. (feed rates then are ok)
2. once you have the job, select Path/post processing to export the gcode file.
Thanks for sharing. 👍
You would be faster when shifting thing to centre entering formula rather than just number (-"demention"/2) saves having to do maths in head.
Very useful tutorial
Thanks for the feedback
Thanks!
You are welcome 😉
In the path workbench, could you use the penguin sketch to create pockets? Say you want to engrave the outside of the penguin and pocket the holes. Do you have to create pockets in the 3D block from the sketch or can you select it in the path workbench and set depths etc?
You can use the sketch to make a pad or a pocket. Or you can create a path and set depths. Whichever works best for you.
To fix the letter breaking. You’ll need to change the kerning(spacing) between the letters.
Thanks for the tip
I would like to see an actual cut. I'm working mostly in vcarve today but trying to migrate to 3d modeling for some of my work. I'm curious how the tool paths compare for efficiency. I'm also curious to see how a vcarve path works in free cad
I am happy to show you the actual cut. I was exclusively using fusion 360 for cam. I can tell you that freecad is as efficient or more so. If course a lot depends on the post processor. I have found tuning paths in freecad is quite good.
Thanks for the video! What do you export the engraving job as? Also what cnc router do you operate on? I just got one of the small genmitsu routers and am having tons of issues getting up and carving, it’s a grbl, not sure if you have any knowledge of these but any help would be greatly appreciated thank you for your time.
Hi Curtis, you need to export the gcode using the Grbl post processor. Once you have it exported you will use some other software to send it to your cnc machine. I have an MPCNC and use octoprint to send the gcode to it. My mpcnc uses a Marlin board so my post processor is slightly different. I hope this helps.
Yes it does help thank you so much. I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working for the life of me.
I am glad it helped.
I’m having an issue where my cnc router isn’t returning to its safe height after finishing carving a letter. Is that something in the path settings I missed?
It could be, you set safe height in the path settings
I'm trying to figure out how to do this except having it built into a circular "ring" (top side) to recess into the original ring.
You would need to have text on a path
Can I bring in a font from my computer fonts or do I need to save in free cad?
For engraving you use any ttf it's best to look for nicely spaced fonts.
What would be cool is if could make a macro parameter to make text on boxes.
Yeah, that would be cool 😎
Thanks for this video, I've learned a lot but I have one problem. When I simulate it, it only does one pass instead of 2 as in your video. Did I miss a step? I'm using the latest version.
I suspect you have set the depth but not the steps, if you just have the depth set it will do the whole thing in one pass. If you set steps that are smaller than the depth it will increase the passes accordingly.
@@Adventuresincreation I set the depth to 3 and the steps to 2 just as in your video. Thanks for the reply. I'll experiment with some different numbers. I don't have the exact bit, I'm using a 65 deg. vbit.
Does freecad software offer rotational access ( 4th access ) milling to generate milling file
Not at this time. I believe it's in development but I think the Path workbench has a way to go yet.
Hi, What mouse follower do you use? You turn it on at 2:06 in the video, thanks
Take a look in the description there's a link to it listed there.
@@Adventuresincreation Oops, I read all the comments but didn't expand the description to reveal your very thorough list of links. I have now looked at them all and installed a few, very helpful. Thanks for the video and all the extras!! Andrew
No worries, glad you found it.
Freecad is refusing to show the string in create job, and I can't add it. If you get this problem convert the shape string to a sketch and select the sketch before create job so it shows.
I would use other software to layout text and graphic and go down the SVG route it is much more flexible for manipulating fonts.
I think YMMV I have had good results with shapestrings.
Amazing tutorial! Do you use MPCNC by V1 Engineering?
Yes I do. I love it. I am just upgrading my mpcnc.
Do share a video of the same if you can. BTW Can you share details of MPCNC Integration with FreeCAD? I have been using Fusion360. It is great, but I don't see much use in proceeding with it due to massive fees for commercial operation. I found FreeCAD 0.19 just as convenient as Fusion360 so far...@@Adventuresincreation
Can FreeCad make lead in and lead out's for making toolpath's for cutting with plasma?
It can definitely do the lead ins and outs, I don't have plasma but it works for routing
@@Adventuresincreation
Thanks
OK I am doing this as I go along and when I get to create a job it doesn't include the shapes thing as an option
The shape string should always be there
fyi. When you turned ir into a pad the system faild to capture which icon you clicked. The pad icon is farther to the left of where the video showed your click. Move your mouse slower? Whatever. Just fyi for the future.Thank you for posting this video. It has been immensely helpful.
Interesting, thanks for the feedback
Does this work on a round surface ?
Do you mean a curved rather than flat surface?
Thanks for the comic relief, Ill be removing the default toolIt ll nuke you with a ton question! I have not laugh like that for awhile
You are welcome
OK👏
Thanks 👍
How do you make the text go around a shape?
Do you mean circular text or text that is projected onto a shape? - If you look in the part workbench there is a projection for doing that.
@@Adventuresincreation Hello, Thanks for that. The projection is pretty cool. There is a mapping a sketch to a face in the Curves workbench that works as well. Just trying to find different ways of dealing with text and images on surfaces. I really appreciate your videos and your response.
So is it possible to engrave hebrew text?
Absolutely, you just need to download a font that supports it.
Hey , I wanted to know how to add the tools!
You mean in the path workbench?
@@Adventuresincreation yes
How do I make a ring with an engraving?
No you mean a ring that goes on your finger? If so, you would project the text onto the ring shape.
Great Video only one comment you keep breaking off into other things so it is hard to follow
Hi Stuart, thanks for the feedback. Try some of the other videos and see if you find the same issue.
great video! How do i get the g code from this?
I am in the process of moving house, once I get everything set up, I will send it to you.
@@Adventuresincreation thank you so much for the fast reply! I look forward to hearing from you soon!!!
0:16 So, do you think you could write your disertation thesis on FreeCAD now, so you would end up with 500 pages 3mm thick, with 1.5mm extrusions for both your text and graphics? 🤔 😋😂😋
Not sure I follow... but sure ;-)
@@Adventuresincreation Nice... I will just repeat myself for the sake of you grasping it better...
Can you write your entire dissertation thesis on FreeCAD, all 500 pages of it, each page being 3 mm height (3mm/pg * 500pgs = 1500mm or 1.5 m in total height). The 3mm would be the height of the margins, the height of the blank area of each page would be 1mm, and the height of the letters and graphics would be 1.5mm above that (2.5mm in total).
Again, this would be repeated for the 500pgs of the entire thesis!
@@magneticking4339 I would not use FreeCAD to write a dissertation. You might want to try Libre Office.
@@Adventuresincreation That will probably be prudent... Whoever accused me of being prudent?
I have to add I found the problem lol I am carrying on
Good