Font for laser cutting

[cvejn]

Hello altogether,
do you know which font can be succesfully used for laser cutting.
We tried to use "GlaserSteD" and "Laser cutting" first is now available in one of RIETER location. Second has a problem between numbers 08, 00, 05. There are tenths, so it is a problem for burning machine. Gap should be 1/2 of sheet metal thickness.

http://files.engineering.com/getfil...-4e80-9fc3-17ebf75510ec&file=Laser_cuttng.jpg

Do you know another suitable font?

Thank you in advice.

 

[cowski]

I don't know of a suitable font, but here is a possible workaround:

Is the text added as a "text" feature in modeling, or a "note" in drafting?

If it is a note in drafting, there are control sequences you can use that allow you to increase the spacing between characters. Look up "fonts and control characters" in the NX help for more info.

If it is a feature in modeling, you can break up the text string into multiple features and space them out accordingly; or, if the text is modeled into the part, you can use a command (such as move face) to add clearance between the letters.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[BubbaK]

You can take any traditional NX font (the old-style ones, not TrueType fonts) and adjust the inter-character spacing by using FontFactory. It's available here:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=242502

 

[cvejn]

It is "text" in modeling. Than we generate .step and .dxf to support further process of manufacturing.
I already made a quideline which sais to split up text, if there is a problem.....

Is it possible to write something into drawing and than create dxf of it?

 

[Toost]

- What NX version ???

There is a standard Windows font named "Stencil". It was probably designed for "spray paint stencils".

With some extra work, you can use a "Note" created in Drafting in modeling.
It will not be a feature but work as a note normally does in drafting.
As Cowski notes, Drafting notes has functions to control the character spacing.
Not only "control characters" but a drafting preference " Font Gap Factor".

Notes created in Drafting are "View dependent" , i.e they will per default ONLY be visible in their original view, which most often is the drawing. ( -Yes, a drawing is a special type of view.)
You can modify a note such that it becomes "model dependent" and thereby visible in all views. It will then be visible in Modeling also. In Modeling you can use the Edit- Move to move the note for aa more exact placement.

IN NX9 : File - All preferences - Drafting - Common - Lettering - select the font and set the "Standard Font Gap Factor" to say 2. OK the preferences.

Create the note somewhere.
It should now have a wider spacing between the characters. You can Select the note - settings and try different settings.

Type in "View dependent edit" in the command finder - Start it. ( -Impossible to find without the command finder, or the old menu...)
Select the button "view to model", pick the note OK.

Back to modeling and move the note to the correct location.

It will stay being a note in Modeling and you can edit the text / change spacing etc in there.
See attached example.

Regards,
Tomas

 

[jerry1423]

Maybe check out this link

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/cad-cam/fonts-laser-cutting-278523/

Then do a search in this forum on downloading other text fonts to NX.

 

[RAGudorf]

Being in the sheet metal industry, we are asked to do this all the time with different fonts. I have never been able to make this "easy". Even if we get a "stencil" font, the biggest issue then becomes the width of the little tabs that make it a "stencil" which hold in the material on interior letters like O, R, A, etc. The tabs in the fonts are never big enough to hold the metal together, so we end up modifying everything once we get to 2D. If anyone comes up with a better solution, I'm all ears.

We routinely get work based on a Customers logo with a required font that we then have to convert and add all the tabs in to be able to cut it properly.

Regards,
Ryan

--
Ryan Gudorf
CAD/CAM Supervisor
Budde Sheet Metal Works, Inc.

Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1
Solid Edge V20
NX8.5.1.3
TC8.3 in Testing
6 GB RAM, nVIDIA Quadro FX4800

 

[JohnRBaker]

Here's an example where I used a TrueType font named 'Phantom Stencil' which has much wider 'tabs' than most of the ones I've seen which often appear to have been based on the old 'paint' stencils.

Note that this font can be downloaded for free from this below site:

http://m.font.downloadatoz.com/font,2687,phantom-stencil/

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[jirka306]

Thank you all.
This "phantom stencil" looks good. I'll ask colleague to put it in test machines. Than we'll check it and evaluate it with quality and sheet metal dep.
The gaps in letters are very important. This derives smallest leter height from sheet metal thickness.

The "stencil" font of UG is not good. We decided few months ago, not to use it, because of bad readability and look.
We had our styled font, but it was for visible and designed parts of machines. And it's not used any more.

S pozdravem / Freundliche Grüsse / Best regards
J. Cvejn
Mechanic Modules and Design Standards

 

[jirka306]

Hello again
the small letters are missing by "phantom stencil".
most common problems are:
small gaps, missing symbols, or it was done in Windows Paint.

I'll try to persuade people that we do not need small letters.

 

[Toost]

If this is an major issue to you, there are a number of ways to fix it.
1) See

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=379137

Using Font Factory you can modify the characters in an existing font. in the thread above it sound as if there are minor changes to the existing font that's needed to make an existing font usable.
2) design your own NX-font in NX. ( quite some work)
3) Find somebody who can create a special font for you using a dedicated font software. - will probably take some time and money.

Regards,
Tomas

 

[JohnRBaker]

I'm NOT really surprised that any of the 'stencil' fonts would be minus lower-case letters, particularly when you consider how they evolved and what their traditional usage has been. It's just that people are now wanting to use them in more normal labeling situations but where they're looking for some sort of 'industrial' feel.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[frankbe]

Have a look here:

Free!

http://uwerk.de/en/downloads.html

This guy has some very good software if you're using Trumpf machines...


2x NX9.0.3.4 and NX10.0.24 Mach Design
on win7 64bit
NX Beta Tester
1x Solid Edge ST2

 

[jirka306]

Hello I'm not surprised too, that representation for some letters are missing.
But half of colleagues are Germans. They put big leters at the begining of sentence and for every noun. Then the senteces look like:

Hallo Mutter, hast du mein Regenschirm?

Ja ich weiss. Es ist komische Sprache.
They wount be able to reed it. If everything is big