Question DevFont, cute software

Hi all,

i would like to let you know that there is a nice small software out there for engraving letters.
It allows you to use all true type fonts installed on your pc, converts it to a dxf-file.
I consider the price to be fair, so i bought it and will try it within the next days.
I´ll let you know if it´s as good as it sounds on the website.

Being a model-aircraft pilot i am using other products from Stefano to create wings and fuselages as well, so i thought i´ll give his letter-software a try...

You´ll find the letter-software here: http://www.devcad.com/eng/devfont.asp

Any hints and tips much appreciated.

Kind regards
Michael

Cut2D

cut2D loads all the fonts on the >> windows >> fonts folder.
Cut2D allows you to directly generate geometry for the machine - and exports Gcode.

cut2D also allows you to import DXF files. So a pre-generated DXF file (such as one from your suggested profile) can be imported. But it can be done in Cut2D directly from the windows fonts folder.

If you can generate a DXF file - how are you then programming the machine? The DXF file is just the 2D CAD format.

It would be interesting to see how you go from - text - to dxf - to machine parameters - to machining. The DXF file is only a very small part of the machining story.

Interested to hear more.

I'm currently using Adobe Illustrator to draw all my stuff, saving as an ".ai" file
and importing them into VCarvePro 6.0

yup - Illustrator is an excellent package - but expensive.

VcarvePro can do almost all the vector based modelling shapes that one would need for CNCing. So illustrator is often used as users are familiar with it.

if you are starting from scratch - there is no need to use illustrator - in fact we recommend sticking to VcarvePro.

So just to be clear

the process is as follows with illustrator / Vcarve

• Do all artwork in Illustrator
• Export as DXF file / save as .ai
• Import into Vcarve (directly as .ai or with .DXF)
• Apply tooling
• Export to machine

Equivalent process is

• Do all artwork internally in Vcarve
• Apply tooling strategies
• Export to machine

Cut2D and Vcarve have same process - Vcarve has more functionality and can carry out detailed 3d engraving.



Equivalent process in Devfont is

• Generate DXF file from font
• Import into cut2D / Vcarve or equivalent CAM package
• Apply tooling strategies
• Export to machine

this process can be done internally with Vcarve / Cut2D.

Again open to others help here on alternative CAM offerings that might make Devfont attractive.

Good evening,

my apologies, everything seemed clear to me, unfortunately I only had everything in my mind but did not tell you the rest.

I am using DevCad to open the DXF file, I can implement the lettering directly into my drawing, let´s say a covering panel or similar, and send it to the machine.

All your comments are right, there are many roads leading to rome. I was just looking for something to create a lettering on my Hexacopter and found descriptions like yours, but wasn´t interested get hold of extra software like Corel Draw or other, as i do not have a license for the ones you mentioned.
Some programmes i found were much more expensive so i thought DevFont is worth a check.

But again thanks for your input!

Kind regards
Michael

Hi MichaelH,

MichaelH wrote: Some programmes i found were much more expensive so i thought DevFont is worth a check.

... and some programs are much cheaper!

You could download the free QCad CAD Program and it seems to me that you are then able to do nearly the same things like this DevFont.

In QCAD you can use all System Fonts and after exploding and saving them as a dxf mostly all CAM Softwares are able to read the Fonts.

QCAD Text Tutorial

But if we really have to talk about "Text Art" - that is a different Ball game!
Then you have indeed to go the way with "Adobe Illustrator" etc. etc. etc. .....