Text on Curves

[wuzzerdad]

I know this may be pretty basic but how do you create text on curves in V2.5 of Part Works? I read all the information in the new manual for V2.5 and it just says to do it, but my options are greyed out. :confused:

[adrianm]

You must have the text and the curve you want it to follow selected or the options will be greyed out as you describe. The text must be on a single line as well.

[wuzzerdad]

I would love to select text and a curve, how do you do that :(

[Gary Campbell]

Rick...
Have both the text, formatted as you need, and the curve on the workpiece. Select the text (all) press [shift] and then select the curve. Both should be selected and your options no longer grayed out. Have fun!

[ken_rychlik]

There is another way to do it if you don't want to make it fit a curve. After you make some text, highlight it and click on the box just to the right of the T you click to create the text. (the one with the arrow pointing up and the ab on the icon)

This should give you a green dot on the top and bottom center of the text. Click on the green dot and drag it up or down.

[wuzzerdad]

Thanks, I am slowly getting it... I made reservations for the Feburary Class in Durham because I am serious about getting this...Slowly we go again........:)

[ken_rychlik]

After you click on the green box to pull the curve into the text, you also get more boxes on the end of the text for rotating and pulling the bottom together.

[laconcepts]

Rick
Since Partworks and Aspire or VCarve Pro are essentially the same (so Im told) this may help as well.
I was fortunate to attend Vectrics user group meeting in Memphis and picked up this little trick. It may be more than you need right now but I didnt know that it could be done.
Say you have a circle that you want to assign text to but you want it in a specific or odd location on that curve or circle. You can select the curve, go into Node editing, insert a node at each end of the area that you want the text. After that you can cut the curve at those nodes. Now that section of the curve can be selected independently of the rest of the curve. With it selected you can assign the text to that particular section of the curve.
Ive tried it and it works really well. As a fairly new user of Aspire and V Carve Pro I found that to be a really valuable tool. I guess with more experience I would have figured that out but no telling how long that would have been. hehe.
Well I hope thats something that you can use if you havent figured it out already.
Im sure that some of the more advanced users here have other ideas or maybe even some easier ways

Kelly

[rej]

with new distort feature in vectric vcarve and aspire, you can now make text anyway you want too.
watch the tutorial at the vectric website under training

[mario]

Rick, check out Vectric´s website, open VCarve Pro training materials, there is a video on text and curves you might find useful.
Here:
http://www.vectric.org/video/aspire3/2d_design/a3a-working-with-text-web/a03a-working-with-text-web.html

[tmerrill]

To clarify a couple of issues to avoid confusion and frustration:

Rick specifically asks about Partworks V2.5. The Distortion tool appears in Partworks V3.0 (V-Carve Pro V6.0). It would be a very good reason to upgrade, but it isn't going to help him now!

Likewise, it would be better to start with the V-Carve Pro V5.5 (also apply to Partworks V2.5) tutorial videos here:

http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectric/support/vcpro_tutorials.htm

With the addition of new features and changes to the User Interface, watching tutorials for the latest versions may confuse more than help. It really depends on the individual and topic.

Tim

[joe]

Very interesting tutorial.

I use distortions on most of my work but you probably wouldn't know it. Most of these alterations are very, very slight. They always include extra elements for control.
There's a little zing you get with a well applied distortion.

These tools have been around a long time and seldom used because. left to themselves, they can make some real ugly affects. I too was originaly fascinated by these tools but they were seldom helpful. The reason being is the letters are too distorted and look like gradeschool. For example look at the distortion, on the end of line of copy, done in the Vetric tutorial. The're Wonky and it doesn't need to be this way. There is a simple and fun solution.

Illustrators often add another element to their copy, to solve this problem. Here's how it works; Prior to distorting a line of copy, place a line or circle or period, just above the proposed lettering. A good distance away from your copy is best. Select all and apply your distortion. Now you have some control. You can build lots of items above, around and below your copy to gain unlimited distortion corntols. With the addition of these techniques there is unlimited control allowing the artists to maintain ledgable copy.


Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)