Hi,

Does anyone know if it is possible to get a centerline of fonts in Corel and create a gray fill through the font to simulate a 3D effect for laser engraving? Thanks

Mike's way is one way and thats pretty slick, This is how we create 3d using Corel.

Type Text with a black outline and no fill

Convert to curves

Contour to the center using an off set of 0.001 set the color to white this is the color it will fade into.

Break apart the contour

then go to EFFECTS and ADJUST then GAMMA by adjusting the slider bar you will control how soft of hard hard the 3d you want the more white the softer the edge the more black the harder the edge (more burn).

Usually with 3D you have to remove everything except the letters so we would draw a box and fill it black and place the text into it and make sure the letters are to the front so you can see them.

Now the last thing we do is export it as a bitmap it makes the file that you are sending to the laser much smaller.

We would always take 2-3 lighter passes rather than one heavy pass.

Here is a pic of one that was done this way using this method.

Holy Moley!

That impresses me to no end.

Philadelphia, PA (Really Bensalem)

When you finally understand it completely... it changes.

That's awesome!!!!!!
All of that was created in Corel?
I have Maya and was trying to figure out exactly how to create 3D there and export into corel, but if you can accomplish effects like that with corel only I don't think I need to waste time with Maya.

"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under". ~Ronald Reagan

I do small 3d "chisseled" lettering using stamp mode and varying the shoulder , using a thin font for this works quite well. I use this type of lettering for masters for moulds where you want the entities to have bevelled sides to make release easier and to prolong mould life.
(mainly silicon spin casting moulds)

First let me say that I did not create this file it was done by the guru's at the factory. They gave us instructions on how to do this. I really don't know how long the file took to create, I do no that it was created in Corel X3.

The file size is what you see about 1.5" square so engraving time is not too bad this was also engraved using the HPDFO optics.

Dave,

You don't happen to have the lock on do you? Everything works the way I explained it. When you adjust the Gamma click the preview and you should see it change.

I am not quite sure what is happening there.

No lock. There must be something you are doing that wasn't mentioned in the instructions. Something obvious to you, but not to me, since I've never done this before.

As a summary, I have:

- one curve in the shape of the letters that has a black outline and no fill
- another curve on top of it that is contoured slightly smaller inside the first
- on the top curve I have tried white border no fill, white fill no border, white fill and border, and black border white fill
- I have tried selecting the top curve and using Effects > Adjust Gamma. I have also tried it on the bottom curve
- nothing I do makes any change as I adjust the slider and hit preview.
- the lock in the Gamma window is not pressed in

What also confuses me is that gamma implies there already being a black to white transition, since gamma basically adjusts the position of center gray relative to black or white. So I don't understand how gamma is going to effect something that is black or white without already having a gradient.

But I'm still a fair newbie to Corel (used it about 10 months) and don't think I ever tried using the gamma slider before.

AHhhhh,

You change the color in the contour section start with just a black hairline then when you contour select the white. Once it contours it will start from black and blend to white.

Ahhh... OK

I went back and played some more with the contour and found the missing step in the instructions. It is to increase the "Steps" in the contour until the letters fill in with the gradient shades of contours.

No doubt an obvious step if you've done this before, but all the contouring I've ever done has just been to create a single line inside or outside of a shape. So I've never changed the Step setting to anything but "1" before.

The result is very cool!! Thanks for helping me to understand how to use the contour tool in a way I never realized it could be used.

Thanks Everybody -

What I am looking to do is to use a certain font for a person's name. Then I want to fill the font with a gradient that would give me a 3D effect on my laser. For example - the letter E. I wanted to create a 3D type of gradient that would be light on the center of each branch of the E (3 horizontal and 1 vertical) so it would have a lighter color in the center of the letter - then have a grayscale gradient flowing to the edges. I would think this may make a rounded beveled font after being rater engraved on my laser. Sorry I was unclear before - I hope this is clearer !!

Thanks

Tom