Using Text in Inventor LT

[CuriousYellow]

Hello everyone,

I'll describe what I'm trying to do because it seems like it should be very easy...

I have a 1/4" thick panel, 24"x12".  I'm trying to apply text to the front of this solid, then engrave the letters through the 1/4" panel.  If I right-click to customize the ribbon, I can select the text button, but it is grayed out.  This seems like such a simple task, I'm wondering why I'm struggling with it.  

Thank you for any ideas!

Cheers.

[JDMather]

Have you gone through the Tutorials.

As a beginner you should never ever need to customize the ribbon interface.

Start a new 2D Sketch.

Now you should have access to the Text tool.

Post back for next step (if you can't find the Emboss command (or Extrude-Cut)).

The usual, attach your ipt file here if you can't figure it out.

[CuriousYellow]

Hi JD,

Thank you for such a quick response!

I have done a handful of the tutorials.  

I agree it seems stupid to customize the ribbon.  I consider myself very familiar with AutoCAD LT > nearly 20 years working on various versions...  But InventorLT is new.

I started a new drawing, no Text tool.  Please have a look at the attached screen shot...  You can see the ribbon as I can.

Thank you very much for taking a few minutes to help!

[JDMather · Accepted solution]

You missed a step from my previous response.

Start a new 2D Sketch.

Now you should have access to the Text tool.

Text is a 2D entity. You need to be in the 2D sketch environment to have access to the tool (same for line, circle....).

Sounds pretty obvious now, right?

When it comes time to turn the text into a 3D feature you will need to be in the Modeling environment (Extrude, Emboss....)

Inventor presents the tools you need, when you need them.  (well mostly - some are hidden even when you need them)

[CuriousYellow]

Mate, thank you.

That definitely worked.

I'll mess around with this a bit more and see if I can get a few more steps down the road.  

Thank you again!