topic Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT in Inventor Forum

INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

Jeeper07 — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 12:05:42 GMT

I am trying to duplicate this clock face.

If I used the radius text command, the text is splayed out wide at the top. So the numerals (text) are skewed. Is there a way to keep the numerals vertical, while curving the bottom?

I'm assuming it's just a "finding the correct font" issue...... but I've been searching for several lifetimes, and the fonts all react the same........

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

kacper.suchomski — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 12:12:09 GMT

What is this "text radius" command?

Is the graphic shown a goal or a problem?

Attach your file.

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

89198826955 — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 14:52:27 GMT

This is in the sketch "In Geometry-Text"

It's better to do it one digit at a time

(view in My Videos)

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

Alexander_Chernikov — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 17:09:30 GMT

It's not about the font, but about the method of getting the text along the arc, namely, stretching it along the circumference.

If it is really necessary to obtain exactly these designations, then you need to make sketches of symbols for each of the twelve marks.

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

89198826955 — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 17:53:39 GMT

This is exactly what I showed in the video

1 sketch of a number along an arc - you shouldn't do that - I deleted the sketch

2 sketch I drew a number and showed it - rotation and scale

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

kacper.suchomski — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 18:07:52 GMT

@89198826955 wrote:

This is exactly what I showed in the video

1 sketch of a number along an arc - you shouldn't do that - I deleted the sketch

2 sketch I drew a number and showed it - rotation and scale

Not exactly. The author of the post expects the symbols to have arcs on the inside and outside of the clock face (but maintain a stable orientation themselves).

@Jeeper07

Do you have access to Autodesk Fusion?
If so, you can install the Salvador plugin from the Autodesk App Store, which converts vector graphics to 2D sketches.
Of course, this will require some extra work due to the large clock hand, but it will make your work significantly easier.

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

89198826955 — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 21:07:15 GMT

the sketch uses

I, X, V

maybe it would be easier to draw them?

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

kacper.suchomski — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 21:16:45 GMT

Yes, you can sketch them as @Alexander_Chernikov mentioned.
In Inventor this is the best way.

But you can also convert in Fusion.
Inscape / Illustrator also has similar functionality.

(view in My Videos)

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

Jeeper07 — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:19:56 GMT

This is not a great answer. It's very tedious, and showing Arabic numerals really doesn't show the issue I'm trying to resolve. Thanks.

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

Jeeper07 — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:24:52 GMT

I don't have FUSION. But similarly, I typical try to scan my image online. With limited success. I love how quickly you were able to bring it into Fusion and move on. I really need this to occur in Inventor. I often get request for this. And a lot of the time the stock fonts can't get the job done. And drawing it every time isn't a good use of time.

Thank you! Great answer.

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

kacper.suchomski — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:52:07 GMT

@Jeeper07 wrote:

And a lot of the time the stock fonts can't get the job done. And drawing it every time isn't a good use of time.

This isn't a standard font. These characters are neither rotated nor skewed. Their bodies are rigid, yet their tops and bottoms are stretched in an arc - nothing in common with a standard font. These are processed graphic elements.

Without AI, it is impossible to avoid working towards such a goal.

It is also worth noting that the solution shown is not a standard tool in Fusion - it is an additional extension based on AI.

As I mentioned in the previous post - there are free programs to convert vector graphics to dxf/dwg curves, which you can then import into a sketch in Invenentor.

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

dan_inv09 — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:25:47 GMT

It's not just a font

it's not a simple as just making an I, a V and an X

There is a different curve to each depending on where it is, the two Is in 2 might be mirror images of each other but they are not the same as the outer Is in 3 (oh, and 4 should really be IV (I once saw someone use CCCC and looked it up - although I'm not sure the person doing it was even aware of D) but I guess IIII is an error that that has been perpetuated by some clockmakers for a very long time) and going with the Vs and Xs displaces them along the curve slightly differently again.

It would be nice if you could directly use a picture to extrude or emboss like you can with regular text, but it looks like you will have to sketch each of them out "by hand".

you might be able to simplify it a little - maybe filleting the corners after extrusion

(The Xs and Vs will have to be your own little adventure, I'd love to try them but I should be working)

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

dan_inv09 — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:48:27 GMT

Can you take sketches and/or parts created in Fusion and export them as something Inventor can use? (hint hint, "Can you")

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

dan_inv09 — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 13:56:44 GMT

If someone does go through the process, I'm sure other "watchmakers" would really appreciate () if the results were posted here

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

kacper.suchomski — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:19:35 GMT

@dan_inv09 wrote:

Can you take sketches and/or parts created in Fusion and export them as something Inventor can use? (hint hint, "Can you")

Yes, I can.

But I preferred to give the user a fishing rod, not a fish.

If you read my posts, you'll notice I mentioned many alternative programs that offer these capabilities to users who don't have access to Autodesk Fusion.

Some of them are free - they just require the willingness to install them.

But it can be done even easier - there are such programs available online (you don't even have to install anything).
Example:

(view in My Videos)

It simply takes the willingness to do it.

Re: INVENTOR CURVED FONT - CURVED BOTTOM, VERTICAL TEXT

johnny_php — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 05:34:12 GMT

would it work if you used a png or SVG created in another tool and import it? after some tinkering I was able to make this using this curved text generator but I think clock face typography is very challenging to get right, because it's so hard to get the text spacing corect