Improved text tools

[roambotics_scott]

This is a multi-part idea but it'd be great if the text layout tool would let users 

(a) Insert text specifying a position in the middle / center of the text

(b) Autoscale text to fit some constraint (user draws a rectangle and asks that text scale to fit and the appropriate scaling is chosen to ensure that the text fits both the length and width of the box)

(c) Support for text kerning (it's easy enough to do that in Illustrator but user adjustable optical / metric kerning would be very useful for quick logos and for people who are just **** about how their text looks)

(d) Much better text rendering support (ideally any vector system font should render to and the outlines should be as smooth and continuous as possible; this is an extruded «s» in Arial)

(e) Simple drafting on extrusion of text that works (lots of manufacturing processes need some draft on extrusions but if you type something and extrude it with taper (read: draft) now, you get something like this even if you set the depth to 1mm and the angle to, in this case, 0.001º)

You can extrude without taper and then manually add draft, but then you have a nightmare of selecting countless faces as in (d)

Aside from the above, it'd be great to talk with a graphic designer who knows text and fonts, and have them walk you through the stuff they use in something like Illustrator or Page Maker.

[nowak_nick]

I was just playing with extruding text and the first thing I noticed was missing was the option for "Center" and "Right" justification.  Also, it would be great is there was an option for adjusting the vertical location of the text within the box.  I often need to center text on a face.  In Solidworks I center justify the text and then tie a contruction line to the midpoint of the text box.  This allows the solid and the text to be adjusted at will, and the text always remains centered on the face.

[roambotics_scott]

*cough* @colin.smith *cough*

[mataf01]

I agree 100% with it, especialy with the lack of centering  in horiznotal and vertical position of the text

[colin.smith]

Got it.  Thanks @roambotics_scott

[bustedchain]

I really need kerning! When fonts are small, you need to space the letters out a little more so the font is readable and doesn't run into itself. Please add support for kerning and alignment (left, center, right)! These two things would greatly improve engraving!

[c_wolsey]

Long over due!