Combine extruded Text bodies into one body not working

[Anonymous]

I have a cylinder with text on the surface of the cylinder that is extruded so the letters all reach the cylinder surface.  This creates a body for each letter.  Then I try and combine (join) all the bodies into one body.  However, it doesn't work.

[NicolasXu]

Hi mikebJL63Z,

Would it be possible to share us the file for a deeper look? My initial guess is it might be a tolerance issue, i.e. some letters may not exactly reach the surface. If it's the case, trying extruding the letters a little bit longer so there are some overlapping between the letters and the cylinder, and see if we can work around it.

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

No, it doesn't work.  I've tried it 10 different times now.  I can easily create a demo project for it because the problem is 100% reproducible.  Attached is a screen shot of before and after.  I've created a fake project that demonstrates the problem before and after. 

How do I get it to you ?

I click on the "Open details in A360" and it is a blank screen but this is the url...https://myhub.autodesk360.com/g/landing?targetUrl=https://ue297e57a.autodesk360.com/portal/groups/20...

Can you get to it that way somehow?

[NicolasXu]

I created a similar file but not able to see the problem. I need look into your file and try to figure out the solution.

You may share a public link for the design by enabling the download permission, Export it as .f3d or invite me via email. (My email address is: lixiong.xu[AT]autodesk.com)

Both "Share Public Link" and "Export" command are under the File menu. 

[Anonymous]

Your example is NOT what I said as steps to reproduce! I want to combine all the letters.  I do NOT want to combine the letters to the cylinder yet.  I need to be able to do a circular pattern around the object FIRST, then I will combine the letters to the cylinder. If I do that without combining them, I literally end up with 500 bodies.  I want to combine all the letters as "ONE" body so when I do a circular body I just have 4 or 5 replicate letter groupings.

[PhilProcarioJr]

You can't combine seperate objects into one as far as I know, easy fix is to create a small rectangle box at the base of all letters and combine them to that, do your pattern and combine to the cylinder.

But a simpler solution IMO would be to combine them to the cylinder then do a circular pattern on the text feature so you don't end up with a bunch of bodies.

**** you can see it didn't create a bunch of bodies....

[HughesTooling]

Combine only works on intersecting bodies, your letter don't touch so it will not work. Something you could do is make a rectangular body at the bottom of the text and combine that with the text. Something like this.

Mark

[Anonymous]

I can't do this because there are a bunch of other features inside of the cylinder that I don't want to create a circular pattern from and if the letters are joined to the cylinder there is no way for it to know what the circular pattern is from what I can tell.

[Anonymous]

Ok, I guess I will have to make that work but as you can see you have a "yucky" rectangular block at the bottom....  So that is a workaround really.

However, having said that, the whole thing is a work-around to the fact the software can't curve text in 3-d space in the first place.

[TMC.Engineering · Accepted solution]

Maybe this is another way?  just a feature pattern of what @NicolasXu did.

[PhilProcarioJr]

Your right, no matter how you do it, it's a work around until they implement a wrap tool.

So you have two choices....use a work around or buy expensive software to do the job.

Sucks but it is what it is.

[PhilProcarioJr]

Just to be clear though you can get some awesome results with work arounds.

This was done entirely in Fusion by the way, no external apps.

[PhilProcarioJr · Accepted solution]

Probably take 10-15 min before it's available, but this shows how I did it...yes its a trick but visually you really can't tell that it is a trick.

This method is a way better way to do the text because it appears to radiate from the center of the cylinder instead of being skewed. It takes a little more time to set up but in reality it actually speeds up the responsiveness of Fusion as opposed to doing it all in a few steps. I have done so much work with text in Fusion I'm starting to feel like I should write a book...lol

Another thing I would like to add is even if they implement a wrap tool it will be very limited...just like the tool in Solidworks is very limited. Especially when it comes to complex geometry. Using the method I did here but more advanced of course I can wrap any geometry forms or text across any surface...it just takes time to get the results you want and you have to think a little.

If anyone wants this file let me know and I will post it.

Video

[Anonymous]

That is very nice.  I see what you did there.  It is a lot of work to wrap text....lol   The rectangle box of material under the letters is starting to grow on me.  These have to double as "finger grips" and that might actually work better.

Also, TMC Engineering's solution looks like it will work when I did it on a test project for doing the circular pattern which I was unable to do once the join happened before.

[PhilProcarioJr]

The cylinder with text that I did above only took about 10 min to do so it really wasn't that bad.

In the end all that matters is you get the job done and that it fits you or your clients needs.

[Anonymous]

None of these techniques work so far.  They work fine when you have a simply cylinder. The problem is if you are trying to add text at the end.  You can't just do a cylinder patter on the surface because you have a "finished product" already.  All of these techniques assume the very first thing you are doing is creating the text and building everything ground up with the text as the "first" thing...not the last thing.  When it is the last thing, it ties your hands as to the rest of the existing body that is "already finished".

For example, when I do a rectangle under my text, it automatically joins the rectangle to the body of cylinder....even when I say "new body".  If I try and extrude the rectangle into the extruded text, it automatically joins everything as one body thus preventing me from doing a circular pattern.  If I choose the extruded text and attempt to create a circular pattern, it will not let me choose the option TMC Engineering shows.  If I choose that, it deselects the operating object and it won't let me select anything.

[PhilProcarioJr]

Share your mesh and I will show you how to make it work.

[Anonymous]

If I can't do it myself, I'm not sure it is worth doing.  Right now the rectangle keeps snapping to intersect lines and I don't want it to do that and I'm unsure how to stop it from doing that as well.

[PhilProcarioJr]

Did you turn off snapping in the sketch pallette?

[Anonymous]

Yeh, I don't know what is going on. If I try it 4 times, 4 different things are happening. I restarted Fusion 360 and just kept doing it over and over again.  I think I got past this.