Explode Text - Problem

[Anonymous]

What does the error "Could not retrieve the profiles of the selected text" mean while trying to explode text so I can engrave it?  Does not happen with all fonts.  Is there some way to predict which will work, and whick won't?  My work requires the Hypatia Sans Pro font and I can't use it in Fusion 360.

[PhilProcarioJr]

Basic Tutorial

Cheers

[schneik-adsk]

One thing to remember is that many SVG tools output the SVG in PPI not in imperial or metric units.

So when inserting the SVG into a mm document you need to scale by 0.35277777777778

Why .35....

72 PPI = 1inch

72/25.4 = 2.8346456693

The reciprocal of 2.8346456693 = 0.35277777777778

I keep this value handy so as I bring in SVG data I can get it back to mm quickly

[PhilProcarioJr]

Good info Kevin thanks for the heads up. Good info is always welcome.

[PhilProcarioJr]

I tried your scale numbers, unfortunately the scale didn't come out correct for me. I did however try a new font (A little more complex) That worked great.

[schneik-adsk]

Are you using mm or in units?

[PhilProcarioJr]

I tried both.

[HughesTooling]

SVG can have different scale\units it would all depend on the program the file came from, can you upload a small sample file.

Here some info on different unit types for SVG files.

[Anonymous]

hi 

I have a similar problem on setting svg

in the page there is an svg example

LINK

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-and-documentation/insert-a-svg/td-p/5834967

[PhilProcarioJr]

This test text should be 0.5in tall.

[Anonymous]

I always put in "100/283,5", easier for me to remember without having to look it up, and accurate enough for my purposes.

[OFGLLC]

First of all, the thread appears to have gotten hijacked from my perspective.  The assumption appears to be that the Mac user was trying to extrude or cut a solid.  The problem is actually that on the Mac, it is virtually impossible to bring in fonts to Fusion that will explode.  The red boxes in the original post is often the result.  Sometimes, the fonts won't show at all even though they work in all other apps on the Mac.  Always, they will not explode.  There is one inadequate exception but it is too convoluted to explain again here.

This is a major drawback to Fusion for users that are attempting to use Apple computers with Fusion to generate 2D cut files on 2D CNC machines.  Specifically, there is no way to get any of the dozens of stencil fonts that work on a Windows PC to work on the Mac.  For example, if I design a project on one of my MacBooks, I have to put the text in as a shared font such as Arial and then before finishing the project, go to my Windows PC and convert the font to a stencil font and explode it.  This is a major hassle for me since I only have Apple and Linux computers in my shop and have to go to my home office to complete the task.

This has been a known problem for many months now and has cost me a lot of time.  I do not want another Windows machine period and hope there will be some resolution to this problem soon.  I have tested this with every update.  Often the font that works in everything else on the Mac and on a PC will be seen in the font list in the Text operation on the Mac but completely ignored when selected.  Other times, the font will display Red boxes.  Finally, even if the font does display text, it will not explode.  Since the Mac accepts both ttf and otf fonts, the same true type onts that work in the Fusion Windows version should work on the mac.

[Anonymous]

@colin.smith

This is still a problem in the most recent Fusion 360, see attachments. 

Font: Hobo Std

Font Type: OTF

Fusion version: 2.0.3133 Windows 10

Trying to explode: "Could not retrieve the profiles of the selected text!"

Trying to extrude: "Tool body creation failed"

[HughesTooling]

@Anonymous If you're stuck QCad does a nice job converting text to DXF files that scale correctly.

[LogicSpeaks]

So...

Just checking up on this issue and when it will be fixed.  Its a bit ridiculous that its been at least 2 years since this post and it appears the issue of tracing text is still a problem.  I'm still contemplating on paying a subscription for this software and failing to see why I would when there are issues with something as simple as text tracing.  Tracing in Illustrator is fine, but the extra steps of importing is extra time wasted.

Additionally, I found that some fonts (Helvetica) in this case has imperfect curves when CNC cut.  The paths are too rigid and nothing to do with the tolerances or smoothing.  Its just rigid. As though its low resolution. 

Is this second issue caused by the origin of the digital text? I.e. - the text wasn't designed to be cut by a CNC machine and therefore has issues with the paths when cut but not visible  in the graphic design images such as print media?

[sean.pk.mcgrath]

nvm -- missed second page

[Anonymous]

So here we are in 2020 4+ years since this thread started and this is still a problem.  If I have to go use other programs to do this **** why even both with Fusion?  I'm on a free license at the moment but it seems I continually run into simple things that this supposedly robust program can't seem to do.  I for the life of me don't understand what the point is of the way it renders the fonts in this program.  It's pointless.  And if you can't explode it it's even more pointless.  Is there going to be any fix for this or do I just need to switch to a different program after spending 9 months working on figuring out this program?

[OFGLLC]

Earlier on in the Topic, an engineer took an interest in this.  I was able to find a work around with his(or someone else's) help on a Mac but the fonts that won't explode on either platform seem to be missing Meta data of some sort.  The engineer, Colin Smith, I think talked about moving this to either an existing IdeaStation Topic or a new one but I was never able to find anything there under anything I could think to search for.  The engineers seem to only notice new topics, so a bug fix is unlikely once it's been looked at.

As far as being allowed to continue to use the software for free, that's another subject, but for the font issue,  I suspect the best thing would be for you to try is starting a fresh IdeaStation topic and then come back here and post a link to it.   Be very careful with your keywords in the topic.  Alternatively, if you can find an existing one, do the same thing.  This is a very serious deficit in the software that expresses as a bug but may have just not been developed to the point that the error messages don't explain the problem very well and just don't seem to work.  I think that thousands of people would have this issue, certainly anyone trying to burn text on a plasma table, but since it is hard to define and search for, the group affected is not coming together very well.

[MichaelT_123]

Hi Mr GTSmotorSport,

Like many cars, some fonts are protected by Copyright Law. Some might be licensed for the specific platform only and/or have attached some conditions of their use. Perhaps this is the reason for their different functional exposure on various OS/devices platforms (Mac, Win, specific hardware, etc.).

It is essential to realise what a font is:

Here is mine definition ( not available still😘 via Google search 😞

The font is the method of representing glyphs of characters in the optimal and standardised way.

As such, in certain jurisdictions (e.g. US), this method is patent-able and protected as a piece of software program.

Exploding a font is like hacking and using underlying source code of a program. Some license holders don't give permission to do this.

I don't know if it is the case here, but...it might be.

Regards

MichaelT

[colin.smith]

Hi all, sorry to see this is still a problem.
I'm no longer on the Fusion 360 team, I suggest you ping Rob Cohee (rob.cohee@autodesk.com) who is the Sr. PM for Fusion to check the status.

Cheers,

Colin

[jholland8]

Hi Phil did you get the time to make a tutorial? i'm having a hell of a time with text and fonts, specifically for me in making patterns for casting. I wish to cast patterns with either drafted fonts coming out of the pattern or more often a font drafted drafted in to the pattern (usually 7-8 degrees is sufficient for sand removal)

I used to try the extrusion with draft (the draft is vital) but very rarely will a font work (like almost never - and weirdly at strange depths and draft angles but nothing inbetween!).

So now i have to do it in cam and 'engrave the font' with a beveled tool and then export the 'stock', it's very clunky and only gives me an stl at the end which is not fun to edit.