Daniel L. Isdell wrote:

> I need a way to create beveled text. I used to use POVSB but it added the
> width of the bevels to the outside of the text body so to prevent this, I
> started by creating the text in Corel Draw, cearting a condensed version by
> using the "contourr function to make a "skinnier" version to compensate for
> the extra width added by the bevels, exporting as DXF, importing the 2D DXF
> into POVSB and extruding it and adding the Bevels. OK it's an extremely
> circuitious method but the results were really great, plus it allowed me to
> modify the font for things like logos. However POVSB seems to have gone
> away.... What other modelers do bevels text or better yet import, extrude
> and bevel 2D DXF?

If you're willing to go round the mulberry bush, try this:

(a) Get Spazz3D (http://www.spazz3d.com/) which has the most
elaborate and useful set of 3D text options I've ever seen.
Make your text, play with the options, color and light it,
and set up a camera.

(b) Export from Spazz3D as POVRay -- this *is* a POVRay
newsgroup, after all.

(c) Export from Spazz3D as VRML.

(d) Import the VRML file into Nendo (http://www.nichimen.com/).

(e) Export from Nendo as 3DS.

(f) Use Crossroads to convert 3DS to DXF -- if you absolutely
have to.  Most of the modelers and converters I use that
import DXF also import 3DS, and the latter format seems to
be much less susceptible to things like making one enormous
group out of everything and missing/backwards faces.

Anybody got a way that takes more steps?  ;-)

Incidentally, now that Spazz3D can export to POVRay, it's
really worth looking at.  Remarkably bug-free and very
easy for beginners.  No, I'm not on their payroll -- just
a satisfied user.  Ditto for Nendo.  But be warned: while
Spazz3D uses a familiar CAD interface, Nendo's UI was
written by somebody from the third moon of Neptune.  But
once you learn it, I think you'll fall in love.
--
Bob Crispen
crispen at hiwaay dot net
What we're looking for: destinations.
What we end up getting: journeys.

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