Engraving text into a surface

[gazbo]

Hi All,

 

Been a while since I posted here, hope you're all well. I am trying to engrave some text into a surface and am struggling. Initially I thought I'd outline the text in illustrator and bring it into max as a .dwg, bevel it and boolean extract it from the surface. Problem is it's quite a complex flowing script and the outline has so many verts per letter that my computer can't handle it.

 

Any alternative ways of doing it? Is there any way of achieving an engraved effect with materials?

 

Cheers

[Stephen Thomas]

Hi All,

 

Been a while since I posted here, hope you're all well. I am trying to engrave some text into a surface and am struggling. Initially I thought I'd outline the text in illustrator and bring it into max as a .dwg, bevel it and boolean extract it from the surface. Problem is it's quite a complex flowing script and the outline has so many verts per letter that my computer can't handle it.

 

Any alternative ways of doing it? Is there any way of achieving an engraved effect with materials?

 

Cheers

Displacement?

[jophus14]

Here's a short tutorial from a few months ago. Not sure if this will help but check it out.

 

http://www.3dtotal.com/tutorial/3d_studio_max/makingof_ornaments/ornaments_01.php

[JonRashid]

If you have the font installed on your machine Max should just pick it up. You will find you have more control over the shape if it is created natively in Max.

[gazbo]

Thanks for the replies, I'm finding that with the displace modifier I'm having to make the mesh so fine to get a decent edge that I'm running into similar memory issues.

 

Also I wanted the engraving to appear as if done by hand with a chisel so kind of a notched groove rather than a straight displacement. I've attached an image of something similar.

 

With regard to the font, I purchased it from myfonts.com but it came as an open type font and max doesn't seem to recognise it, does anyone know if I can convert it or if there's a plugin so max will recognise it, I'm running Max 2009?

[Thiago de Andrade]

If it´s not for an animation I´d do this in post. Using photoshop layer properties, blending options, bevel and emboss. Make a copy of the underneath layer cutting from the text or design and the make the effect.

[erickdt]

I too would build the engraving effect into the texture itself, made in Photoshop. Especially if it's not going to be viewed super close.

 

E

[Oleksandr Kramer]

See here

InsertShape from Vlad Gavrilov

http://www.vg2max.spb.ru/InsertShape.htm