I’m pretty new to SketchUp and 3D printing, so I appreciate any direction you can give me!
My wife is a 2nd grade teacher and I would like to 3D print something similar to the attached nameplate as a Christmas present. I’m trying to figure out the best way to model this in SketchUp.
I know SketchUp has a “3D Text” tool, but I can’t figure out a good way to create the “shadow” (e.g. the purple background in the attached photo) once I’ve added the text in SketchUp. Additionally, the fonts are pretty limited.
I should mention that my printer can do multi-color prints, so the 3D model is the most challenging part of this project.
If I may give you a suggestion, set your model units to meters before you start modeling and create the 3D text using meters as if they were millimeters. This will make it easier to create small details and keep the objects as solids. When you export the .stl file it’ll use Model Units but when you import the .stl into the slicer as millimeters, it’ll be the correct size.
This is true for the desktop version of SketchUp. The OP posted in the SketchUp Go category and their profile says they are using the “Free Plan” both of which imply a web-based version and neither of which have access to the system fonts.
@t0pherd1xon it would be helpful to know which version you are really using.
Sorry about that! I am currently using SketchUp Go (i.e. the web version), but was using the free version for a while before upgrading.
I’ve decided to take a screenshot of a font I like, and trace it using the line tool and the 2-point arc tool. It’s tedious, but it’s yielding good results.
That can work but you might also investigate another option. You could use Inkscape to convert the edges of the text into paths that can then be exported as a .dxf file. With SketchUp Go you can then import the .dxf file. From there you only need to edit the component, trace edges of the letters to create faces, and extrude them to thickness.
