WELCOME!

It is hard to believe that it was almost ten years ago I witnessed a CNC router in action for the very first time. I was fascinated and simply had to have one! Although I had been in the creative end of the three dimensional sign business for most of my life I didn't really know what I would do with one of these machines - but I just knew it could do fantastic stuff.

Along with the CNC router I discovered the wonderful material called Precision Board and the glues, primers and other companion products they offer. Since then we have gone through many tons of the material using it in most signs and projects we tackle. This journal will chronicle our many adventures both past, present and future. I'll talk from the perspective of someone who pushes these products to the creative limit on a daily basis. I'll be adding to the stories two or three times each week. -dan

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Workshop name plates 2014 - Part six

For Richard's name plaque I wanted a dimensional waving checkered flag. There's lots of ways to accomplish something like this in EnRoute but this is the easiest I can think of. It used the distort tool. I started with a bitmap from the TEXTURE MAGIC COLLECTION.  I then drew a rectangular vector, carefully lining the corners of the rectangle with the squares of the bitmap.


I then used the vector to create a flat relief.


I then modified the relief by applying the bitmap. to the relief using the add to command. Black does nothing, the white raised by the value inputted.


I then selected the relief and opened the distort tool. I used the nodes to wave the flag.



Then I created a new flat relief using the letter outline vectors.


I went to the front view and nudged it into position vertically using the up/down keys as indicated by the line (see arrow)


Once everything checked out I merged highest with the base relief.


Lastly I modified the base relief by adding the letters using the dome tool.


Another name plaque was ready to tool path and send to the MultiCam.

-dan