Help: text on a surface

[rmmt]

Hey guys I'm pretty new and I know this may have been asked before (but I couldn't find the answer in here), but I want to know how to have text on a surface? Much like how a plastic toy would say "Made in China".

I was thinking of projector the vector curves onto a surface (NURBS) but the letter, when I select it, isn't one curve - they are multiple curves that make up a letter. So I then tried to join them or zip the curves of a letter together but it changes the shape of the text. Is there another way?

[andoy]

What software are you using????
Vector's can work in Max and also Shape merge ( which has an explanation in the tutorials )

[rmmt]

oh sorry I keep thinking everyone uses 3ds max (because that's what I use)

Yup, I tried using vector projected, but that requires, if you want to project it easily, for the whole letter to be one curve. But, when I try to ZIP of JOIN the curves of a letter together, it changes the shape of the letter.

[andoy]

maybe do a bmp of the text, use it in one of the viewports as a background, then draw it with editable splines.
When you have it looking right, attach them all to make one object, then move this so it is above where you want it projected and use shape merge.
Then tidy up any stray vertices if you are gonna smooth it later.

[rmmt]

oh, that's the simplest way? so if i have a while sentence ... :eek:

[andoy]

If you have the font in your window folder then just type what you want in the correct viewport using that font, align it over where you want it. and use shape merge... should take you about 1 minute really.

[rmmt]

ok great thanks andoy :)