Subtract text from round shape for 3d printing

Hello, I recently started using Blender cause 123dDesign & Meshmixer don't have all the options I need. I have some basic skills of fiddling around with the mesh
My question is:
How can I subtract text from this apple and make it 3d printable (no sharp corners and impossible overhangs).
The idea is that the letters should be subtracted and leave behind a rounded edged hole with the inside warped to the overall geometry of the apple.
This was my best result as far as rounded edges (used depth and extrude from text options and boolean difference on apple for making the hole) but the hole doesn't warp to the curved geometry of the apple. It looks horrible.
And this is my best result as far as warped hole to the geometry of the apple (used extruded text with boolean difference on text object and then another boolean difference on apple). It looks decent but no rounded edges.

I would like to make the combined effects for this procedure, any idea how?

Looked at a couple of tutorials on how to customize text, but didn't find any info on how to round edges after subtraction. Tried the bevel for a vertex group that contained only the depth edges but the vertices went crazy.

easy peasy with openscad - not a clu how you'd do it with any other system.

But one thing as long as the text is around 0.5mm deep - there is no need to have it rounded.
If your printer can't print a 0.5mm vertical declivity - throw it away and buy something else :-)

Second one looks good. Perhaps if you use lofting and extrude a larger text face to smaller text face and carry out the procedure in the second one to wrap the text then this will give you the bevel on the text you seek (if we are interpreting what you want correctly?).

I have just started using Openscad and I put some text on (in) Horia's apple with about 30 min. work, no problem, but how do you round the intersection edges?


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Originally Posted by iDig3Dprinting

Second one looks good. Perhaps if you use lofting and extrude a larger text face to smaller text face and carry out the procedure in the second one to wrap the text then this will give you the bevel on the text you seek (if we are interpreting what you want correctly?).

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Yes, something like that, but in the case of lofing there are no round edges, only straight lines from the larger text to the smaller text and the angle will be sharp. Tried this and ended up with a result similar to the first picture. The problem is that the apple hasn't got flat faces and any lofting text subtracted will look out of balance. This is like Chamfer.
What I need is a sort of Fillet (like in 123d Design) that can round an edge.
Here is how it looks in 123dDesign (and want to look in blender too), but unfortunately I can't apply any modification with STL's made in other programs that uses primarely meshing.

You could try finishing the text and importing in to or building the model in FreeCad. This has fillet functionality in the "Part" workbench. It is a bit of a learning curve but if you have mastered Blender it will be a breeze and you seem to know exactly what you are doing. You can import .STL files into it and then create a solid from that (again using the "Part" workbench).

We did put together an article on importing text into freecad which should give you some background guidance on how freecad works. It does produce very good printable models.

another way would be to produce the text in something like adobe photoshop or illustrator and export as dxf. Then import that into openscad and do a difference.
I would think most cad programs would offer similiar facility.

So, here is my wip apple in 123d Design. I guess it will do the job after all. Preety neat features, forgot all about transforming sketches in solids and using fillet on multiple edges at once. Sure hope it will be a decent print in the end with the 0.3mm overhang.

Congratulations! :D

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Originally Posted by curious aardvark

If your printer can't print a 0.5mm vertical declivity - throw it away and buy something else :-)

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All our printers have 0.4 nozzle so, 0.35 would be the maximum of vertical declivity that we feel safe with :)

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Originally Posted by iDig3Dprinting

Congratulations! :D

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Thanks! :o
I have another thread in the blender artists forum and am hopefull that someone will light the way for this procedure in Blender. When I saw a pro using this FREE software I instantly fell in love.
123d Design is not too fancy, probably the paid version has some mesh customization, but until then it saved me a couple of times.

bear in mind that the 0.4 is completely irrelevant in this case. As it can put the bead anywhere on the preceeding layer.
The relevant thing in this case is your print layer height :-)