Outer extrude ?

I need to create some 3d lettering with a bevel and using the extrude plus inner extrude created a bevel effect that worked just fine. No problem there except that now the bevel eats into the original size of the letter. Is it possible using various steps to create a bevel that would replicate an "outer extrude" so the original dimensions of the letter would remain the same ?

I have played around with various methods but all have so far failed miserably in Cheetah.

I have tried to using a vector program to increase the dimensions of the original text which would theoretically overcome this problem, when using the technique above, but having to extend all the vector points for each letter, and then import the text as an SVG is a real pain.

As usual I think am missing something here that is probably quite a simple solution and if anyone can point me in that right direction I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Limey
 
Unfortunately Cheetah3d´s extrude tool won´t let you do beveled inner extrusions.
What you can do is to make the extruded text object editable - select and delete (boolean subtract with a box will work also) edges from the front except some strategic ones to hold the massive nGons - then select these front nGons and use the bevel tool to round the edges:
nGonText.jpg
bevelled text.jpg


Cheers
Frank
 
Thanks for the quick reply Frank.
I actually did try what you suggest and of course it works well except that I am still losing some of the overall surface are of the original letter, the thicker the bevel the smaller the surface area in the text.
In most cases this doesn't matter if the font selection is bold enough to start with but when it is just a regular serif style the thinner sections almost get squeezed out in the process or conversely the bevel edge, which will eventually be a different color, will hardly be seen.

Maybe I should just select a thicker font and make my life easy ?
 
now the bevel eats into the original size of the letter. Is it possible using various steps to create a bevel that would replicate an "outer extrude" so the original dimensions of the letter would remain the same ?
But isn't that what the bevel property of the extrude creator already does?
It leaves the letter faces untouched but adds to the outer body instead (so the original dimension of the letter block would get bigger).
If the letter block shape should remain unchanged, then of course the front letter face will be decreased by the bevel (as in Frank's example).
There are only those two ways I think.
screenshot.png
 
Works perfectly
....this time I missed the obvious by six miles unlike my previous posted problem that was only 3.5 miles.

For some strange reason I thought that extrusion was one step in the process and bevel was actually a second step.I didn't realize that extrusion actually included a bevel option and the whole process could be completed in one easy step.

If I was using Cheetah every day I would have known better but I only use it fairly infrequently sadly. I'm going to be a forever newbie at this rate!

Thanks a bunch.
Onward
 
Seems I didn´t understand the briefing; sure the extrude-creator can do a all kind of beveling - except like C4D can - a bevel "within" the spline. The bevel always adds to the spline - which might cause overlapping and in some applications like 3d-printing won´t work as expected:
ExtrudedTextspline.jpeg


Cheers
Frank
 
Late to the party — in the end, it tends to be useful to pick the right font for extrusion if you possibly can. I imagine there's actually a market for fonts designed specifically for 3D extrusion and beveling (e.g. small curves on acute angles).
 
With the tips I need up with exactly what I wanted. Thanks guys. Now I just need to add some fancy animated Cheetah lights to bring it to life.
 
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