Easily import words or phrases in TrueType or OpenType fonts while accurately representing both curve (spline) and polyline contours. This is the ONLY application that accomplishes this.

Requirements

• Microsoft Windows with .Net 2.0 Framework
• Internet connection
• Alibre Design installed and running
• Firefox users: Be sure you have Firefox Click Once Extension installed.

Screen shots

Licensing & Registration

This application is Copyright (c) 2006-2008 by Alex Franke, and it offered as what I like to call CollegeFundware. This means you're free to try it out for a reasonable period of time, but if you like it and want to keep using it, you need to contribute to my kids' college funds =).

Visit the Software Registration page on this site for details on how to legally use this software after a reasonable evaluation period. Important: By downloading and/or running this software, you agree to the terms and conditions set forth on the the Software Registration page page. (It's not that bad, really =)

When you register the product by contributing, any limitations the software may have will be removed, including registration reminder pop-ups windows. Registration may also "unlock" special features not available to unregistered users.

It's always difficult to suggest a donation amount for registration. I recommend considering the value of the time you save by using the tool, and contribute an amount you feel is reasonable and appropriate. Below is a general guideline that may also help you decide.

• $15-20 for private, personal use (e.g. hobbyist)
• $20-50 for individual professional use (e.g. contractor)
• $50+ if your company is writing the check

Register now by donating!

Installation & Tutorial

Clicking Download Now below will guide you through the process of installing the application on your computer. (If you're using Firefox, be sure you have the Firefox Click Once Extension installed.) The application will check for updates if you're connected to the Internet when it starts up. You'll be able to access the application (whether connected or not) from your start menu at Start > Program Files > plans.theFrankes.com > [AppName]

Trusted source? When you install, you'll get a pop-up that says the application is not from a "trusted source." Don't let that scare you -- it's just Microsoft telling you that I haven't paid a third party to verify that I am who I say I am. Ask around in the community where you leared about the application and you'll learn it's an app you can trust.

Download: Download Now
Support: Support Forum
Tutorial: How To Import TrueType Fonts into Alibre Design
Video Tutorial: How to Install, Register, & Uninstall API Apps (WMV, 13:39, 32.2MB)
Video Tutorial: How to Import, Extrude, & Etch Text (WMV, 16:53, 60.4MB)

Status & Known Issues

Known issues are listed below. If you discover other issues or defects, please contact me (Alex Franke) at the address at the bottom of this page (in the footer).

• Many OpenType fonts (usually non-Microsoft) are not supported. This is a bug in Microsoft's .Net Framework.
• Some fonts (especially script fonts) are designed to overlap. In many cases, these fonts will import correctly, but Alibre Design will not be able to build features with them until overlapping areas are "cleaned up."
• Complicated fonts may take a long time to import.
• Alibre Design sometimes reports "FF_MERGE_FAILURE: failure in face-face intersection merging algorithm." when complex curves (such as text) are on the exact same plane as the surface you're trying to extrude or cut. This is a bug in Alibre Design. To remedy this, simply move the curve ever so slightly away from that plane.

Versions & Update History

V.1.4 (Sep 22, 2007)

Revisions:

• More compatible with Alibre Design V10
• Protects against some extrusion errors caused by fonts containing curves defined with identical, consecutive points.

V.1.3 (Aug 29, 2006)

Revisions:

• Added extended character set (unicode) support
• Allows multiple, ordered transformations on imported text for registered users
• Added start menu icon
• Added script change to font dialog
• Many more types of fonts supported
• 10 character max length for unregistered users
• Wait-a-minute dialog for unregistered users

Available transformations include

• Mirror Horizontally- Reflect as if the mirror were placed on the horizontal axis.
• Mirror Vertically- Reflect as if the mirror were placed on the vertical axis.
• Rotate- Rotate the text about the starting position.
• Scale- Enlarge or reduce the output.
• Shear Horizontally- Slide the bottom edge horizontally. A value of 1 is the height.
• Shear Vertically- Slide the right edge vertically. A value of 1 is the width.
• Translate- Repositions each new character by the given offset.

V.1.0 (Apr 9, 2006)

Revisions:

• Fixed problem of extra points added at polyline joints.
• Optimized and refactored to ensure consistence among other (newer) applications.
• Added an icon.
• Fixed problem that caused session or sketch selection to fail when session or sketch order was out of synch with Alibre Design.
• Fixed problem with browser window opening behind topmost window
• Resized the license key field so it would show entire key

V.0.1 (Mar 26, 2006)

First release.