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FreeCAD: Text & Labels

[last updated: 2025-01-31]
FreeCAD: homepage
Command & Operation notes
Create Attached Label
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  • On This Page:
    • Labels and Dimensions
    • Embossed (raised) and engraved (sunken) text

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  • Labels & Dimensions (Draft workbench):
    • Tutorials:
    • add a line of annotation text:
      (annotation text does not have leaders & arrows)
      click 'create annotation' (large letter 'A' icon)
      click in drawing where text will be located
      text entry box opens; type text desired, press <CR> twice
      in View tab (bottom of Combo View), click in Font Size field and enter desired size; press <CR>
      • Edit text annotation:
        select text
        in Data tab, in Label Text line,
        click on <...> button
        'List' dialog box opens
        enter desired text, press <OK>
    • add a line of Label text:
    • Move a label:
      • The label text and leader can be moved with the Move tool
      • However the location of the tip of the arrow must be moved separately:
          • select the leader
          in Data tab, click on arrow beside "Target Point" to expand the coordinates
          click in the coordinate field you want to change and enter value or scroll with up/down arrows
          you must press <CR> for changes to be applied

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  • Embossed & Engraved Text:
    • General Procedure:
      Create text with the Draft ShapeString tool,
      Extrude it to be a 3D solid with Part Extrude,
      Position it in 3D space using placement, and Draft Move
        If Embossing, you're done.
        If Engraving, apply a boolean Part Cut

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    • Detailed Procedure:
      Create ShapeString object:
      You can do this before or after creating the Part or PartDesign object that you're going to attach it to.
      • Select Draft Workbench
      • Draft -> ShapeString ("Shape from text" in my current rev)
      • (I recommend) First enter the text you want in the String field
      • Enter text height in Height field
      • If no font is listed in Font file field, then click on the "..." and browse to desired font file, eg:
          /usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans.ttf
      • Note that whenever you pass your cursor over the drawing view screen, it will change the X, Y, Z coordinates listed
        Enter desired X, Y, Z coordinates, or click Reset Point to place string at origin.
        Click OK
      • Notice a ShapeString object is added to the Tree View, and the line of text you defined will appear in your drawing window.

      • Gotcha: Don't know why this happens, but here's how I fix it...
        You MUST do this BEFORE extruding, else it will merge/insert cockeyed.
        Select ShapeString in model tree.
        In Property -> Base -> Placement -> Angle,
        notice that (at least in mine...) angle is listed as 62.08 deg.
        Don't know why this happens, but it's a problem when you try to orient the ShapeString to the base model,
        so change this to 0 deg:
          Click in the angle field to highlight the "62.08", type "0", press enter, save the drawing.
    • Extrude the ShapeString:
      • Select Part Workbench
      • Select ShapeString in ModelTree View
      • Select Part -> Extrude
        Select Along Normal
        In Length -> Along, enter your desired extrusion depth
      • Click Create Solid
      • Click OK
        Note: If you press Apply before pressing OK, then Two extrude objects will be created.
        Not sure about this but suspect it's wrong/unnecessary, so I do NOT press Apply.
      • Notice the ShapeString object in the model tree is replaced with an Extrude object
        (with ShapeString embedded below it)
      • Also notice that the extruded shape is created at an angle.
        No clue why this is, but it's correct, regardless how it looks, and it will insert/merge into a base drawing with the correct orientation.
      • Suggest you rename to something like "[text]-extrude"

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    • ShapeString is now ready to be added to your drawing.
      There are two ways to proceed from here:

      • Save the extruded shapestring into its own drawing, then insert it into a separately created model:
        • Save the extruded ShapeString into its own .FStd file.
        • Create a new drawing for your base object
        • When your base object is ready to add the extruded ShapeString,
          File -> Merge project
          Navigate to and select the saved ShapeString FStd
          Proceed as below (move the ShapeString)

      • -OR- Proceed to create your model in the same drawing with the ShapeString object:
        • create your base object in this same drawing:
        • eg. using Part Design workbench:
          Create Body, Create Sketch, Select XY Plane
          Draw and constrain your base object

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    • ShapeString and your base model are now in the same drawing.


      Move the ShapeString to position it where you want in relation to your base model:

      • Double-click text-Extrude in the Model Tree
        3-axes will appear
      • Set desired translation increment
      • Click and hold the arrowhead or rotation bubbles in the direction you want to move or rotate it.
      • Drag it desired number of clicks
      • Release click and click OK

      • If Embossing,
        position the ShapeString extrusion to be on (touching) some planar surface of your model,
        then Proceed to mesh and print.

      • If Engraving,
        Using the transform arrows (the ones you used above to position the text where you wanted it),
        but now drag the text so that some portion of it is inside the base model.
        The amount inside will be the amount that will be removed/engraved from your base model to define the text.
          Now there's a complication if you have more than one text extrusion to engrave into your base model.
        • If you just have ONE line of text:
          • Part Workbench
          • Part -> Boolean -> Boolean
          • Select shapes:
            The First shape is your base layer (usually Solids-Body)
            The Second shape will be Compounds-text-Extrude
          • Click Difference
          • Click Apply, then Close
          • Notice text-Extrude has been replaced with Cut in the Model Tree
            Rename it to text-Extrude-Cut.
        • If you have multiple lines of text to be engraved:
          Each line of text should be on its own line in your drawing model tree, named eg.
                text1-Extrude
                text2-Extrude
          • Part workbench
          • Select all the text lines:
            click the first one, hold shift key, then use down-arrow to go to the last one,
            so that they are all highlighted.
          • Part -> Compound -> Make Compound
          • Notice a new line item will be created in the model tree, "Compound"
            and all the "text-Extrude" lines will be inside it.
          • Rename "Compound" to something like "text-Compound"
          • Part -> Boolean -> Boolean
            Select first shape = your model Body
            Select second shape = text-Compound
            Select Difference, click Apply, then Close
          • A new item: "Cut" will be created in the model tree
            Rename it engravedText-Cut

          Proceed to mesh and print.

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      • Mesh and 3dPrint:
        • Mesh Design workbench
          • If you are engraving:
            Select Cut in Model Tree
          • If you are embossing:
            Select Body, press-hold-shift and select Extrude
        • Mesh Design -> Create Mesh from shape
        • Select Standard, click OK

        • Export for slicing:
          • If you are embossing:
            There will be two (or more) meshed objects in the model tree
            Combine them:
              Select all
              Mesh -> Merge
              Note a new mesh is created.

            Right-click to export it for slicing

          • If you are engraving:
            Select Cut (meshed) in model tree
            Right click to export to desired location

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