Looking for letters and numbers to import

First off I barely can turn autocad on. I remember from class 10
years ago that there was a way to "import" if thats the right word
already made drawings info your curront drawing. For example having a
threaded screw drawn and being able to bring it into a drawing instead
of drawing it every time.
I need numbers and letters but I need thm to be the outline of them
so I can scale up to say an inch or two inche and not have a solid
line but an outline. I am ultimately trying to import this into a
computer to cut shapes out with a plasma torch. So for examply if I
wanted the number one it might 1/2 in thick all around. The plasma
torch will only cut the perimiter of something.
So is there somewhere that I can go and get what I'm looking for?
Rosco

 

Get someone to do the cad work for you. It sounds easy...if you know what
you're doing, and near impossible if you don't.

 

"Letters and numbers" are called Fonts. You can use Windows fonts, or those
especially for AutoCAD, so-called SHX files because that's their Windows
file extension. Details like nuts and bolts are commonly available as
Blocks. All are available from literally hundreds of sources on the Web.

I would suggest at least a cursory reading of your users manuals, and some
time browsing the AutoCAD HELP system. The answers to all of your questions
can be found there.

If this is too much for you to handle, then I concur with Michael: find
someone to do the work for you.
___

 

FYI


Release 2000 provides a simple way to turn text characters into polylines.
If you were smart enough to install the optional Express Tools, the Txtexp
command is available. If not, dig out your AutoCAD installation CDROM and
install them now.
Txtexp explodes text into a series of polyline loops that you can directly
extrude into solids that you then add to or subtract from the base part.

For best results, you probably want to do some editing first. Many of the
more complex characters produce multiple loops. The center of an a or e
seems to need an extra loop, but AutoCAD does it differently. You'd expect
p, for example, to comprise an outer profile and inner "eye" profile. Close
examination reveals that p is actually built up from three separate loops.

But it's usually worth the few extra minutes to fix things up so you can
produce each character as a single solid.

Now start the Pedit command. Pick a line segment within a character. AutoCAD
tells you it is not a polyline and asks if you want to turn it into one.
Reply Yes. Next, enter a J to join more segments to it and select the rest
of the character. This turns the profile into a single closed polyline.

Repeat this process for each character, and for each eye within those
characters that have them.



Now for the threaded screw draw it and keep as a block you will be able to
retrieve it from design center everytime you need it hihihi



Hope that helps



Regards



R