3D-text in Illustrator

[tjywiz]

What is the best way of making 3D on text in Adobe Illustrator??

 

[dimoj]

Are you using Illustrator 10? Heres one way. Just create a duplicate of your text and give it a different colour from the other one. Imagine this new text as being the front face of the 3d text and the original is going to become the back face of the 3d text so position them accordingly. Convert both sets of text to curves. Select both sets and go to Object>Blend>make (there are blend options in there to control how the blend is created). That should do it.

Evidentally Illustrator 11 has a built in 3d plug-in, but you didn't hear that from me.

 

[dimoj]

And indeed it is true. The 3D function in Illustrator CS looks like it does a nice job indeed! YeeHaa!

 

[healdsburger]

Hello, I happened upon your post and thought I'd offer another way to make 3d text in Illustrator. Create some text, using a bold font, any color you like. Make it large, at least 72 point. When you have your text, select it and transform it by dragging a corner handle to enlarge considerably more. You can make it the size you need after you're all done. Now go to Object > Expand. Then Object > Path > Outline Stroke. Now select the entire object by with the selection tool an alt + drag out an copy of your text object. Change the color of the new object with the color selector to something different. Position it close to but not directly covering the type object below. Now drag the selction tool in a rectangular fashion over both object to select them both. Now go to Object > Blend > Blend Options > and choose something you like; I used specified steps and chose 8 steps. Now go to Object > Blend > Blend Make. Voila you have 3D text. Resize it to fit your needs by selecting the entire object and go to Object > Transform > Scale.

Before you scale it you could select the object and go to Object > Envelop Distort > Make With Warp > set parameters in the Warp Options Dialog box; I used Arc in the top option, horizontal at 50 and left the other parameters alone. There you have it: a 3D text object warped to an arch.

The variations here are almost endless.

Another way to make 3d text is to create your text and import it into Adobe Dimesions and extrude the text to make it 3D.

Hope this helps.

 

[dimoj]

healdsburger

Sorry man but...what!!!!????

You basically just said the same as me but made it way more complicated with parts that dont even make sense!

Make it large, at least 72 point. When you have your text, select it and transform it by dragging a corner handle to enlarge considerably more
If you are gonna transform your text rather than using a set point size, what does it matter what point size you start with?

Now go to Object > Expand. Then Object > Path > Outline Stroke.
Its just text and noone mentioned the text having a stroke! You could expand it if you want but thats generally for a compound shape. Why not just create outlines instead? Then you say to outline stroke and as I said no-one mentioned a stroke so why 'outline stroke'!!!???

And if we are suggesting to tjywiz that he/she uses other software than Illustrator (as per his/her question) then why not just tell them to use Maya, Lightwave or 3DSM where they will have real control over the 3D environment? Or just get Kais Power Tools vector effects which includes a 3D plug in for Illustrator. Or order Illustrator CS.

 

[tjywiz]

Thank you for the answers!

But I was looking for a more basic way of making 3D. One color on the 3D and one on the text, if you understand..

When I blend, the object gets too heavy to work with. It takes forever just to scale or zoom.