Text Creating Question

# 1 15-05-2014 , 04:42 AM

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Okay, sorry if this a silly question but I'm ripping out my hair trying to figure out why the text creator in 2015 is doing this. I'll create some text and when I drag it away there's still a copy of it left down on the grid. This is just messy and frankly, annoying. I wish I had noticed this before I had used the text in a lot of places.

The really confusing thing is that when I delete the extra text on the grid it only deletes the B's and P's and leaves the inner circle of those letters in the scene.

I've inserted some pics as attachments, the first is before, with the text still in, the second is after the extra text has been deleted. I've tried everything I can think of in the editing/modifying menus and in the create text menu itself.

Please user added image

! I've been at this for nearly three hours to no avail! I'd consider you a life saver if this could be solved, I'm trying to create a TARDIS and this is the final part which makes it doubly infuriating.

Thanks!

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# 2 15-05-2014 , 10:52 AM

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I don't think this is a good way to texture your model, you would be better of UVing the tardis then creating texture in some thing like photoshop that would be applied to a shader....................dave

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# 3 16-05-2014 , 07:37 AM

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So do you recommend that i simply not create any text in Maya? I'm just learning how to normal map etc.

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# 4 16-05-2014 , 08:35 AM

The thin red line
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If you want to create a 3D sign then I would use maya other than that I would use texture created in photoshop, just did this little test that took me about 5 min but you would take more time to create the textures from scratch.......................dave

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# 5 16-05-2014 , 11:20 PM

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That looks awesome. Thanks for the advice, I'll give that a go. But as to my original question, say if I did want to create a 3D sign, do you know why the letters are doing that?

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# 6 17-05-2014 , 09:45 PM

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The best way to handle text in Maya is to live trace the image you are trying to create and then take the vector into Maya and extrude the text. works well and is done easily. I also do the same type of setup in C4D.

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# 7 20-05-2014 , 05:40 AM

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Okay, this is getting ridiculous, I've watched a ton of videos on how to import text from photoshop, followed them TO THE LETTER and my text won't appear in Maya. All of the tuts I've been able to find very clearly state to follow these steps:

1:Open the Photoshop program by double clicking on the Photoshop icon on your desktop. If you are starting a new project, click "File," choose "New" and type the name of your project in the box and click "OK." Or, if you want to open an old project, click "File," choose "Open," locate and click on the file, and then click on the "Open" button.
2:Move your cursor to the window in the bottom right of the Photoshop interface that has the tabs "Layers," "Channels" and "Paths." Click on the "Layers" tab. You will see a list of layers with a picture of an eye next to each (you should see a layer at the bottom of the list called "Background").
3:Right click on the layer that contains the image that you will export to Maya. (For example, if you have nothing in the "Background" layer and the word "Hello" in Layer 1, and you want to move "Hello" to Maya, right click on Layer 1). Click on the "Create work path" option.
4:Click on the "Paths" tab that is to the right of the "Layers" and "Channels" tabs. You should see a "new work path." Double click it, type a name for it in the box, and click "OK."
5: Go to "File" and move your cursor to "Export" and select "Paths to Illustrator." Click on the Paths pull-down menu and choose the path you created and named in the previous step. Type a name for this new .ai Export Path file and save it to your desktop (or anywhere you prefer).
6: Open Maya by double clicking on the Maya icon on your desktop. Go to "File" and click "Import." Locate the new .ai Export Path file that you just named and saved, click on it and then click on the "Open" button. The Photoshop image should appear in Maya. Zoom out to locate the image if you cannot see it.

The problem is that the file has imported, I just can't see it and yes, I have zoomed in and out, tried shading the text both in maya and and photoshop. I can select it, move it, scale it and rotate, but it simply, isn't visible. It just seems that maya doesn't want to let me have text in my scenes.

Can someone please point out what I'm doing wrong or to a tut that works with CS6 and Maya 2015 or explain to me simply how to do this? This is the ONLY problem I haven't been able to solve.

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# 8 20-05-2014 , 10:48 AM

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If I remember correctly, the vectors should be saved as an Illustrator 8 file, because that's the only one Maya can read. Weird I know, but I believe that might be the case.

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# 9 20-05-2014 , 02:33 PM

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Stwert you are correct. I have to save as an Illustrator 8 file in C4D as well.

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# 10 20-05-2014 , 02:39 PM

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Collin, apparently C4D has a better way of dealing with vectors as a separate plugin. Give it a look: https://www.digitalsandwich.net/portf...tsmart-review/
It was developed by someone at Maxon, so I don't know why it's not built into C4D at this point. Not sure if there's something also for Maya users, but for now it's old AI 8 files.

Make sure to check out the v2 features on cineversity. It supports up to AI CC and has some pretty slick options.https://www.cineversity.com/vidplaylist/cv-artsmart

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Last edited by stwert; 20-05-2014 at 02:49 PM.

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# 11 21-05-2014 , 01:58 AM

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If I remember correctly, the vectors should be saved as an Illustrator 8 file, because that's the only one Maya can read. Weird I know, but I believe that might be the case.

Originally Posted by stwert

Okay, I've heard this mentioned before. However, when I go to save or export in CS6 I don't get the option to save/export as illustrator 8. Should I go to an earlier version of photoshop?

P.S I really do appreciate all of your help, thanks guys.

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# 12 21-05-2014 , 01:59 AM

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Do you not have Illustrator? I would export from that. If your stuff is already in PS, there should be a simple way to export from PS to AI and then to Maya. I know, it's a pain.

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# 13 21-05-2014 , 07:20 AM

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Do you not have Illustrator? I would export from that. If your stuff is already in PS, there should be a simple way to export from PS to AI and then to Maya. I know, it's a pain.

Originally Posted by stwert

I'm completely new to this exporting/importing stuff. I used to use Blender and that was a breeze to do anything I wanted, It's only since learning Maya and trying to use text that I've been getting frustrated( I love everything else about it) Is Illustrator another program I have to use? I've followed steps (see prev post) to sort this out to no avail.

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# 14 22-05-2014 , 04:06 AM

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Okay, I've done some extra research and apparently anything above CS5.5 doesn't allow you to save as Illustrator 8. I'm going to try this and I'll let you know if it works.

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# 15 22-05-2014 , 07:49 AM

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Okay, I feel like such a damn nob. first of all, thanks guys for all of your input and being patient (those who've read this) secondly ( I actually face-palmed at this) all I had to do was go into the create menu for maya 2015 -> adobe illustrator object and import it from there. Wow. Thirdly, problem = solved. Thanks again.

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