Procedure

1. To create raised or depressed text on a surface, an offset feature will be used. This example uses a cylindrical surface, but any developable surface (cone, cylinder, plane, extruded surface, ruled surface) can be used. First, create a datum plane offset an arbitrary distance above the cylindrical surface.
   

   Figure 1

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2. Use the offset datum plane as a sketching plane for a datum curve using the Formed option. Select the cylindrical surface as the surface to form this datum curve around. In Sketcher, select Adv Geometry from the GEOMETRY menu and then Adv Geometry, Text. This will allow you to enter in a line of text and place it on your geometry. Dimension the text block with respect to the part both horizontally and vertically. A sketcher coordinate system will be required, which can be created by selecting Coord Sys from the ADV GEOMETRY menu.

   NOTE: The sketcher coordinate system is the origin of the sketch and the text will be formed around the cylindrical surface relative to the sketcher coordinate system.

   

   Figure 2

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3. Create an offset feature by selecting Create from the FEAT menu and then select Tweak, Offset. Select the Offset Datum Plane created in Step 1 as the sketching plane and select the cylindrical surface for the surface to offset. From the OPTIONS menu specify whether the sides of the surface will be normal to the sketching plane or whether the sides of the surface will be normal to the cylindrical surface by selecting either SideNrmToSkt or SideNrmToSrf respectively. In Sketcher, select Geom Tools from the SKETCHER menu and then Use Edge, Sel Loop and pick each datum curve letter created in Step 2. Once all letters have been selected, regenerate the sketch and select done . You will be prompted for an offset value. A positive offset will raise the text while a negative offset will depress the text.

   NOTE: This geometry may contain many tiny edges which need to be zoomed in on. Zoom In in SKETCHER Mode effectively causes sketcher accuracy to increase which will allow the tiny edges to regenerate succesfully.

   

   Figure 3

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4. This completed feature will now be offset from the selected surface as illustrated below.
   

   Figure 4

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