Macro FCCircularText

Description

This macro makes use of the Draft ShapeString tool to create a text line placed in different circular orientations, including circumferential and helical in the fashion of a Trajan's Column. It can also be used to create a clock face with Arabic numerals 1, 2, 3, etc., or Roman numerals I, II, III, etc. This latter usage was inspired by the Forum thread Macro to Create Clock Face by FC community member, cblt2l.

# This code is copied instead of the original macro code
# to guide the user to the online download page.
# Use it if the code of the macro is larger than 64 KB and cannot be included in the wiki
# or if the RAW code URL is somewhere else in the wiki.

from PySide import QtGui, QtCore

diag = QtGui.QMessageBox(QtGui.QMessageBox.Information,
    "Information",
    "This macro must be downloaded from this link\n"
    "\n"
    "https://gist.githubusercontent.com/mario52a/a25e802498bae6959335/raw/39bfcbdad0771e7709effa87f7155b8bbbb0e151/Macro_FCCircularText.FCMacro" + "\n"
    "\n"
    "Quit this window to access the download page")

diag.setWindowFlags(QtCore.Qt.WindowStaysOnTopHint)
diag.setWindowModality(QtCore.Qt.ApplicationModal)
diag.exec_()

import webbrowser 
webbrowser.open("https://gist.githubusercontent.com/mario52a/a25e802498bae6959335/raw/39bfcbdad0771e7709effa87f7155b8bbbb0e151/Macro_FCCircularText.FCMacro")

Example of the macro displaying text in a 360 degree orientation

Usage

Launch the macro folder FcString for created characters and a file FcClock for created clocks.

All the characters are and remain independent. When creating extrusions nothing is deleted. If a Compound is created with Run Comp it is copied out of the folder.

The options are shaded by default and are active in all functions if they are checked :

• Extrude Char.
• Placement.
• SP. inclination.

Except for one Clock Service Placement box Z is activated and moves the text in the direction Z to place the text on the support surface.

Notes

• This macro will gray-out (deactivate) options that are not relevant for a selected function.

Interface

Overview

First section

• TextEdit window that lets you copy the text to display (click on the Reset allows to know the number of the input string that is displayed in the window title)
• The Reverse button reverses the text (ex: FreeCAD.the.best. → .tseb.eht.DACeerF)
• The Inverse button invert the text (ex: FreeCAD.the.best. → .best.the.FreeCAD)
• Word checked, this option consider the text as word, the text is cut on space and write the text word by word (instead character by character in normal use)
• The Color button color the shape
• (97/395) C:/Windows/Fonts/DejaVuSansMono-BoldOblique.ttf: display the position/number of fonts, the path and name of file font
• Other button for search the font in other directory in case all directory is not discovery automatically
• ComboView to choose the font
• Origin return to origin system font path ex: "C:/Windows/Fonts/"
  • Default ARIAL.TTF

Available options

After the first use, you must modify the following parameters:

User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Macros/FCMmacros/FCCircularText

switchModeTextList

• 0 = normal text mode (and black) cuts the switchFontComBox
• 1 = allows switchFontComBox 1

switchFontComBox

• 0 = (and switchModeTextList= 1) text mode (in color) in ComboBox list, faster
• 1 = (and switchModeTextList= 1) fontFamily, slower but more beautiful ComboBoxst!

setSystemFonts

• 0 = matplotlib.font_manager.findSystemFonts("C:/", "ttf")
• do all the fonts (in all folders and sub-folders of the DD) time!
• 1 = fontman.findSystemFonts(self.pathFont)
• do all the fonts in the directory (and in all the sub-folders)

seTtextAlignement

• 0 = AlignLeft (default)
• 1 = AlignCenter
• 2 = AlignRight

setFontByDefault

• Font by Default

switchResetFALSE

• 0 = reset (default)
• 1 = no reset (not recommended) some switches can remain open or close unexpectedly!

Example

1. switchModeTextList= false
2. switchFontComBox = false
3. setSystemFonts = false
4. seTtextAlignement = 0

1. switchModeTextList= true
2. switchFontComBox = false
3. setSystemFonts = false
4. seTtextAlignement = 0

1. switchModeTextList= true
2. switchFontComBox = false
3. setSystemFonts = false
4. seTtextAlignement = 1 (0=Left, 1=Centered, 2=Right)

1. switchModeTextList= true
2. switchFontComBox = true
3. setSystemFonts = false
4. seTtextAlignement = 1

Second section

Configuring characters in FCCircularText

First zone

Your choice:

• Mode Stand or Mode Flat : The text will be placed standing or flat (same as clock) options Outdoor and Indoor are reversed.

Second area

This section allows you to configure the overall behavior of characters in all the choices available but with some variation. If the command is not used in the chosen option, it will be grayed out.

• 10.0 mm Radius of circle : Radius of the circle. (Default 10)
• 2.0 mm Size character : Character height. (Default 2)
• 0 deg Begin angle : Starting angle of the first character in the circle. (Default 0°)
• 360 deg End angle : End angle of the last character of the text. (Default 360)
• 10.0 deg Correction angle : Character correction angle to make it tangent to the circle. (Default 10°)
• 0.15 mm Correction radius : Fixed the radius of the circle characters (optional). (Default 0.15)
• Extrude Char : Checkbox extrusion characters. (Inactive, Default)
• Bottom-Center Justification : Justification of the characters
• -0,30 mm (Tracking) Tracking : Tracking between 2 characters only available with the Word mode
• Placement : Text placement in the 3D view. (Inactive, Default)
• Sp. inclination : Inclination of characters in three axes X, Y and Z (example to cover such a cone). (Inactive, Default)

Outdoor

Default mode. The text is written on the outside of the circumference of the circle.

Indoor

The text is written on the inner side of the circumference of the circle

Helix

The text is entered on the outer circumference of a helix.

• The helix area is hidden by default. The window is visible if the radio button Helix is checked.

• All characters configuration options are available.
• Step of helix which corresponds to the pitch of the helix turns and displays 2 (character height) by default.
• Char. per turn activates and displays 10 by default, which corresponds to 10 characters per helical turn.

• If Step of helix (helix pitch) is zero, Spinboxes Base Helix and End Helix are activated.
• Base Helix provides the basis for starting the helix (even Placement Z). If 'Placement Z' is different from zero, the starting point is added to Z Placement
• End Helix End of the helix pitch of the helix will be calculated relative to the height and the number of characters per helical turn.

Clock

The figures are part of a circle with Arabic numerals or Romans.

• By default, the section is hidden. The window is visible if the radio button Clock is checked

• When the selection is made, the following functions get dark and are usable:
  1. Begin angle.
  2. End angle.
  3. Correction angle.
  4. Correction radius.
  5. The button Mode Stand or Mode Flat.
• The area Clock is activated.

• Radius of support : If a value is given, support will be created (default 0).
• If Support number face is different from zero a support is created. (If Extrude support = zero then a face is created).
  • 1 = A circle is created (circle appears).
  • 2 = A rectangle is created (length = (Radius of media * 1.5) width = Radius of support) (Rectangle appears).
  • 3 = A triangle is created (circumscribed) (Triangle appears).
  • 4 = A square is created (Radius of support) (Square appears).
  • 5 = A polygon with the number of faces displayed (circumscribed) (Polygon appears).
• Extrude support is activated and an extrusion dimension can be given.

• If Support number face is equal to zero there is no support.
• Mode Roman : The writing will be in Roman figures I II III IIII V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
• Axial : The figures will be written axially.

Path section

The title section changes and displays the length of the selected wire.

If you select one wire, arc, circle, line or edge the section Path is coloured in green and the unused command is coloured in red

• Orthogonal the character is Orthogonal to the view
• Tangent the character is Tangent to point path on wire
• Reverse wire the wire selected is "duplicate" one bspline is created and the Points Begin End are inverted and the direction of line is displayed
  the original object is hidden an restored after the operation finished
• Delette text the text information Begin End of the latest creation is erased

the last used Radio Button is saved in the parameters of FreeCAD

Generator section

• Integer: The data is Integer
• Float: The data is Float
• Unicode: The data is Unicode begin 32 to ... (0 to 31 are characters used by the system)
• pi: The value of pi with X decimals

• 0,0000 (Integer) : Generator. For validate the first number, click the Return button or
  
  • for begin on click to 0 go to the preference option:
  • Tools → Edit parameters
  • User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Macros/FCMmacros/FCCircularText
  • change the parameter setDS_Generateur_Begin to -1"
• 1,0000 (Step) : Step of the generator
• Characters separation (1): Characters to insert between each click increment or decrease generator, the number of character(s) is displayed
• Clear generator: Clear the generator return to 0

• Text: Result of the generator, all entry are concatenated only the pi erase the result without concatenation
  • You can concatenate after the pi entry
• 1 (Repetition) : the result is repeated X times
• Ok: Validate the generator result
• Clear lineEdit: Clear the lineEdit result

Command section

• Points: Create one Draft Point at the base point of the character (the serial points is saved in the separate group)
• Circle: Create on Draft Circle limit of the radius given.
• BoundBox: Create the boundBox for each character.
• Progression: Progression of the creation of the characters (the new version stay visible ?).

• Reset: Reset all values and displays the number of characters displayed in the window.
• Reset: The reset is performed for each character, if this option is checked no reset is performed,

if the result give errors or not give the expected result is corrupt: uncheck the checkBox click the Reset Button or close and restart the FCCircularText macro

• Free: Mode free.
• Del: Delete the last task performed

• Run: Launches the macro, the characters are separate and saved in a directory.
• Run + Comp: Launches the macro (characters are separate and saved in a directory) and creates one unique Compound object of all characters.
• The Help button displays the wiki page in the FreeCAD browser
• Exit: Leaves the macro (bye).

Parameters available

Certain parameter are available in the parameters of FreeCAD, see: Menu → Tools → Edit Parameters

• User parameter: BaseApp/Preferences/Macros/FCMmacros/FCCircularText

• • switchModeTextList :
    • false normal text mode (and black) turns off switchFontComBox
    • true allow switchFontComBox 1 (default)
  • switchFontComBox :
    • false (and switchModeTextList = 1) text mode (in color) in Faster ComboBox list (default)
    • true (and switchModeTextList = 1) font Family in ComboBox list, slower but more beautiful!
  • setSystemFonts :
    • false matplotlib.font_manager.findSystemFonts ("C: /", "ttf") do all fonts (in all folders and subfolders of the HD) time !!
    • true fontman.findSystemFonts (self.pathFont)
      make all the fonts in the directory (and in all the subfolders) (default)
  • seTtextAlignement : 0 = AlignLeft (default) 1 = AlignCenter 2 = AlignRight
  • setFontByDefault : Font by Default (the last used)
  • switchResetFALSE : false reset (default), true no reset (not recommended) some switches can stay open or close unexpectedly!
  • setPathOrthogonal : true false
  • setPathTangent : true false
  • setPositionBase : true false
  • setPositionCenter : true false
  • setPositionTop : true false
  • switchVersionSearch : true false
  • Version : FCCircularText version

Launch the macro folder FcString for created characters and a file FcClock for created clocks.

Script

The button icon:

- in .PNG

- in .SVG

(See Customize_Toolbars for more)

Script

Macro_Circular_Text.FCMacro

or download the script :

- on github Macro_FCCircularText.FCMacro

- at the forum Extrude from curved surface of cylinder

Examples

Example onto Ellipse

Mode relief:

Example section path

Example utilization Generator

Limitations

Note it is possible that an error may occur between versions. Please post the issue on the forum and wait for the updated fix or rollback to a previous version of the macro. Thank you.)

It is possible that two characters may overlap. If this happens, here's a workaround available using the Rotate-To-Point Macro.

(not fully developed)

Planned:

Writing circular text on a path of the selected position object.

Change log

ver 0.24d 2026/10/11 : correction 0.24b: 4653, 4594, 4821 by Direction thanks

ver 24c 2026/10/03 : return to (code) instead the FreeCAD command Gui.Selection.clearSelection(), give error if one object is selected

# deselectionner tous les objets
try:
    for obj in FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.Objects:         # deselectionne tout
        FreeCADGui.Selection.removeSelection(obj)
except Exception:
    None

• ver 0.24b 2026/09/29 : add create and reverse wire (create one bspline and reverse the Points), modify convert_Int_To_RGB case INT = 0

• ver 0.24 2026/09/25 : add Generator of characters option

• ver 0.23b 2026/09/13 : correct link to the images Path Base/orthogonal !!!

• ver 0.23 2026/09/13 : add justification, tracking, inverse, option color

• ver 0.22f 2025/09/25 : return to PySide, adding info for use of the MONOSPACE font

• ver 0.22e 2024/07/11 : delete "ss.support = None"

• ver 0.22d 2024/07/11 : delete "import WebGui" cause error in 0.22xxx FC and replaced by "import webbrowser"

• ver 0.22c 2023/11/17 : adding restore selection after delete the last object , by TheMarkster , thanks

see Curved text on a flat surface?

sel = Gui.Selection.getCompleteSelection()
#delete objects
#restore previous selection
Gui.Selection.clearSelection()
for s in sel:
    Gui.Selection.addSelection(s.Object,s.SubElementNames)

• ver 0.22b 2023/11/15 : upgrade correction stylesheet and FreeCAD.activeDocument().recompute(None,True,True)

• ver 0.22 2022/06/06 : adding QScrollArea cause : Unable to run FCCircularText [Problem with screen size]

• ver 0.21 2022/05/31 : adding button search other path fontmanuelly, and button return font origin of system

• ver 0.20 2021/04/05 : adding icone in macro, Tab for diminish the heigth of the macro, remove all dimensions of widgets now fully compatible with the stylesheet, revisite the search version for compatibility and other little change.

• ver 1.19 2021/03/15 : adding button Delete the last object created and the code FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.openTransaction("FCCTc") for Undo/Redo system

• • Adding CheckBox Reset for switched/activated (requested by users) the natural reset after all push button Runand Run comp. This use checkBox is not advised, is you constade one malfunction pusch the Reset button or quit FCCircularText and restart.

• ver 0.18 2021/01/19 : correction bug see FCCircularText Macro issues

• ver 0.17b 2020/09/28 : correction little bug (pl instead plm in path section) and arrange the window (dimension) Clock, Helix, Path

• ver 0.17 2020/09/26 : adding create circular text on wire (curve, arc, spline, line ...) selected, mode word

ver 16d 2020/09/15 : see the MasterCATZ commented Sep 14, 2020 message

delete the FC 0.18 test section:

#### Test FreeCAD.Version simple ############################################################################################################
if int(FreeCAD.Version()[1]) < 18:      # Version de FreeCAD
    FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage("This version " + __Title__ + " rmu  work with the FreeCAD 0.18 or higher." + "\n\n")
    FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage("For the precedent version see the page " + "\n\n")
    FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage("https://gist.githubusercontent.com/mario52a/a25e802498bae6959335/raw/db47f78f2b20a35137ac213b8d1a62d30f525dcb/Macro_FCCircularText.FCMacro" + "\n\n")
#### Test FreeCAD.Version simple ############################################################################################################

• ver 0.16c 2020/07/24 : modify text proposed by Kunda1 Please review FCVerticalText Macro

• ver 0.16b 2020/07/24 : correct __title__ to __Title__ in 0.18 FC test (see Please review FCVerticalText Macro)

• ver 0.16 2020/06/07 : little bug in Linux with the path, impost PolicePath = "/usr/share/fonts/" (stay on path /xx/xx/xx/xx/xx/xx/ on entry)

• ver 0.15 2020/06/01 : For PySide2 Qt5 adding matplotlib fonts in comboView, config on parameter

• ver 0.14-4 2020/04/25 : corrected for "DisplayMode = u"Flat Lines" :

• ver 0.14-3 2020/04/25 : adapted for :

OS: Windows 10 (10.0)
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.19.20655 (Git)
Build type: Release
Branch: master
Hash: e8e67e8c5ebbc9f9ed9ea67aba5b891969595ece
Python version: 3.6.8
Qt version: 5.12.1
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.3.0

• ver 0.14-2 2019/07/22 replace chr(176) (give error <FC 0.18) and replace with the wmayer code, see Fehler in Version 0.19 pre ??

       carDegrees = b' \xc2\xb0'.decode("utf-8")    #thanks wmayer	https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=36380&p=308476#p308357
       self.DS_InclinaisonX.setSuffix(carDegrees)
       self.DS_InclinaisonY.setSuffix(carDegrees)
       self.DS_InclinaisonZ.setSuffix(carDegrees)

• ver 0.14-1 2019/06/11 replace "°" to chr(176)

• ver 0.14 2019/04/27 compatible for Python 3.6.6 and Qt 5.6.2 (cause: unicode() )

latest testing:

#OS: Windows 10
#Word size of OS: 64-bit
#Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
#Version: 0.19.16523 (Git)
#Build type: Release
#Branch: master
#Hash: 9b3ec233c8b21e0df66fada487cd10f471d60cac
#Python version: 3.6.6
#Qt version: 5.6.2
#Coin version: 4.0.0a
#OCC version: 7.3.0

• ver 0.13 30/01/2018 add feature Pivot for rotate the character on himself

• ver 0.13 09/08/2016 replace the button "New font" to "fontComboBox" cause , with Windows 10 the window Font stay empty the files are hidden

• ver 0.12 03/07/2016 optimize the code for accept the decimal number in determination angle

replace the line

for angleTr in range(debut,rotation,((rotation-debut)/nombre)):

to

for angleTrFloat in range((debut*10000),(rotation*10000),int((round(((float(rotation)-float(debut))/float(nombre)),4)*10000)) ):    # pour 4 decimales
                angleTr = (float(angleTrFloat)/10000)

• ver 0.10 17/05/2015 adding lines 1365, 1366 only created more clock face ?? ()

supp.MakeFace = True
            App.activeDocument().recompute()

• ver 0.9 11/05/2015 thank you NormandC for testing

replace

self.DS_InclinaisonX.setSuffix(" X°")
        self.DS_InclinaisonY.setSuffix(" Y°")
        self.DS_InclinaisonZ.setSuffix(" Z°")

to

self.DS_InclinaisonX.setSuffix(unicode(" X°"))
        self.DS_InclinaisonY.setSuffix(unicode(" Y°"))
        self.DS_InclinaisonZ.setSuffix(unicode(" Z°"))

• ver 0.8 10/05/2015 replace "String=texte[ii2]" to "String=unicode(texte[ii2])" line 1290. cause "TypeError: Property 'FontFile': type must be str or unicode, not QString"

# ver 0.8 10/05/2015 /_ # testing with OS :
##################################################################################################
# OS: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS                          # OS: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS
# Platform: 32-bit                                # Word size of OS: 32-bit
# Version: 0.14.2935 (Git)                        # Word size of FreeCAD: 32-bit
# Branch: master                                  # Version: 0.16.4928 (Git)
# Hash: eab159b6ee675012bf79de838c206a311e911d85  # Branch: master
# Python version: 2.7.6                           # Hash: d8f63bcfd10301f3d1e141cced4370f0782238d0
# Qt version: 4.8.6                               # Python version: 2.7.6
# Coin version: 4.0.0a                            # Qt version: 4.8.6
# SoQt version: 1.6.0a                            # Coin version: 4.0.0a
# OCC version: 6.7.0                              # OCC version: 6.8.0.oce-0.17
##################################################################################################
# OS: Windows Vista                               # OS: Windows Vista
# Word size of OS: 32-bit                         # Word size of OS: 32-bit
# Word size of FreeCAD: 32-bit                    # Word size of FreeCAD: 32-bit
# Version: 0.15.4527 (Git)                        # Version: 0.15.4671 (Git)
# Branch: master                                  # Branch: releases/FreeCAD-0-15
# Hash: 0da2e4c45a9a259c26abd54c2a35393e1c15696f  # Hash: 244b3aef360841646cbfe80a1b225c8b39c8380c
# Python version: 2.7.8                           # Python version: 2.7.8
# Qt version: 4.8.6                               # Qt version: 4.8.6
# Coin version: 4.0.0a                            # Coin version: 4.0.0a
# OCC version: 6.7.1                              # OCC version: 6.8.0.oce-0.17
##################################################################################################

• ver 0.7 02/02/2015 suppression 2 str App.Console.PrintMessage(str(PolicePath)+"\n") to App.Console.PrintMessage((PolicePath)+"\n") that caused an error with the characters above 128 in the police path.
• ver 0.6 23/11/2014 corrected "texte = unicode(self.textEdit.toPlainText())" now accept "'éèà@..."
• ver 0.5 19/11/2014 Gui
• ver 0.4 10/10/2014 add variable "rotation" in the loop (for i in range(0,rotation,(rotation/nombre)): # 360 a parametrer)
• ver 0.4 27/08/2014 correction error of de radius (exterieur=0, debout=1)
• ver 0.3 26/08/2014 add creation text of flat curve
• ver 0.2 26/08/2014 add creation text of internal curve
• ver 0.1

(2537)

Links

To comment on the Extrude from curved surface of cylinder

Draft

• Drafting: Line, Polyline, Fillet, Arc, Arc From 3 Points, Circle, Ellipse, Rectangle, Polygon, B-Spline, Cubic Bézier Curve, Bézier Curve, Point, Facebinder, ShapeString, Hatch
• Annotation: Text, Dimension, Label, Annotation Styles, Annotation Scale
• Modification: Move, Rotate, Scale, Mirror, Offset, Trimex, Stretch, Clone, Array, Polar Array, Circular Array, Path Array, Path Link Array, Point Array, Point Link Array, Edit, Highlight Subelements, Join, Split, Upgrade, Downgrade, Convert Wire/B-Spline, Draft to Sketch, Set Slope, Flip Dimension, Shape 2D View

---

• Draft Tray: Working Plane, Set Style, Toggle Construction Mode, AutoGroup
• Snapping: Snap Lock, Snap Endpoint, Snap Midpoint, Snap Center, Snap Angle, Snap Intersection, Snap Perpendicular, Snap Extension, Snap Parallel, Snap Special, Snap Near, Snap Ortho, Snap Grid, Snap Working Plane, Snap Dimensions, Toggle Grid

---

• Miscellaneous: Apply Current Style, New Layer, Manage Layers, New Named Group, SelectGroup, Add to Layer, Add to Group, Add to Construction Group, Toggle Wireframe, Working Plane Proxy, Heal, Show Snap Toolbar
• Additional: Constraining, Pattern, Preferences, Import Export Preferences, DXF/DWG, SVG, OCA, DAT
• Context menu:
  • Most objects: Edit
  • Layer container: Add New Layer, Reassign Properties of All Layers, Merge Layer Duplicates
  • Layer: Activate Layer, Reassign Properties of Layer, Select Layer Contents
  • Text and label: Open Links
  • Wire: Flatten
  • Working plane proxy: Save Camera Position, Save Visibility of Objects

User documentation

• Getting started
• Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
• Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate

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