This tutorial will teach you the basics of text in Blender 3D, more or less how you can manipulate text. The blender version I am using is 2.42.
So to start open up blender and delete the default cube from the center.
Now hit Spacebar - Add - Text. Fig 1 (fig = figure) is how it should look.
Fig 1.
You are able to set how the text is positioned, if its to the left, center, right etc buy using some of the tools that you will find under editing (F9). They are shown encased in a red box in Fig 2. The tool that says ToUpper with change all of the font to upper case letters, and back.
Fig 2.
Now in Fig 2 you can see there are other features such as Size, Spacing, Shear and more. Below is a list of what they do:
Size: How big the text is.
Spacing: How far apart the letters are.
Shear: Makes the letters lean in an Italic fashion.
Linedist: How far apart the text lines are.
X offset: Horizontal positioning.
Y offset: Vertical positioning.
Word spacing: How far apart each word is.
UL position: Vertical position of underline.
UL height: Thickness of underline.
Just to the left (if you have yours default) of font box there is another box called Curve and Surface see Fig 3.
The first thing you probably notice is the Back, Front, 3D what they do is make it so the text isn't like a "pipe" it has something covering the frond and back, but if you select 3D it will be like a "pipe". The next is the DefResolU, this is the resolution, how smooth the edges are. The RenResolU is the Rendering resolution.
Now you can see there are a few manipulators called Width, Extrude, Bevel Depth, BevResol, BevOB, TaperOB. Width will make your text bolder or skinnier. Extrude will made it so your text actually has depth to it and not flat there for 3D. Bevel Depth makes it so your text is beveled. BevResol is the bevel resolution.
The BevOb and TaperOb has to do with the Wire Tutorial the text is manipulated by curves.
I hope this helps you with all of your text needs. Be sure to check back for Part 2: Coloring Text.
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