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General Category => Ask Steve a question. => Topic started by: maurvz800 on July 20, 2011, 05:49:38 pm

Title: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: maurvz800 on July 20, 2011, 05:49:38 pm

Hi Steve,with your Auto Key fob Patterns:what Program do you use,and what font please?   -Andrew

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: Gabby on July 20, 2011, 10:33:15 pm

Andrew,
Go to his blogspot here  http://www.scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/
then scroll down for the software download. Right on the home page.
Gabby

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: tux_linux on July 21, 2011, 02:29:41 am

The pattern for the key hangers is basically some word art playing. I suggest OpenOffice.org for this, it's a free office suite like MS Office with some more useful features.

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: maurvz800 on July 27, 2011, 05:33:54 pm

Hi Gabby,I have Steves Pattern Printer,Keychain Printer and Oval Keychain Programs..I am still unable to get the effect that he got of stretched letters with the letters being solid attached to the outer 'frame'     Thanks  -Andrew

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: tux_linux on July 27, 2011, 06:41:14 pm

OK, so let's make some key hangers:

Tutorial on how to make them using basic Open Office functions


Some of the pictures show German text in the dialogs.
The English version is the same, the naming will be different.
Try it, you'll find the given actions in the same spot.

- Open Open Office Draw - Select Fontwork Gallery from the Drawing toolbar - Select Fontwork as shown in the picture on the right	(http://www.torsten-harms.de/holz/howtoKeyHanger/keyhanger1.jpg)
Double click that Fontwork object and enter the fancy text. After leaving the object (click somewhere else on the sheet) the Fontwork will change	(http://www.torsten-harms.de/holz/howtoKeyHanger/keyhanger2.jpg)
Once again select the fontwork (single Click) and change settings on color. Resize the pattern to a size that fits your need (press "F4" to get the resize dialog for the selected object)	(http://www.torsten-harms.de/holz/howtoKeyHanger/keyhanger3.jpg)
- select the oval form from the draw toolbar object library	(http://www.torsten-harms.de/holz/howtoKeyHanger/keyhanger4.jpg)
Try to cover the Fontwork text with that oval object. Then Click right on the oval and arrange objects to send that oval object "most behind"	(http://www.torsten-harms.de/holz/howtoKeyHanger/keyhanger5.jpg)
Select oval and fontwork and align those two objects vertical and horizontal "centered" do some more resize to find the point where the oval in the background is a bit smaller than the fontwork	(http://www.torsten-harms.de/holz/howtoKeyHanger/keyhanger6.jpg)
- select the oval - copy & past to double that. The new oval object will appear in front. - select "F4" on it and resize it. It's pretty clever to set the center mark within resize, all is aligned automatically afterwards. - once again right click "arrange objects" and send the oval "most behind"	(http://www.torsten-harms.de/holz/howtoKeyHanger/keyhanger7.jpg)
- set colors for the center oval to white - add ring-form to make a keychain hook	(http://www.torsten-harms.de/holz/howtoKeyHanger/keyhanger8.jpg)

That's pretty much it. With a bit of training you can do this within 2 minutes.
Basically is the pattern drawn in multiple layers, just as if you draw something on foils and pill them up. Pretty simple once you've figured out how it's done.
You can also "group" the objects afterwards to have the complete key hangers treated as one object. Best for making multiple patterns at once.
 
Play with Open Office and the drawing. It's a simple program, really helpful.  Worst that can happen is to close the program and and start over.
I also often arrange my picture-patterns (saved as *.png) in OO Draw to get the stickers better filled and not wast space. Save the arranged patterns afterwards as PDF - can make more whenever I want.

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: dunk on July 28, 2011, 10:17:13 am

Would you be able to make this in pdf and downloadable?  great explanation Thank you.

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: tux_linux on July 28, 2011, 06:24:33 pm

*lol* Simple!  ;D

Open Open Office - Text document -> past this in there -> change color of text -> save as PDF

You will get this Tutorial as PDF (http://www.torsten-harms.de/holz/howtoKeyHanger/Tutorial_Pattern_with_OpenOffice.pdf)

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: dunk on July 28, 2011, 07:36:52 pm

Thank you that is great.

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: Kepy on July 29, 2011, 04:20:09 am

Thank you so much.  I am not exactly computer literate but think even I could follow those directions.

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: Chachi on July 29, 2011, 05:48:51 pm

Thank you Torsten I have been looking for a free program like this for awhile now and thanks for the PDF download as well I Played around with it a bit and I just wanna say to anyone who downloads this If I can do it trust me You can do it.

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: mrsn on July 29, 2011, 07:28:17 pm

Great job Torsten! I really love Open Office

Title: Re: Automobile Key Fobs
Post by: tux_linux on July 29, 2011, 07:47:34 pm

Thanks!

Katie, I use Open Office since a long time. I have been working with it since it was called "Star Office" back in the 90s. I like the more logical sorting of commands (formatting the page is listed under "format" and not "file", etc). Also has it always been more powerful than the MS Office package.