1) Create a Simple 3D Text in MAYA

1. Choose the Text Menu
   
   
   
   
2. Enter the Text in the Create Text Box and choose your options
   
   
   
   
3. Result
   
   

2) Understand the Details of Text (Curves only)

Text is represented by Composite-Objects (Curves) in MAYA. These curves are forming the edges (outline) of the given text. The curves themselves do not form renderable faces.

1. Open again the text box:
   
   This time only the curves defining the text are created
   
   
   
   
2. Result
   
   
   
   
3. Open the Hypergraph-Editor
   
   The Hypergraph is a very powerful tool, that gives an abtract view to all the objects in the scene. It can be especially useful for selection of complex objects or parts of those objects.
   
   
   
   
4. Hypergraph-Editor
   
   
   
   
5. See the MEL-Scripting
   

   textCurves -ch 0 -f "Freestyle Script|h-17|w700|c0" -t "space";
   // Result: Text_space_1 //
   
   

3) Understand the Details of Text (Curves and Polygons)

To get a solid text, chooose the "Poly" Option in the Create-Text-Box

1. Open again the text box:
   
   Choose the "Poly" and the "Standard Fit" Options
   
   
   
   
2. Result
   
   
   
   
3. Open the Hypergraph-Editor
   
   This time there are two independed groups of objects. One Group are the curves, the other group consists of the polygon surfaces.
   
   
   
   
4. See the MEL-Scripting
   

   textCurves -ch 0 -f "Freestyle Script|h-17|w700|c0" -t "space";
   // Result: Text_space_1 //
   planarSrf -name "Trim Char_s_1 #" -ch 1 -tol 0.01 -o on -po 1 Char_s_1;
   // Result: Trim_Char_s_1_1 planarTrimSurface1 //
   planarSrf -name "Trim Char_p_1 #" -ch 1 -tol 0.01 -o on -po 1 Char_p_1;
   // Result: Trim_Char_p_1_1 planarTrimSurface2 //
   planarSrf -name "Trim Char_a_1 #" -ch 1 -tol 0.01 -o on -po 1 Char_a_1;
   // Result: Trim_Char_a_1_1 planarTrimSurface3 //
   planarSrf -name "Trim Char_c_1 #" -ch 1 -tol 0.01 -o on -po 1 Char_c_1;
   // Result: Trim_Char_c_1_1 planarTrimSurface4 //
   planarSrf -name "Trim Char_e_1 #" -ch 1 -tol 0.01 -o on -po 1 Char_e_1;
   // Result: Trim_Char_e_1_1 planarTrimSurface5 //