Using CorelDraw for 3D printing

I found a 3D printed keychain online and wanted to figure out how to make one myself using CorelDraw and SketchUp. First, in CorelDraw, I typed out the name I wanted to use and adjusted the spacing and font so that the letters intersected. I then used the shape tool to connect some letters, like the "E", and added a circle for the keychain ring. To make each letter a separate object, I used the "Break Apart" function. I arranged the letters so that some were in front and some were behind. Then, I used the Smart Fill tool to fill in the shapes of the letters. To connect the "I", I added an additional shape and used Smart Fill on it as well. After deleting unnecessary shapes, I exported the design as a DXF file. Next, I opened SketchUp and imported the DXF file. I used an extension called "sUF" to create faces for the letters. Once the faces were created, I deleted the internal shapes. Using the Push/Pull tool, I extruded the letters to the desired height. To ensure that the "E" and "I" letters were a different height, I double-clicked on a face of one of the taller letters to set the height, then extruded the shorter letters. Finally, I selected the entire model and exported it as an STL file, which can be used for 3D printing. http://www.coreldrawtips.com for more free tutorials.