That looks awesome.

Thanks, Warrior.


Well, that looks pretty good but I think the key to getting the best emapped text effect is to generate just the right environment map, then use it inside the lighting effects filter, along with a good bump map. It can be done manually or with a script, but it's really hard to duplicate the shiny surface light scattering and crisp highlights, other than resorting to GIMP's Lighting Effects filter.

The MrBevel plug-in that K1te posted does a nice job of environment mapping, but that plug-in seems to have some limitations, specifically with the curves that are available. There needs to be a little more control there.

In lieu of using the LE filter, shiny plastic or chrome style text would probably be a good candidate for extrusion.

That is a thought, but I believe when using the environment mapping feature of GIMP's LE filter, you are very limited on what can be changed. I don't believe the light source can be changed. I went though every option with eMapping enabled and If I remember correctly, the only thing that has any affect is the distance slider and the Material specular reflectivity (Shiny) setting. Everything else in the lighting section is disabled when environment mapping is enabled in the LE filter.

In general, I don't find the artificial highlighting routines all that realistic. Perhaps if they created softer and more translucent highlights, they would produce a better result. Duplicating the light scattering and reflections of color variations you get with the right environment map is tough to duplicate outside the LE filter. Like I mentioned, some of the chrome and plastic simulation techniques come the closest, but they don't always lend themselves to easy automation.

Oh yeah. The one on top looks really good.

Yeah, it. Sure does, I can't get them to go nice and shiny as that one

Here is one that started in MrBevel.

Amazing

And one more..

I have to say this script is evolving into quite a phenomenal and useful plug-in for 3D effects.
Tux i know this is probably asking too much but is it possible to add a new extrude method by x and y points/coordinates on the image? So the extrude stops at that user defined point. Sort of like flyout text from any angle.

Are you saying that instead of the current 8 directions, you'd like be to able to extrude in a direction that encompasses the full 360 degrees? If so, I'd certainly have to think about how to modify the script to be able to support that.

Example of what i mean.

OK, I see. I think I've seen that effect created using Motion Blur, as well as with the Multi-Replicate script.

I'll ponder that and think about how I can best incorporate the effect into this script.

WOW that is so cool and shiny

Yes he does Graechan, the one kit posted.

This is a cool freaking script, love it.

Graechan, how do you get the lighting on the edges of your text?