- Create your text using the Text tool, then extract the path with Text-to-path. This is going to be the top/front
- Using the Transform tools (Scale/Move, mostly) in "Path mode" generate the path for the bottom/back. It is important that the transforms keep the number of anchors in the paths (they normally do, but if you use other methods, this should be adhered to).
- Use the path-inbetweener script to generate the intermediate paths (about one path per pixel of the maximum distance between the two paths). Generate the paths starting with the bottom/back path, towards the front
- prepare a gradient going from the "back" color to the "front" color (usually, the "back" color is going to be darker)
- set the brush to something small (the 1px brush (which is 3x3) works OK)
- use the stroke-visible-paths script (normally with the "Use gradient" option) to stroke the paths
- this generates hollow letters, you can add top layer, and bucket-fill a selection obtained from the "top" path.
- flatten image if necessary

Scripts are here

Nice!

Cool ofnuts

Well now that was an adventure. How did you get your gradient to shade your letters like that? I used the color with gradient dynamic and I like the way yours came out better.

I had to stroke each path individually. The stroke visible paths didn't work for me, just made a blob of color.

I didn't use dynamics (I'm not even sure that they are emulated in the script-induced stroke). stroke-visible-path should work. What were your paintbrush settings? In particular, which brush did you use?

I didn't use anything special as the gradient. One green, and darker green obtained by reducing the Value from same in the Color selector.

Here are the settings I used and the results. As you can see, I have the brush set at 3px.

Still tired from my 360 mile round trip. Very cool stuff ofnuts.

That 3D look is excellent Ofnuts. Would be nice to see a python logo filter for it.

Indeed. And you should have more intermediate paths (otherwise there will be gaps). You could also use a slightly bigger brush, but bigger brushes will round off sharp corners.

Please, someone could turn instructions ofnuts in a more accessible tutorial?

I'll give it a try, Carlos.

very nice O

Thank you, Molly. I could have probably used a little fatter brush ... I see some of the teal background showing through.

Ofnuts, perhaps you'd consider adding an option in your 'stroke-visible-paths' procedure to fill the paths* rather than stroke them. This would eliminate the spacing problem Oregonian is experiencing and would overcome the brush size bug pre-2.8.14. If the spacing is too great, there would be banding in the result, but at least there'd be no transparency or oversized outlines.

* actually, select from the path and fill the selection; but of course you knew that.

That is the part I like about it. It looks like a transparent type of ribbon.

Carlos, I made a pdf document of the tutorial and put it in Ofnut's first post and also here.

One more try.

Done. Also added an option to create a single layer. See version 0.3 at the usual place.

OK, here's the new script in action:

Top left is the "lid" which will fit on either of the others. Top right is stroke, bottom is fill. All done with the same script v0.3.