GIMP Chat - Environment Mapped Text Tutorial - GPL V3

This tutorial demonstrates using GIMP's Lighting Effects plug-in to generate environment mapped text (or other objects).

Step #1
Create a new image (File/New) and add text using the text tool . In this example, I'm using Century Schoolbook L Bold at 250px. Name the layer GIMP.



Step #2
Duplicate the text layer by clicking the duplicate button at the bottom of the layer dialog.



Step #3
Create a new "White" layer by selection Layer/New from the menu.



Step#4
Rename the layer to BumpMap and rearrange the layers by dragging them to the positions shown below.



Step#5
Right Click on the GIMP Copy layer and select Merge Down. Select the BumpMap Layer, as shown below.



Step #6
Select Filters/Blue/Gaussian Blur from the menu and set the Blur Radius to 15. Click OK.

Note: Increase or decrease the blur value for more or less beveling.



Step #6a
While still having the BumpMap layer selected, Choose Colors/Invert from the menu.



Step #6b
Open the Environment Map image: envmap_red.jpg (Image attached to this post). It will appear in a new tab in GIMP



Step #7
Click back to the GIMP tab at the top. Then click off the "eye" icon next to the BumpMap layer and select the GIMP text layer as shown below.



Step #8
From the menu, select Filters/Light and Shadow/Lighting Effects. Under the environment tab, click "Enable Environment Mapping and select the environment map image we loaded in Step #6b.



Step #9
Under the Bump Map tab, select "Enable Bump Mapping", Select the Bumpmap image: BumpMap we created earlier. Select Curve "Sinusoidal" and set the Depth to 0.01.

Note: You will get different results by choosing a different curve at this step. I get better results when the Depth is low but there can be cases where you might need to increase the Depth to 0.02 or higher, depending on the font and the emap you are using.



Step #10
Under the Options tab, set the distance to .350. Increasing this value during this step will increase the amount of light falling on the object, while decreasing the value produces less light.



Step #11
Click OK to produce the following image.



Step #12
From the menu, Select Filters/Re-Show Lighting Effects. Under the Environment Map tab, deselect "Enable Environment Map".

Note: #12 is an optional step but excellent results can be achieved by applying a 2nd round of lighting or lighting+bump to the previously mapped object. Changing the values in the material and light tabs will yield a wide range of interesting results. You can also specify multiple light sources and types in the light tab, which can quickly becomes confusing, so it's probably a good idea to keep track of your steps so you can duplicate the effect again.



Step #12a
Click OK on the Lighting Effects dialog and the following image will be shown.



Step #13
You can optionally increase the saturation, which is increased by 40 in this example.



Step #14
You can optionally increase the contrast, which is increased by 20 in this example.



Step #15
Create a Drop Shadow to make your image pop. I used GC-Shadow script (Filters/Light and Shadow/GC Shadow) with the following settings.



Add a background layer of your choice, with the final result result shown below.



The final result you get from this technique will depend on the environment map used. I've created a script called: Enviromap, which will assist in the creation of custom Environment maps. I have also created a script: EnviroLogo, which uses the techniques outlined in this tutorial to allow you to quickly produce environment mapped text and logos.

You can also tweak and experiment with any of the settings in the Lighting Effects Plug-in for a variety of cool & interesting results. Tweaking the values under the Materials Tab during Step #12 will yield excellent results, perhaps giving you an even better final result.

Attached is a zip file containing the Environment Map used in this tutorial and a sample XCF of the final result.

I'm also working on a Logo Script that leverages Environment Mapping. I won't be able exactly duplicate the steps in this tutorial, due to the fact that GIMP does not provide an API that includes all the parameters of the lighting effect plug-in, but I should be able to duplicate the final results, which is what matters anyway.

I hope someone finds this tutorial useful, and more importantly, fun!

Very nicely written tutorial tux.Thank you

PDF included

GnuTux,
Was already at the time!
I used another font, and another script to the drop-shadow. But the important thing was to understand the process.
I never got good results using the Lighting Effects Plug-in. Now I understand the mechanics of this technique will be able to test new configurations.
Thx a lot for the tutorial

Thanks, Molly. Perhaps somewhere in there could be a link back to the original tutorial on here.

Good results, Akros!

It looks like you might have set the depth level to 0.10, instead of 0.01 in the Bump Map section of the lighting plug-in. You'll get some unwanted artifacts if the depth is set to high in there. You can get more or less depth by adjusting the blur (or other aspects) of your BumpMap image.

Nice Tux. Thanks for the tutorial.
And thank you Molly for the PDF.

Something happened when I got to this step...
Step #12
From the menu, Select Filters/Re-Show Lighting Effects. Under the Environment Map tab, deselect
"Enable Environment Map". This is what happened below, I lost the puffy bumpmap look in that step.

GnuTux,
You are right!
I used 0.1 and not 0.01
Worse than testing enviromap.scm repeat that mistake!
Thank you for correcting me!

Edited:
Had not seen the pdf of Molly. I think she posted while I typed.
Thank you Molly!

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the default settings in the lighting effects filter were changed. Maybe restarting GIMP to clear everything would help. The lighting effect filter is really picky and it keeps changed settings until you restart GIMP. It's probably best to not vary too much from the tutorial until you get the feel for how the Lighting Plugin reacts to changing its inputs. My advice is to make small changes and see how it reacts.

Thank you Gnutux. Very nicely written. I always struggled with the process of using this effect. Now I think I got the hang of it. I had a different image already up, so I used that one, instead of yours . Think I like the outcome.

I like that effect, Rellik419.

I've found out that if you use an image (or a pattern filled image) as an environment map, it needs to be at least 4x the size of the image you are mapping onto. It doesn't matter too much for the topographical/satin style maps, like the ones generated by enviromap.scm. They can be a minimum of 400x400 pixels, but other images used as environment maps need to be much larger. From my testing, Images filled with gradients need to be at least 2x the height of the image you want to map onto and more detailed patterns need to be 4x the size.

I used the gradient wood1 of Gimp

Excellent tutorial.

That looks good. Maybe some different settings in the enviromap script might produce an even better environment map.

You can probably get a better wood effect by filling an image with a wood pattern and using that as an environment map. You'll need to make that kind of map 4x the size of the image you plan to map onto. See the results here.


Very nice, Mike.

Smooth results and I really like that background!

One more, with an environment map from the EnviroMap script.

Beautiful results guys. I will do another one tomorrow.
Tux, I will post another PDF with the link in the morning.

Yah, the one is a beautiful result!
My results with those settings (Bump map 15 Gauss blur, sinusoidal curve, Height .02 - .547 Distance - Shiny Material at .54.) Was a bit dark, after I applied lighting effects filter for the second time.
I'll play with the settings!

Tried it with a wood texture.

Great results with that one, Rellik419!


Another excellent result. Glad to see someone give the EnviroMap script a try. The effect came out great with the custom map.


Ok, Great. I've updated the tutorial with more details and added a link back to this thread in the title.

Thank you Gnutux!

great results in here !

i did some titanium

it would be great if the enviromap script could be ported into the lighting effects filter so that you could see the preview of what your text will look like, while you change the parameters of the environmentmap
but i guess thats not possible ?