Bevel Reflect Logo V1.6

[molly]

cool Tux, looks like you crocheted around the edges.

[GnuTux]

The outer area comes from the HoaryGaut font, but any outline font could be used for the effect.

[GnuTux]

Bevel Reflect Logo Updated to V1.1

There are several updates in this release, including the ability to set the size of the Spherical EMap, as well as the addition of a user controlled edge smoothing option . The "run Interactive" option was moved to the Slope Dropdown, in order to save space. The invert option has been dropped from the UI. It's slow and not that useful, anyway. If the invert option is needed, it can be accessed from Interactive Mode. Several default setting were changed on the UI, as well.

The Bevel Blur was renamed to Bevel Offset, because that is pretty much what it does. I've set it to zero as the default. If you want a step bevel, you can increase this value. It can produce an interesting effect, especially with certain fonts.

Selections are properly handled. You can now make an arbitrary selection on an image and the script will apply the bevel correctly to that selection.

Another problem was that the Spherical Emap was not being auto-cropped, which occasionally caused hot pixels, depending on the curve and the font. That issue has now been corrected.

Hopefully, this update will allow for smoother results from the script/plug-in.



Note: Selecting gradients containing transparency will yield unpredictable results because the transparency is also reflected onto the surface. You can experiment with using transparent gradients to see what kind of results you get. There are times when gradients that use transparency can produce an interesting map & resulting effect.

[The Warrior]

Nice, thanks for the update. This is a cool script. Was messing around with it last night.

[molly]

I really like that one Tux. this is the look I like. thanks for upgrading the script, I will give it a try.

[GnuTux]

Thanks, Warrior & Molly.

Molly, you can find an emap for that effect in the Environment Map Sharing Thread, entitled blue-plastic-map.png.

[molly]

Thank you

[molly]

Here is my first attempt. I just used default for now until I figure out what all the options mean.
I made a sphere with one of my pink gradients. [Adobe Garamond Pro Bold font]
The second One I did a curve called [Cold-purple]

[SysTemX]

[Mike]

I've been playing with this a bit but still don't have a result with which I am enamored. Suffice it to say the font makes a huge difference in the final result. I'll keep at this one but it's hypersensitive to every setting so far as I can tell.

[he4rty]

Nice one Tux, couldn't get the loading of a spherical map to work though, assume I must be doing something wrong. I had generated a map I liked and tried saving it to use again but it didn't work.

Sorted out my Issue, I had saved the Map layer generated by this script and so had saved all the transparency as well, created a new image for the sphere and cropped and saved and all ok.

[AnMal]

molly: that's a very elegant result, and i love the colours!
he4rty: ooh, yum!! don't keep posting chocolate, it's giving me cravings.

[GnuTux]

Good results from everyone!

Mike, you're right, in that some fonts/dings produce much better results than others. That's pretty much the case with any Logo Script, especially when dealing with EMaps. This script relies on the ML Bevel Reflect plug-in, which has 3 main slope settings. The flat slope includes a smoothing factor, while the other two slopes do not. Along with choosing the right slope, getting the right EMap (or using the right Proble/HRDi) is also a factor in getting the best results. Most of the setting in this script come directly from the EnviroMap script, so once you become intimate with how that works, you'll be ahead of the game.

I have a bunch of gradients I downloaded from around the net, which really helps to create the maps. Also, I find RobA's Sample Gradient Along Path a very useful tool for creating custom gradients.

As I've mentioned previously in this thread, one major downside to the ML Bevel Reflect plug-in, the edge aliasing that occurs. I try to mitigate that, with only varying levels of success in this script.

One little trick you can use to always get smooth edges is to use a technique I employ in the Logo Toolbox script, which is to create (what I call) a Text Stroke. Nothing in GIMP produces better anti-aliasing than fonts, so use that to your advantage.

1) Create your Text in a medium to light color, like cyan, on a transparent layer.
2) Duplicate the Text, make it invisible and move it to the bottom for later use.
3) Select the original Text Layer, Right Click, Alpha To Selection.
4) Shrink the selection by the amount of the stroke you want, using 2 for a good blend stroke.
5) Run Bevel Reflect Logo from the Alpha to Logo Menu, with "Keep Layers" unchecked.
Note: depending on the font and text size, you might also need to increase the Edge Smoothing Amount in the script to 2, 3 or even 4.
6) Move the duplicated Text Layer (from Step #2) to just under the newly created Logo Layer and make it visible.

Now you've got a nice, smooth edge. You can then use Colors/Hue & Saturation to match/blend it with the logo layer. Or, you can hue shift it to make a totally different color stroke. Either way, you end up with a really smooth edge.

Blended


Stroked

[GnuTux]

Sorted out my Issue, I had saved the Map layer generated by this script and so had saved all the transparency as well, created a new image for the sphere and cropped and saved and all ok.

Cool chocolaty results.

I usually just copy the Spherical Emap layer, paste it to a new image, then save it.

[The Warrior]

This script is so freakin' cool. Here's a few I was messing around with tonight:

[molly]

Wow so cool. The 4th from top, with the pattern, how did you do that with a gradient?

[The Warrior]

Wow so cool. The 4th from top, with the pattern, how did you do that with a gradient?

Thanks. Yes. Duplicated the layer, alpha to selection, applied a gradient, and set the layer mode, to I believe, difference on the one you speak of.

[molly]

Thanks love it.

[lylejk]

Thanks Tux; wonderful script and plugin. Miss things like this since I work weekend nights.

[molly]

Very nice Lyle