I was able to duplicate the washed out effect you got, starting with white text and running colorize. The lighter the text you start with, the more washed the image will be after the initial lighting effect is applied. I didn't run the LE filter again, with the emap deselected, just ran the LE once, with a bumpmap at a blur of 20. Here is what I ended up with.


So, I would suggest that you start with black (or very dark) text unless your emap is very dark to begin with. The distance slider, under the options tab, can also dramatically effect the overall brightness of the result.

I just tried another one and it turned out awful. I used a med gray this time b2b2b2. I tried white and it wouldn't bump map. I didn't know how to use the new envMap filter. I couldn't make a new layer out of a gradient so I gave up on that.
I will try again and go back to black text with Tux original red_map. Mine just won't go shiny.

ok, thanks tux, I am starting it again and see what happens. I am a

I really had to work at it to get the washed out effect so I'm not sure what's going on with your results. I recommend following the tut exactly (black text). Seems that if you follow the tut, the results would be exactly the same.

Well, it works because of the blur. Solid black is flat and solid white is the max height so the blur in the bumpmap image gives you the grayscale needed to produce the height/depth in the image to be bumped.

Using the same settings, changing only the initial color of the text, I got the following results. (for text in white, black and gray)

Nice Molly!!

Looks great, Molly!

I think you also have the Maximum Height > 0.01 in the Bump Map tab of the lighting effects filter. Either that or you have the drop shadow very dark. Looks really good tho.

I think it is the drop shadow. I forgot to lighten it. I had the 0.01 in the Bump Map tab.
I was so excited when it came out okay, I couldn't wait till I posted it. Now I want to know how I get that new envir filter to work in that tute. I don't know how to open one of the gradients as a new layer.

Instead of opening the bumpmap: envmap_red.jpg specified in Step #6b, just create a new 400x400 pixel image and run the enviromap.scm script to generate the map. You can tab between the two images and keep generating a new environment map, applying the new map to the text image until you find one you like.

If I don't like the results, I use Ctrl-z to undo the lighting effect, tab to the enviromap image and generate another, then back to the text tab to try the new map with the lighting filter.

I've assigned the Lighting Effects filter and the EnviroMap script to "Alt key" strokes so I don't have to wade though the menus to pull them up. It makes testing new maps a lot easier.

Thank you tux, I will write all this down.

you misunderstood me

i was talking about the color of the text, not the bumpmap

Yes, I was just pointing out that it was the bumpmap itself and not the color of the text that was the determining factor. The initial color of the text does factor into the lightness of the result when you apply the environment map, whether you apply a bumpmap or not.

Just bump mapping..

Black Text Bumped


Gray Text Bumped


White Text Bumped

Cool I like the black one ,looks like licorice.

Here is a result using the same blending technique used for glitter but this time with a pattern.



This is with the pattern bumped before overlaying..



And another notch..


This is another result I'm calling golden backlight..

@GnuTux:
hmm, im not sure if we talk past each other
or if im the one who misunderstands you
Akros already pointed out how different coloured text changes the brightness of the environment-bumped text

i just repeated your experiment with the Render -> BumpMap filter and i do get nothing with black text
no white highlights as you have in your demonstration- it just stays the same

so it seems the Lighting Effect BumpMap is not the same as the ordinary BumpMap filter

EDIT: actually this is all quite obvious, Lighting Effects is doing more than the BumpMap Filter
sorry about the confusion, GnuTux, please ignore my post


thats extremely nice !

Q
That is really cool It looks like the text is lying right on the grate.
Are you sure you aren!t using PS?
I never saw text that shiny before.

Yes, I see what you are saying now. When bump mapping outside of the lighting effects filter, there is no light to create the highlights so there is no effect on black text. Good point!

yes, i edited my post already, lol

i did a lot of bumpmapping experiments some time ago, you can see the results here:
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6202&start=0