I don't see any issues with that map, xyss. If you use a gradient with transparency, the map and result will also have transparency, which can be used for effect.

You can also end up with a result containing unwanted transparency by increasing the bevel depth to the extreme upper end, which can result in extraneous transparency on some objects. To determine the extreme upper limit for a given object, it can be helpful to preview the result by running the script in interactive mode (select "Run Interactive" from the bevel options dropdown).

By the way, new members can upload and attach local images. You just can't use external links until you have 5 posts.

Thanks for the update! Looking good.

Thanks, O! Nice result and I like that background.

Thanks, GnuTux. That background was really easy to make.

I used the Text tool to make the original word GIMP with Sans font size 39. Copied it to the clipboard. Made the FG color dark gray and the BG color a lighter gray. Made a white layer, and a transparent layer on top of that. Dynamics were set at Dynamics Random. I used the clipboard brush to randomly brush and worked at it a bit. Merged that layer down to the white layer. Made a new layer and filled it with a soft yellow. Made it the active layer.

Then Filters / Light & Shadow / Lighting Effects. Clicked the Bump Map tab, made Maximum Height 0.01, found the black and white layer in the dropdown list and voila!

How pretty, sallyanne. Love that font.

Where the font crosses over itself it looks really bad. We should be able to see the crossovers without distortion.

Nice outcomes, Oregonian, Sallyanne and SysTemX. I like them.
I think the font used by Sallyanne is "precious"

Well this old man got very grumpy today ... especially after seeing all these great glittery text pictures above.

I thought I would try out the BRL scripts that I installed yesterday, but had basically only one successful attempt out of about 30. There seemed to be a mixture of issues, such as the text I entered totally disappearing after running the BRL function, the resulting text being cropped (width and height), BRL and GIMP just hanging, hanging and not responding and even just outright dying and disappearing from my screen a couple of times. In those latter cases I noticed that the progress line indicated action within 'ML Bevel reflect 2.0".

Any helpful pointers on 'how to use BRL for beginners' would be appreciated or I will just have to stick with textured glass plates!

@ Oregonian it is here
http://fonts.webtoolhub.com/?prefix=baroque+script
WOT says the page is safe. I can't remember where I got it from, doesn't look to be at dafont.

If you haven't already installed the Script-Fu Scrolling Interface mod, you should do that. Use V1.1 for GIMP 2.8.14 or V1.0 for earlier versions of GIMP 2.8.x.

Start by running BRL from the "File/Create/Logos(gimpchat.com)/" menu. Just enter the Text, along with the Font & Size you want, select a Bevel Slope Option and its corresponding Depth, then select the gradient to use for your Spherical Map, and click OK.

Different gradients will produce different maps, which will yield different results when mapped. Different slopes and depths will also produce different results. The Flat Bevel Slope has a smoothing option slider and a depth. The other two Bevel slope options only have depths.

Instead of having the the script generate a Spherical Map from a gradient, you can load a preexisting map from this thread and BRL will not generate a map. All of the map generation options will be ignored and it will use the map you load.

Once you get familiar with BRL by running from the File Create Menu, you can try running it from the Alpha To Logo menu, on a layer already containing text, dings or images. It will also work on a selection in a layer.

There is a bit of a leaning curve but the results you can get are worth the effort.

Notes: The higher the depth value, the longer it takes the script to run. Also, the larger the object, the longer it takes the script to run. A large solid object at high depths can take several minutes to complete, even on a fast system.

When running from the "Alpha to Logo" menu, make sure you don't have the entire layer selected or it will take forever to complete and you won't get the results you are after. It might just appear to lock up. The script will automatically perform an Alpha to Selection, if there is no selection present.

Hope that helps!

Well it is not just Linux that rocks, GnuTux you rock too!

Thank you for the quick, informative and successful (yeh!) response - I have updated GIMP, Script Fu et al as suggested and my very first BRL test worked very well. Hopefully with some hard work I will start to understand the technicalities and become productive.

Your forum has already been extremely helpful to me already and I have only been here for one week!

The old man is no longer grumpy! Thanks again.

Edit ... what a day learning layer masks, stepped chisel and BRL; thanks again to GnuTux, Graechan and others who have provide assistance; so I used all three techniques and built you a plaque to say thanks!

very nice grumpy

Very nice, Grumpy. Thank you for the compliments and cool plaque.

You're progressing quickly with GIMP.

Click for full size.

Very nice effect on that one, Warrior.

Been playing around with a couple of ideas.

Kaleidoscope Pattern


Damascus Steel

Love the damascus steel GT. Very cool.

Someone who makes Damascus steel knives recently asked me about doing a logo so I've been trying to put together a few Damascus steel patterns.

Cool GT and Warrior.
Love it OMG. Kookaburras do indeed rock unless they wake you up in the early morning.