I was trying to do O's tut on gt...
http://gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=230
and my results do not look all 3-D, beveled, and shiny like everyone else. *pouts* Can someone give me some pointers?

2-ton if you play around with the height number, in stead of using size one you will see different values. Some patterns don't create as much shine as others.
Try the Lime attachment I added below to see how that one turns out...
Also the lighting, some work better with the lighting off.
I added a few more in the RAR attachment.....
good luck.

Edit: you can copy and paste each one of these 4 as patterns,
edit > copy > paste as > new pattern. Name each one > OK

I don't know if Fencepost's script for doing it will work for you. You can give it a try.

http://fencepost.gimpdome.com/Scripts/3DEnvironmentMapping.zip

I have the script, but haven't had time to unpack it and try it. I had just hoped the tut would work, I really like to go through a tut first as it helps me understand what a script is doing.

What's not clear in the tutorial?

it seems clear when I was doing it, but my result, while not bad, just didn't have the uber shiny metallic look like your previous "O", that's all.

I'm going to post that tutorial over here so others can give it a try. I do know that the slider on the first tab can brighten the text ... try sliding it back and forth. I'd really love for that preview window to be bigger because it's very difficult to see the results.

LATER EDIT: The tutorial is in Gimp Chat now.
http://gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=230

Also, Jolie has done a video tutorial about it.
http://gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=142

This is the slider I mentioned in the first tab.



This is the text I made while getting to that screen shot. After I was finished, I went to Colors > Curves and moved both buttons inward about one rectangle apiece. It brightened the text a little.

Check step 12. I had trouble with getting the right result when recording the video. (I had made a "just for me so I know the steps later" tut video, where I got my effect just right. When I recorded twee weeks later I couldn't get the right result (not shiny like it should be) when I thought I was doing the exact same thing. Turned out I overlooked step 12.

I revamped the tutorial and put screen shots of the tabs. That might make it easier to catch that setting on the Bump map setting.

Default is 0.10, and the change is to 0.01; it's easy to overlook the difference.

Thanks guys, I got through the tuts, and then fudged around a bit to make it shiny. I think a lot depends on what you use as the pattern.

I must have watch my mute "just for me" video 10 times and kept overlooking it.