3D text in GIMP?

Hi, I'm a gimpy gimp user. I know how to deal with transparency and handle basic layers, and that's about it. (Oh, and how to write text.)

I want to create text with a 3D effect, like shiny metal or something.

Any clues on how to go about it?

Thanks!

Hi I use Gimp too..and I would suggest maybe googling a free domain texture of shiny metal..or brushed metal..then creating a new template in Gimp with a white back ground...

Then go into "Filters"-> "Text"->"Freetype" and choose a font from your windows data base.. The GIMP plugs in directly to your windows font folder. Make sure the color you choose for the font is black...and then size up your font to fit into your new template..:NOTE:might be smart to make your new template the size of your brushed or shiny metallic texture.

After that...go to.. "Layer"->"Transparency"-> "Color to Alpha" an choose black as your color to change to alpha...once that's done...leave that template open..and open your shiny mettalic texture...while the new template with alphad font is active or (selected) Cntrl+ L will open a layer window showing that one layer...simply click on that layer in the layer window and drag it ontop of your shiny mettalic texture.

EEERm..you can always take the same new template...and rather than changing black to alpha...; change white to alpha..then add gaussian blur "Filters"-> "Blur"-> "Gaussian Blur" (to give that fuzzy shadow effect)...then drop that texture onto your already mettalicd font and change the perspective of that "shadow layer" to give the effect that theres light shining and "casting a shadow" (you'll have to move the shadow layer to fit so it looks like a shadow being cast and then merge layers to bottom layer)..whew long process....or you could try (look below)**Also check out the "Xtns" tab to the right of File in the main Gimp window... "Xtns'->"ScriptFu"->"Logos"

Now..as far as 3d..some fonts look 3d some don't and are flat..for 3d text I use another proggy (Xara 3d) which plugs in directly to windows font folder as well..i save it with transparency and then drop it into gimp as a layer if I need to add light effects like gflare or supernova etc. But that proggy is a great stand alone for 3 d Fonts with rounded or mitered edges and also 3 lights that you can change to create your own effects and shadows.It also makes animated font .GIFs which are handy..but thats another proggy not gimp.

~Lana Tomba

P.S. OH! and if anyone knows any neat tricks with the freetype tab or any other tab in GIMP that i dont know PLEASE post it. I'm still learning stuff with canvas and weave..making my own textures too with alchemy and the "few" animations that are available are fun too.Im learning every new day.

Under the filter menu find "light and shadow"..........expand and click "drop shadow". Set the x/y offset, blur radius, and opacity. Click okay. The script fu does it all for you on separate layer directly below your text layer. Your shadow does not have to be black.......just click on the color picker tab in the dialog box that pops up when you click drop shadow.

A little simple trick I use to get a rounded 3d look to the text itself is to choose a font size quite a bit larger than I really need and when my text is typed I duplicate it the and use the select by color tool to select the text then I set the selection to feather the edges (depending on how wide the text letters/numbers are I will choose a pixel feathering number approximately 1/3 the width of the text letter/number), then invert selection and cut. On that same layer I go to the colors menu and select "hue staturation". Depending on what I want the effect to be I will change the hue slightly and the saturation slightly (usually a little over saturated but under saturating works for some effects). Adjust the lightness (up if over saturated and down if undersaturated). Merged those layers and make additional adjustments in the color menu using contrast and brightness. A small amount of gaussien blur helps soften the edges you get with the contrast tool. I've done some nice text that way.......only thing left to do is the merge your text layer with yoru drop shadow layer and resize the merged layer to your desired size.

There's the "Layer Effects" plugin which is handy for playing with text:
http://users.telenet.be/ev1/gimplayereffects_en.html

anyone have a link to a 2.2 or 2.4 dl?..I only hav 2.0

~Lana Tomba

http://www.gimp.org/

There you go. I got 2.4 about a month ago.........it's a little different from the 2.17 I was using but a little more intuitive on the menus. Took me a few days to remember where the features and functions are located. Overall, I like it better.

tytytyt!

~Lana Tomba

Thanks! I'll give those a try!