Add simple Extrude Copies Effect to enable 3D Text

What features would you like to see in Pixelmator Pro?
User avatar

2022-08-02 19:20:27

I tried the Pixelmator tutorial for creating 3D retro text, and Step #4 says - Duplicate the text layer 27 times. See https://www.pixelmator.com/tutorials/ho ... xt-effect/

I think this would be much easier if there was a very simple 3D "Effect" one could apply to a layer. How about adding a very simple "Extrude Copies" Effect. This would copies the source layer N times, at angle A, and distance D (default to 1 pixel). Each extrude copy layer overlap behind the previous copy with preserve transparency.

Instead of the current posted instructions on the 3D text tutorial: "You’ll need to duplicate the layer 27 times (to have 28 total text layers) and move each copy down and and to the right by one pixel." This would allow creating "Retro text" and many other types of simple 3D extrude effects using the new Effect.

A simple 3D text example that is not very simple to create yet in Pixelmator.
Image

Thanks
Shawn
User avatar

2022-08-08 13:18:22

Still working on 3D text. I tried using a brush stroke path with custom image for a brush (on a short 45 degree line). I basically drag and drop the text layer containing "3D" onto the custom brush. Then use it with various colors to make some 3D text, and was pretty happy until I saw the jagged edges. Anyone know how to work around this? See right around the center of the 3 below:

Image
User avatar

2022-08-08 13:47:21

Figured it out right after I posted. When I made my custom brush very large (>1000 px) - I see it pixelate like above. A smaller brush size doesn't have that problem. Pretty cool effects available with text as the custom brush and fade dynamics -- see below:

Image

Still interested in a 3D "effect" for a layer though.
User avatar

2022-08-09 08:12:00

Others have a "Long Shadow" effect which I find awesome and very convenient - not real geometry but helpful in most cases:
Image
User avatar

2022-08-09 16:03:13

Tedious, but doable - much easier, I think, with copy below to permit easy distributing of copies (shadows)... [ search requests 'copy below']
Image

Would also be nice to have the oft requested [??] copy with offset. :wink:
User avatar

2022-08-09 17:37:26

then again... I found this script among the pixelmator pro tutorials https://www.pixelmator.com/tutorials/ad ... plescript/ ; looks like it could be useful and appears to do what ShaTy's first attempt was trying to do out of the box.

I opened in script editor and saved as ShadowText.scpt to my desktop. I will fool with it and try to parametrize it to be more useful for me.

Image

Easily changed to a real shadow, but don't see how anything can be done after this, can't convert to shapes to do or change anything useful.
Image

Some how, I don't know how, it did turn it into shapes!!!
Image

Starting with my text layer, converting into individual letter shapes, I could not make the script work on individual letters. I still don't know how the above pictured group was made.