New Chrome-Effects with ReflectionMaps

**Jimi King** · 07 January 2009, 12:06 AM

Well thanks but mine is far from perfect.

I think that it's possible to get many believable chrome effects using a variety of reflection maps. It's the front face that's the hard bit. Your second example has a different reflection map but with that gradient it works just as well.

The reflection map I used is based on the outdoor.tif that comes with the Alien Skin Chrome filter. I just repainted the green and brown colours to blue and grey and saved it as an alternative file. It just seemed to fit better with a chrome finish for me.

Here's the map that I ended up with. It looks silly as a bitmap, but I like it for my chrome edges.

**molucca** · 07 January 2009, 07:08 AM

Silver and Wood. I saved these in my other application without compression to TIF and they worked.

Rich

**CMONE** · 24 February 2009, 11:24 PM

Gold & Bronze:

**Ross Macintosh** · 25 February 2009, 10:56 AM

In the context of this thread some of you might be interested in an old mini-tutorial I made about a Xara technique to create the look of extruded metallic text that appears to reflect its context. You can find it here.

Regards, Ross

**CMONE** · 25 February 2009, 07:35 PM

Thx Ross, nice Effect, how come you on this idea?

I have played with the Effect and have it modified with a BumpMap-Layer, really good Idea from you!

**CMONE** · 26 February 2009, 06:17 PM

Or with Photos and the 3D-Extrusionstool make a selfmade Reflection for Texteffects, inspirieng from Ross's Tutorial

**Big Frank** · 10 April 2009, 01:01 PM

TIF info from the chrome plugin reflection maps:

72dpi (but it works with 96, it's just a Mac/PC thing)
keep it small, 100px square is more than ample
24-bit colour
no compression

**Dominic Miles** · 13 October 2016, 05:28 PM

Hi I appreciate your post was a long time ago but I am trying to get a chrome effect in Designer Pro 11. Can anyone recommend a live effects plugin that works please?

**Acorn** · 13 October 2016, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Dominic Miles

Hi I appreciate your post was a long time ago but I am trying to get a chrome effect in Designer Pro 11. Can anyone recommend a live effects plugin that works please?

Welcome to TalkGraphics. As you have used a range of Xara / CC products, you should understand the power of blends, art brushes and names colours: http://www.xaraxone.com/webxealot/workbook44/page_6.htm.
No need for a live effect at all.

Acorn