What's the best plugin that creates a glass effect?

[jamesmc]

Well, I don't use many plugins in 2D programs as there are not many that I like.

If I want to achieve a glass effect, cut diamond, pearl or something that has varying levels of transparency, reflectance and luminance I go to a 3D program that has a good rendering engine.

The reason I do this is for one, the look is truly 3D and can be rotated or animated. Exploiting one's images to the max is always desirable.

There are many 3D programs capable of this and the rendering engines vary with each one. Some are straight forward and cheap, others are very complex and can cost thousands of dollars.

Not to say you can't find a good glass plugin for Xara, it's just that when I want make a 'knock-your-eyes-out' image, I'll go with 3D objects as I can let the viewer see all sides of the image.