For a long time now I've been trying to create 3d models
of some of the pins I own, going through the process
I realized I am unable to extrude/ bevel/ bump the polygons the way the pin manufacturers did *[see sample images]
all I managed to create is flat E.nurbs polygons (which suck).

*(ExPic1, ExPic2, ExPic3, ExPic4, ExPic5)*

Basically my question is how on earth do you do that!!?

No one?

Create a gradient alpha map of your pin and apply it as a bump map of the texture.

A: How do I go on about creating it?
B: What if it has really complicated shapes and needs to of several heights?

I create mine in photoshop. The height is directly tied to the gray value in the gradient. The areas that are closer to white would be flat while the areas closer to black would be taller (or vise verse depending on your invert). Shades of gray will get you any step in between those. So if you took a picture, made it black and white you could then use it for your bump map of your texture and give the photo an embossed look.

Ok here is an example that I did a long time ago. The first pic is the alpha map I created in photoshop. I then put this as a bump map on a chrome texture and then put that texture on a plain old box (as seen in the picture). The result is a box that looks like it has lots of raised points on it (the texture is tiled is why it has so many). Sorry for the bad second pic, it's the panel top for my MAME machine I built a few years ago and I don't have the pic I made on disk anymore.
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