Software to create 3D buttons for use on web pages, etc

[Kevin Murphy <murphy@genome.chop.edu>]

I'm interested in creating 3D-buttons, ideally with a rounded, 
ray-traced look.

Anybody have any advice?

I am hoping that someone has scripted one of the major graphics 
programs to help automate this process.  I.e. it seems that it should 
not be too difficult to have a front-end script offer relatively simple 
choices for shape, surface texture, transparency, size, color, font, 
text, lighting sources and then feed commands to a ray-tracing program.

Thanks,
Kevin Murphy