Shape Layer to 3D Text Effect

Question

Hey guys,
I'm trying to figure out if there is a way that I can create a shape layer to and give it the 3D text effect.  To further explain, I created some text in Photoshop, but for it to be stylized, I did it with the pen tool so my words are shape layers instead of text layers.  Im also using CS6 normal and not extended, so I don't have that 3D option at the top.  If there is a method for this, I would greatly appreciate the help.  Thank you!
Examples of what I'm going for:
http://maxcdn.photoshoplady.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Clean-3D-Text-Effect-Creation-u sing-CS6-L.png
http://vanimg.s3.amazonaws.com/0613-text-15.jpg

Answer 1

I didn't look at your example until after I made the demo image, but you could work it to produce that effect.
What we used to make 3D text before we had Photoshop 3D tools, was Free Transform Step & Repeat.  You'll find a bunch of tutorials if you look, but basically:
Make your front shape, make a copy and rasterize the copy. Hide the Shape because you don't need it any more.
Copy your rasterized shape layer.
Free Transform the copy, and use the size and movement values in the options bar.  For my demo I moved it up a couple of pixels, and resized to 98% horizontally and vertically.
Hold down Shift Alt Ctrl (Shift Opt Cmd) and keep hitting the t key until you have sufficient depth.  You end up with a lot of layers.  My size and movement was a bit course, which you can see from the jaggies on the bottom left of the '3' character.
Select all the 3D layers, and go Layers > Arrange > reverse (you just want to bring your initial layer to the top of the stack.
Select all the other 3D layers and merge them
Give the initial layer a different colour or tone.
You'll want to add some shading, so make a new layer above the merged layers, Ctrl click the merged layers to load the selection, and add a layer mask to the new layer (called shading in my image)
Unlink the layer mask.  This is so we can blur our shading without bleeding past the text boundries.
I prefer to paint in the shading because you can blur and adjust opacity.  Paint it in with a hard brush for accuracy, and use a LOT of blur (Gaussian 10)
You might need multiple layers and selections to control the different faces, but I just finished off with the Dodge tool.
Having the front face and body on different layers, means you can mess about with layer styles, or colorize with a hue/saturation layer.
A bit more dodge and burn with some careful masking and perhaps a curves layer set to luminosity...  You have the building blocks and can keep adding to them.