We study Minkowski contents and fractal curvatures of arbitrary self-similar
tilings (constructed on a feasible open set of an IFS) and the general
relations to the corresponding functionals for self-similar sets. In
particular, we characterize the situation, when these functionals coincide. In
this case, the Minkowski content and the fractal curvatures of a self-similar
set can be expressed completely in terms of the volume function or curvature
data, respectively, of the generator of the tiling. In special cases such
formulas have been obtained recently using tube formulas and complex dimensions
or as a corollary to results on self-conformal sets. Our approach based on the
classical Renewal Theorem is simpler and works for a much larger class of
self-similar sets and tilings. In fact, generator type formulas are obtained
for essentially all self-similar sets, when suitable volume functions (and
curvature functions, respectively) related to the generator are used. We also
strengthen known results on the Minkowski measurability of self-similar sets,
in particular on the question of non-measurability in the lattice case.Comment: 28 pages, 2 figure