Okay, first things first, FWTempest was generous and kind enough to allow me to choose the next month's challenge. Of course I would not have picked anything without his permission and as a final idea all your blessings. I think the main problem that some of you have voiced out was the lack of imports which, to an extent, curtailed Bryce's capabilities. Also, others wondered exactly what the hell I was smoking, because I might not have been making any sense.

So let's begin with what has been on my mind for a while as a good monthly challenge: The God of Bryce. By God of Bryce I don't mean a naked chick with a sword in its hand or a sub-par render of a couple of freebie imports from 3Dcafe. Here is how I imagined it:

1. Idea 1 is quite simple: Rendering some sort of a shrine made out of a boxes or sections which contain the basics of Bryce (metaballs, infinite planes, rocks, lattices, primitives, trees, skies, colors, etc). On the top of the shrine these different elements of the program coming together and forming something with cohesion. The point is to think in metaphores and to attempt to quantify the program as a tool for letting our imaginations wonder.

2. Idea 2 is a bit more developed in that I would have re-created (or attempted to) the Bryce app's interface in 3D and somehow made all the buttons, layers and commands take life in 3D again in creating some sort of unified shape.

3. Idea 3 is perhaps the most simple in rendering something Bryce and making it so that in certain places one could see the unrendered working environment. Comparing "reality" to what one is REALLY working with.

Here are three ideas that would in my mind come close to the topic. It seems to me that a number of us have reached a point in their renderings where importing objects and matts from other programs significantly deters them from using the full powers of Bryce. While it is true that Bryce isn't the answer to everything and anything, it is however capable of creating pretty much anything.

If by the end of today this thread will contain more comments in regards to allowing imports, than I think FWTempest and I will get back together and give it a green light. If not, then we'll simply pick another generalized topic and allow the metaphore side of things for you to decide. Personally, the ability to import meshes from other programs does not hinder my abilities any single bit. I came forward with a challenge that I thought would be interesting to try out, specifically because it did not have such an everyday feel to it. And again, the idea is to render Bryce for Bryce, to present your inspiration as a visible force around the app and to show how the different tools the apps offers can be used from a tertiary perspective in helping you quantify that inspiration. Imagine you explaining to a person how Bryce works and what your art is about. That is ultimately what the idea behind a Bryce God is. Because that's what you are.

Drac

I should probably keep my mouth shut since I will be too busy to enter the challenge, but I think a Bryce only challenge ( no imports ) would be cool.

"God of Bryce!" . . . "The Creator of Universes!" . . . Isn't playing god what using Bryce is all about?. . . giving us the tools to create something from nothing except for a few primitive objects, 2d grayscale and pict material images mixed with our individual ingenuities . . . I have seen many entries in the past . . . . . which included imported models from other universes. . . and have thought . . . . these could have been born of Bryce . . . . newbies and non-modelers shouldn't tremble at the thought of this one universe challenge but should hope to learn through participation or observation . . . . I welcome this creative opportunity put forth by draculaz and FWTempest . . . . rather than exploring and exploiting the possibilities of importation. . . . let us explore the possibilities that being the God of a Singular Bryce Universe has to offer. . .

Yep 90% of my experiments are how to use bryce only to create complex and very believable renders (metaballs etc).

Bryce only for this challenge! Let the winner decide for March what will be.

I think this is a great idea for a challenge and I'm happy you've straightened out what exactly is expected of us Drac. I've got a few ideas but as usual I'm undecided on which one to go with. It's the being confronted by a blank canvas and the fear of doing the wrong thing. Happy rendering/modelling folks. 8) Catlin

Without using many words: Drac & FW, I think it's a cool idea. Stefano

thank you all, I guess if Agent Smith decides it's kosher we might as well consider it official :)

#1 challenge option please I really like this idea, since i can;t use any downloaded models anyways. It also keeps things fair, since all of use have the same toolset to work with!

I Really like that big sign at the top of the page. It says it all. BRYCE ROCK-N-ROLL!!!!

:)

NO IMPORTS NO IMPORTS!! I'm thinking doing a golem made of primitives..maybe it'll be too long but this was my idea...

You know? I have had this problem ever since I became interested in 3d Art and was introduced (graduly) to Bryce. How the hell do you explain to a non-3der what the heck we do here? I remember seeing a render sometime ago of a land/seascape over-written with the quote: Virtual Gods Creating Virtual Worlds. With the utmost respect for 'the Man Upstairs' I think that to some degree that is what we are. So, hold that thought. What we create is only as real as we make it and Bryce is the media we use. Is that the connection Drac and FWT are looking for? In other words, do we use Bryce or does Bryce use us? Either way, this challenge might be about paying homage to Bryce or simply speaking....showing non-3ders what we do and how we do it.............in a virtual sense anyway!

well, drac, your first thread is linked to at the top of the page as this month's challenge... I'd call it official. I'm all for the no import idea... only problem I see with that is that B5 has trees, while B4 doesn't. I've already got an image in my head for this one... let's roll with it.

I agree on the no imports. You can take a picture of what you want and put it on a 2D face. Then make the transparency for it. If you want "shadows", the import the picture into a lattice and set it behind the 2D. Look at Roobol (sp?) He mentioned in one of his Bryce images that he imported the character as a 2D face. Also, LaurieS created a beautiful "Rivendell Light" scene where she put the figure in as a 2D face. Since it is part of the basic Bryce package, then that should fall within the rules. Of course, I've been known to be wrong on more than one occasion :)

This is the Roobol image I was thinking of. And it was done in Bryce 3. I'm not saying, only use pictures to make your image. But it is a tool that you can use. http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=32645 This is the one by Laurie S http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=174023