I just think it's interesting that 12 of the Hot20 images in the Bryce gallery feature poser people. In some of them, the poser creation is the only thing in the image (ex. a portrait). I'm just wondering what the guidelines are. Is it what the images is modeled in, what it's rendered in, or whatever you want? I dunno. Just found it interesting.

There's really no guidelines perse for the Hot 20...it's basically whoever gets the most votes for the images. I've brought up the question before about Poser-only pictures being uploaded to the Bryce gallery, and as skeptical as I am sometimes of Poser, when everyone explained the reasons why, it made much more sense. Some use Bryce to render Poser figures, or may use Bryce for other stuff like a background, etc. As much as I wish the Hot 20 would fill with Bryce-created work, it doesn't have to be that way. For those of us that don't use Poser or don't have time to learn or mess around with Poser, it kinda hampers some effect of earning a Top 20 spot...but at the same time, I view it as a challenge to get back in there because that means I was able to have a popular non-Poser image for the great folks in this forum that do the voting.

In some cases too, images will pop in there that really any of us would find it hard to understand how it ranked. Fairly recently there was an image in there where the quality in my opinion was nowhere near what should have gotten it in the Hot 20. After checking the fact that it had 6 overall gallery comments and like 8 or 9 Hot 20 votes, it really made me wonder how many peons that person got to log in and vote, or how many usernames they have to cheat the system. Sure this is all skeptical, but it really upset me at the time because I felt I was cheated among with many others that had put out some damn good images at the time. I guess, though, that things like this will always happen and we (or by the way it's sounding here, just myself) must learn to deal with it.

MD

Well, my opinion is: when a poser figure is imported into Bryce and textured there, it is a Bryce work. Nearly everbody uses imported objects from time to time, and nobody cares about which program was used to create that imported object. Max, Lightwave, SketchUp, Poser - this doesn't matter. Or do you complain if somebody models a building with Max as example and does a render with it in Bryce? Never heard somebody complaining about it. So, for Poser it should be the same. "Rendered with Bryce" - that's my rule of thumb for it. J.

Okay. Cool, so it's what software the image was rendered in. I wasn't griping about it or anything, as I realize my message could have lead you to believe, I was just curious.

I think most people only post in the Poser gallery if they used poser for rendering the character. If they rendered it in bryce they usually post it in the bryce gallery. Personally I would say that an image with a poserfigure as main subject and not a lot of other non-poser stuff around it is better off in the posergallery, but there's no rules for it. The Hot20 is 50% popularity contest and 50% artistic and technicall skill and vision. Most people in the Hot20 either have lot's of friends voting for them or they are amazing artists with a big fanclub. In the time I've been at 'Rosity I've had a lot of great comments and high ratings, but I never made the Hot20. I seem to have some sort of fanclub (people who rank and comment on my images frequently) based on the quality of my images and that's more important to my ego then a place Hot20. If I ever make it into the Hot20 it'll be because my image was great and not because I have so many friends vote for me because I'm Rayraz. If that moment ever comes it'll be a big honor.

I think I went just a little OT with that popularity contest stuff :)

Well, they way I've always thought about it was that the people with the huge fanclubs, you know, rochr, alvinylaya, Doublecrash, have them because they truly are great! I've seen it a bit recently, Rochr posted a new pic yesterday, and instantly had 150 viewings! It's because they know that person does high quality stuff, it's kinda a guarantee. So to me, the people who get in the hot20 with the popularity contest stuff, it's because they earned it! Hmm I was going somewhere with this again. I forget.

Quote by Rayraz: "Personally I would say that an image with a poserfigure as main subject and not a lot of other non-poser stuff around it is better off in the posergallery." ---- Rayraz, Poser delivers the mesh. But by importing it, it grows to be a Bryce thing. Texturing it, lighting it, doing the enviroment - that's Bryce work. So for me it's clear to put it in the Bryce gallery. I've done one Poser image in my live. And in that one I've rendered the figure with poser. The light settings, the texture - all Poser. That's the difference for me. :-)

I guess it would depend on the intent of the image. If the image was to show off the new poser model, well then put it in Poser, but if it were to show off their lighting, or texturing, done in Bryce, put it in Bryce.

What about images with Poser figures rendered in Bryce then brought into Photoshop for some serious hair and clothing painting? That's what a lot of my 3D images tend to be, and I usually put them in Mixed Medium,... but I'd love to know where everyone else thinks they should go.

Well, according to what I think we've decided, it would probably be Bryce, unless if the focus of the image was an experiment with painting clothes or hair in Photoshop.

aprilgem - I'd say you're being too honest for your own good by putting your pics into the mixed medium gallery :) After reading comments in another forum where some people (who use the same style of image building as you do) were saying (paraphrasing) how they put their pics into the poser gallery simply for the extra hits, I'd say put your stuff where you want. So if you want to put it in the bryce gallery, feel free - don't think anyone here would complain. Originally, my thoughts on this was along the line of "whatever I render in is what it is", but recently I'm leaning more towards the "whatever app I spend the most time in for the pic is what it is".

I often do mixed program pieces--Fractal to Poser to Bryce to Photoshop.
I usually don't put them in the Bryce gallery here, because I don't feel that the main focus is on the Bryce aspect (although I do post them in the Delphi Bryce Forum where I mainly hang out).
However, I also usually don't post here in the Poser gallery, mostly because of the statement posted there by the (?moderators?) which says "This gallery is primarily for images rendered within Poser itself. Images of Poser figures rendered in other applications are still welcome, but what's the challenge in that?", and because of numerous message threads in the Poser forum about keeping the gallery 'pure'. Although when I have posted there, I do usually get a good response, so who knows??
So, it's usually the Mixed Media Gallery for me...

lol good topic, i've often wondered about that myself...lol i have no familiarity with poser so some of the following comments may seem ignorant or immature...ignorant yes, but because i do not know completely what is done to each image independently before it is posted, not ignorant because it's gonna be rude...lol, cause it's not meant to be... some pictures i look at say Bryce, or are in the Bryce gallery, (and what better gallery?? winks) and i think, THAT was done in Bryce? some of the pics are just too mind boggling to me to comtemplate how is was even begun in bryce, and some because as said above, the only image in it is a poser figure in front of a wall... i'd have to guess that if the majority of the image was created in poser, then it should be in poser, and if the majority was created in bryce, then post in bryce... reasoning: i as a newbie, look in a particular gallery, such as bryce, to see what is possible in bryce....or poser to see what's possible there... (i don't have poser tho, so am only speculating there anyway) but in my opinion, if someone such as myself comes in, new to both poser and bryce, or even just new to bryce, and want to now, what can i do with this program, and they see posers all over the place as a primary image, they are probably gonna search and search to find out how to make people in bryce...but if they were categorized as poser, but the description said rendered in bryce, it may clear up some things.. poser images look fantastic...and have seen some totally amazing metaball images in bryce.. the people who have been hee longer will of course know better then any newbie what is done where by looking, but was just thinking of simplifying and clarifing.... lol just my 2 cents, if it's worth that...lol JenC

Dayummm I'd just like to get in the Hot Gallery once.lol Actually I never really knew what it was or how you get in? Is that the vote for this image thingy???Ok enough being stupid. I believe that any creation rendered in Bryce is a Bryce warranted image. I also believe that a background created in Bryce and sent over to Poser and rendered with a pose can be used in the Bryce gallery. As I have done once.Only because I couldnt get textures correct in Bryce for the body.Think I said Bryce a few too many times now . 2 cents worth.

amethyss, you can find some good links here in the forum about this and plenty of us have sorted this out. IM me if you need more help.

A great topic. Sometimes people do go overboard with some stuff such as importing, also postwork. I'm guilty of both but who is to say how much is too much? I love postwork but I try not to overwork my Brycies unless it's a postwork study. Yeah, when I import poser into Bryce I try to add as much Bryce element to it as possible, I feel guilty if I don't. Ultimately, Poser characters will ALWAYS be in Bryce galleries simply because people love to view and create with them.

As for the Hot 20, most (but maybe not all) have the skills to be there. I agree about the popularity thing that Rayaz mentioned, I think it's more of a reputation thing though. Rochr, sbleci and artists as such always post superb images and that's part of the reason why they have a big "fan club" I'm definitely one of those fans. I vote for rochr's and sbleci's works 90% of the time cuz they just deserve it. Funny thing is, I was an active member for two months before I noticed/figured out what the voting was for. hehehe. It does feel rewarding that people appreciate your hard work. But personally I think the real reward is the learning process and we usually get that reward before we even post our renders.

That's a very good point on the fan clubs as Rayraz brought up and also that Alvin touched on a bit ago. It's just one of those things that comes with time and patience I think. We'd all like to develop fan clubs of sorts, it gives the artists the drive to continue on with their great work. Personally, I love the works from Alvin, Rochr, Doublecrash, Eyecon, and a few others but I don't wanna name them all here. Those are the ones I pay close attention to, vote on, comment more in-depth on, etc. I think a lot of times it's if the person's work appeals to someone. With Alvin's, his lighting is unreal...and those darn blurry reflections he's able to do on the floors are amazing. Rochr and his cityscape modeling of sorts...texturing is top notch (and who else loves that monkey picture of Corel?!? hehe) I think Doublecrash's interior studies are sweeter than ever (I wanna try my own someday hopefully) and Eyecon with his great Poser and lighting usage in Bryce. The thing that catches me the most about all my favorites is their texturing skills...I'm a texture freak and if I see them making stuff that's almost hard to tell if it's a photo or not, that gets an auto vote right there. Texturing makes an image work, simple as that! I think if you're able to master texturing then you're going to gain a lot of fans. Anyone agree/disagree? MD

Yeah, I agree. Texturing really does make or break an image. I find that bump mapping, when used correctly, is a huge start right there. There's a texture I used a lot in Majesty, which is supposed to be cement. It started out as just a gray cube, but once I added the texture, poof! It was cement! (of course later I made a more accurate texture for it, but I was amazed by how realistic just a simple bump map could make an object. The one type of texture I haven't been able to make is the metal rusting through, scratched paint thing. sigh.

Mrdodobird, what type of rust effect are you looking for? Something to composite in Photoshop or PSP and then importing into Bryce for photo-texturing? Check out my Cape Fear Bridge Revisited image and see if that's the effect you want...I can ship you the .psd file if you want so you can see how I did it. MD

Yeah! That's the effect! I think it is at least. It's pretty close. Really, I think the perfect example would be Draculaz "last of the" (yes, that's it's name). How did you do your effect?

Basically in mine, I opened up a green metal texture and then drug a picture of rust into the same image (creating a new layer) and did some erasing of the rust to let some more paint show through. I did some other minor stuff like brightness and contrast, etc...but outside of that, it was pretty simple. Let me know if you want the .psd or hell even the .jpg file if you want to play around w/ it. MD PS...I like the effect Drac had in his too.

Hey, thanks! I'll try that.

Personally I make a decision as to the relative amount of the picture's impact is due to the Poser model as to whether the image goes in the Poser gallery or the Bryce gallery. There's a danger of being obsessed with which render engine is used, but in fact, that's not too important.

I always post in Bryce because that is where I build the scene or all the component renders for composting.

Some of this sounds like the Purists vs Impurists debate. If you do too much photoshop postwork then the Bryce anti postwork squad gets pissed. Funny that the Poser gallery has the purist vs impurist debates too. Looks like each gallery has its zone and it does not like intruders. Need to have lighting, texturing and composition done right for a good picture. A picture with good lighting but crappy textures or composition, is not going to go anywhere.