Ive used 3D Studio Max since its inception into the PC DOS platform as 3D Studio from Autodesk the makers of Autocad which Ive also used. Ive also used Rhino, Amapi and even some Lightwave. These are true 3D modeling programs whereas Bryce was strictly created as a terrain generator. As a terrain generator Bryce is very good at what it does best and thats create terrains. Bryce has added other features to its package such as primitives and metaballs, which makes it capable, of modeling other real world objects. But because its primary use is as a terrain generator, its modeling capabilities, as compared to the true 3D modelers is awkward at best and, in my opinion, no where near as fast. Programs like 3D Studio Max allows the user to get very downright critical when it comes to engineering unit measures and can therefore be more accurate when it comes to modeling real world objects as far as dimensions go if that is your goal. This feature it got from its parent program Autocad a very precise engineering CAD program used by professional drafting, graphics and mechanical design engineers around the world. These other programs mentioned can very well suit your needs quite well without the added cost and theres much to be said about them and their use in the 3D world. They are not to be taken lightly. You can do a great deal with them as well you could with Bryce. It broke my heart a few days ago when I saw your first post on the time machine since for about 8 months now I had been setting that up as a pet project of mine for a future Bryce render. I had even set aside in my Bryce project directory a sub folder called Time Machine Project where Ive started to collect as much references and images as I deemed necessary to complete the project. I collected a total of 16 images I thought would help me to re-construct the original time machine. I had decided that certain components of the time machine would be better handled in either 3D Studio max or Rhino but that the majority of the components could very well be modeled in Bryce. Since youve posted first on this most interesting project, Im putting those images, which I have collected from around the Internet, at your disposal in the hope that they will help you also. I have compressed the images into a "zip" file which can be gotten from this link;
The file weighs in a about 1.5 Mb and the images above are samples from it. Good luck with your project!