First - don't know if the pic is going to appear or not... Second and further... As I quickly put this together, I came across a few newbie issues.. -- Blending textures between objects? I am using 3 terrains with the same exact texture for the 2 cliff parts left and right and the sandy beach between. Even so, I'm guessing the intersection points bewteen objects are problem areas? -- The texture on the cliff on the right is really smooth and poor, yet it maintains the sandy peices here and there, matching the beach. Any tips on how to get that sandy area while making the rest appear more rocky? This was my first 'non-tutorial' attempt using Bryce. I did minimal post work on it (2 slight light and shadow filters). Any suggestions on correcting bad technique or what could improve the image would be great.... Thanks!! Jim

Since I can't edit my post, here is a correction: I meant the texture on the cliff on the LEFT has lousy texture. Not that the others don't... :-)

My only suggestion would be to experiment a lot in the texture editor. If that doesn't come up with a decent texture, take some digital pictures (if you have a camera, or scanner) and plug them into your materials library. Lots of experiments eventually give you what you want. And yes, it can be frustrating and time-consuming at times, but worth it! :o)

hmm..as I understand it, textures (mats) are assigned to individual objects. Sometimes a slight variation from one object to the next in terms of mats might look like a transition, but as for actual 'blending', I'm not aware of it (tho I'm hardly the expert..;)
If you create a Terrain, there's a terrain editor that will allow you to manipulate terrains in many ways, smooth/unsmooth, there's about a couple dozen different functions just on the initial page (not on a machine with Bryce, so I'm a little vague..;)
So far, you're off to a good start. It almost looks like a sailing ship out there (there are models you can import), I'd say experiment with skies (also affects lighting, which can change the mood), moving the sun/moon around (if you're in the sky mode, there's a black ball with a light spot..move that around, and watch the picture change). Filling up the endless horizon's my biggest sticking point; I resort to all sorts of tricks to avoid it (camera angles, 'convenient' mountains, etc..;)
Mat choices (you get dozens with the basic package, and there's hundreds more out on the web, look for Lunariad, Wolfies' Den, Sefi, and more..just for starters)..I spend a little too much time figuring out what mats to use for each item, but it can contribute needed detail to whatever you're working on
Finally, just browse on through the Bryce gallery, see what you like, and ask yourself what makes you like something. Stop here often, and read how people fix, or learn new things every day. If you're serious, there's a book called Real World Bryce that will tell you everything (well, almost) that you need to know. You can also go to other galleries (The Bryce Forum gallery is a fave of some folks here..but you didn't hear it from me...;)
hope this gets you off to a good start.

I think you need to use "world mapping" on your 3 terrains, as the illustration shows, unless the material is kinda conform enough to not make apparent seams. You can also "cheat" by placing boulders, trees, etc on top of any apparent seams. I'm sure others are much more clever then I am to explain this, but I hope my example helps :) Britt

wow - thanks for the tips! I'll look into it all... Jim :-)

In the material lab click the first blue button on the top right of the selected material box, this opens the editor window. The first one at the top of the list allows you to adjust the number of times the texture is repeated on and object, ie. the larger the object the more the material must be repeated to look the same as a smaller object. Try that and see if it works. Catlin