I happened upon this forum while looking for Rhino 3D sites. I used Bryce4 years ago and really enjoyed it. Rhino and Photoshop took over and I lost track...actually I thought it had faded away. I am pleased to see that it is alive and well.

A few questions:

I downloaded the free version of Bryce5. Is it worth working with to get up to speed? What is 5.5 and is it available? Is there a manual or book similar to "Real World Bryce4 by Susan Kitchens"?

Or should I just move up to 6? 
If so, what is your opinion of version6? How is the support? Bugs?

Thanks in advance for your input.
Jim Barbieri

At the top of this forum are a bunch of links regarding B6.  I have it and I like it a lot.  I, too, began with Bryce 4 and have steadily upgraded each time a new version comes out.  The biggest change in B6 is the ability to use HDR lighting as well as IBL.  

DAZ owns Bryce now so the support is wonderful.

Coming from 4, the treelab and sky lab improvements are worth the upgrade on their own.....

I use both B5 and B6. I just like how easy it is to toggle full screen with B5 using ctrl + tab keys, where in B6 I can't. But I like B6 for everything else. ;-)

Reports say that B6 has crash problems, but I think the jury's still out on that one. I've had  a couple of minor hitches with it but nothing to write home about. 
D.A.M.s toggle was/is quirky at best in my experience, but I'd like to have that option in B6.
One the whole I think B6 is good value for money considering that apart from IBL you can now convert boolean groups to meshes and export them. (I'm just a boolean fiend ;-) 

If you come over from that other app though, the Cardinals of this forum will forgive you your heretical past and joy will be unto you.......even if only because it proves that the darkside can't hold everyone forever.

Quote -
If you come over from that other app though, the Cardinals of this forum will forgive you your heretical past and joy will be unto you.......even if only because it proves that the darkside can't hold everyone forever.

 

Too funny, Chris.  BTW - how's the new Grandbaby doing?  :b_smile:

Just 'Grand' as far as I know.............. thanks for asking.

I swear i am going to lose my mind... Bryce is great fun and i have made stuff already but the problem is i want to use all the other stuff i bought! I am not good when it comes to loading things or altering programs, i like things built in and ready to go...lol

These so called manuals are of no use nor have i found a tut that really explained properly how to load all the stuff i bought, poser and bryce (i prefer bryce over poser).

The only thing it says is to search for content and it loads it, well thats fine and dandy but what about all the stuff you buy after that?

For example bought, buildings, figures, props etc...(a ton of stuff but useless if i cant get them into bryce (i have 5.0 and 6.0 versions)

What i did was set up a temp file and downloaded everything into there. But i dont know where to unzip them into bryce. under materials or objects?

where they are: c:program filestempbryce

example item: ps-fr228-stonetombt

double click

run save to:

heres the problem! c:program filesbryce 6 contentpresetsobjects???? where the heck am i suppose to put them???????????????

am i suppose to make an objects file first?

Going nuts to say the least...please help!

Dont send me to tuts i have read them all and it still hasnt solved my issue here!

Amyone that can explain this in step by step procedure like i did above i would truly be eternally grateful!

Anything that saya ps_frxxx is a Poser figure and needs to be installed to Poser and not to Bryce.  Bryce content will begin with br_xxxx

Anything you get from DAZ has an installer that will put things in the proper folders for the proper program.

You can get them into Bryce by using the DAZ Studio interface.  Just open Bryce, be certain you're on the Create screen and click on the DAZ Studio button.  Once D|S opens, load the character, prop, whatever into DAZ Studio, texture it, pose it if it's a character and then click on the Bryce button.  That will take you back to Bryce and will bring whatever is in your D|S scene with it.

For your example item ps_fr228-stonetombt - that's a template file and will not be used in either program.  Anything at DAZ that ends in T is a template, not the item.  That's why it's asking for a place to save it.  If you don't plan on doing your own textures for things, don't worry about downloading template files.  If you have the file ps_fr228-stonetomb then you can double click on it and the only thing it's going to ask you is where you want the item installed (this is because so many of us use external runtimes instead of installing everything to the native Poser folders).  Tell the installer where you want it and the installer will put everything where it needs to go.

I'm sure someone else will chime in on this with more information.

Bleu - Just to add to Victoria's post, in case you run into other Bryce content, which will most likely be Bryce presets. Bryce presets are files that have extensions like .OBP (objects), .MAT (materials), .BSK (skies), .BRT (Deep Texture Editor ((DTE)) presets) and .BTO (tree presets). .OPB, .MAT and .BSK (the most common) are loaded by opening the appropriate Bryce Preset from the top pallette. .OBP from the little right pointing arrow next to the word Create; .MAT from the arrow next to Edit and .BSK from arrow next to Sky & Fog. In each case it opens a Preset window. At the bottom of each Preset window is an Import button which pops open a file selector where you can select the appropriate preset file. After OKing the dialog the presets will be added to the end of the current preset subcategory (may have to scroll down to see them). Once loaded the original preset download is no longer needed. Of course it's best to archive it somewhere. You'll also probably come across files that have extension like .OBJ, .3DS, .DXF, which are mesh based object formats that are be loaded via the FIle Menu item "Import Object". There may be associated image texture files that usually auto load with the file but are no longer needed after a correct load. And some content is Bryce scene files (.BR6/.BR6) which is loaded through the Open menu item. HTH; Dan

Quote - I downloaded the free version of Bryce5. Is it worth working with to get up to speed? What is 5.5 and is it available? Is there a manual or book similar to "Real World Bryce4 by Susan Kitchens"?

 

Corel bought Bryce5 from metacreations and sat on it. Development didn't continue until DAZ bought Bryce. Bryce 5.5 was the first update in several years. Most of the improvements were minor. There is a 20-30% increase in speed. Some of the code implemented in version 4 never had controls or buttons attached and some commands got buttons or quick keys added. Import export problems with 3ds files were fixed. Lightning was changed so the controlling computer could not also render. Lot's of Skies, textures, objects were added to the presets.

The new version of 6.0 sells for $79.96. That's about $20 less than Bryce 5.0 did when I bought it. Bryce 5.5 was selling at $50-40, but is no longer available from DAZ. You can get 5.5 boxed from compusa for $109 but why? I'm still in 5.5 but intend to upgrade to 6 this month.

P.S. Susan's book is probably still the best until a new one is written. That may happen now that development has gone foreward again.

Thanks Victoria, i just managed to  (in bryce itself ) add some widgets to the objects library, but stupid me didnt write down step by step how i did it...lol so i am trying hard to repeat same actions.

Anyway i have managed to get ps_ files in now (to poser), but where do i put the template files?
in c:program filesdazstudiotemplates??

and do i assume i need to put all files byrce br_ in c;programfilesbrycecontent?

also everything that say bryce 5 i can just load into bryce 6 and it will work right?

and when its been asking do you want to include an uninstaller i have said yes everytime, is that a good idea?

sorry for sounding so naive, but once i know how then i never have to ask again and will keep a reference file of my own for future adding of more content, as with age i am sure at some point again i will forget.

With old age comes short term memory loss...

Template files can go anywhere you want on your system.  They're used to create new texture maps so, like I said, if you're not going to be painting new texture maps you don't need them.

The br_ files should install to the appropriate folders in Bryce.  The installer may ask you where your Bryce application is loaded but it will only happen once.  After that your system will tell the installer where Bryce is located.

Including an uninstaller is a personal choice.  I don't, usually, but I've been using Poser since Version 3 and know how to remove items.

Everything that says Bryce 5 will work in Bryce 6.  That's the nice thing about DAZ, they made certain the program is totally backwards compatible.  I can even open my old Bryce 4 (.br4) scene files in it.

There is an online manual for Bryce available from the Help menu ... a lot of your information is there and, of course, we're always here to help.

Youre such a angel for helping me! thank you so much.

It seems i bought more poser content than bryce, so trying to figure out how or even if i can import those items into bryce is the next challenege, as i refer bryce layout for creating more so.

if you know of a tut directly related to that thats simplified let me know.

I am sure down the road i will do my own template surface designs so i do want to keep them all i will just make a template file on c drive for that.

anything in the Susan Kitchens book should be relevant to B5 and 6 (being the weirdo I am, I have B4 and B5 free, and B5 spendy..;) Though I don't have the book...;)

What I did was to just start playing with what came with the package. It's a right of passage to make a reflective sphere over water, but you don't have to..;) If you go back through this forum, searching on terms, you'll find dozens (hundreds..;) of mini tuts on how to do things.

there's also tuts all over the web. There's so many tuts, 1 or 2 should be helpful. I started doing Bryce about 5 years ago, so some are missing. But the important thing is, is don't be afraid to ask questions (Poser forum, for some silly reason, starts a lot of questions with 'I know I'm stupid'...well, you're not. You have Bryce, don't you?..;)

Also, you don't have to master every facet of the program to make art. I've never created a mat, done animation, or sculpted a shape in the Terrain editor (successfully, that is..;)

As for Poser, they don't make a perfect fit, and there are some things that cause problems between the 2 (the white, blank eyeballs, dynamic hair and clothes not importing, smoothing problems on models, etc), but they can be made to play well together.  Don't be afraid to ask about things in the Poser forum as well.

You can do Poser/Bryce pics in 2 directions. One, I do more than others, is to make a background in Bryce, then import it,as a background, into Poser. Gives a sense of depth to the Poser pic. Just match the lighting colors and angles from Bryce to Poser, and they'll blend well.

The other way is to import Poser figures into Bryce. Daz Studio does this slightly better (there's long debates in the Poser forum as to which is better..;), because frankly, they have the code for both sides of the transfer..;) Poser can export figures, except for dynamic clothing (well, there's supposedly a way, but it's over my head..;) There's a program called Grouper, here in freebies, that will keep all the Poser textures together for the export. Usually you'll pose and texture the figure in Poser, then export the object to Bryce.

It will come; i didn't learn all this overnight. Just play with the programs, make mistakes, try new things, and ask questions. I've seen many a person start out, then breeze past me into Bryce stardom. It could happen to you.

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/tutorial/tutorial/-/?id=1919

> Quote - Youre such a angel for helping me! thank you so much. > > It seems i bought more poser content than bryce, so trying to figure out how or even if i can import those items into bryce is the next challenege, as i refer bryce layout for creating more so. > > if you know of a tut directly related to that thats simplified let me know. > > I am sure down the road i will do my own template surface designs so i do want to keep them all i will just make a template file on c drive for that.

 

The attached link is for the Bryce-DAZ Studio import/export function.  This should help you understand how to do the same from Poser but I have to say I do a lot of Poser exports to Bryce through DAZ Studio.  I generally set up a scene in Poser, save it as a .pz3 file, import it in to D|S and then export out to Bryce.  It's kind of the long way around but it works for me.

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/tutorial/0/-/

And here's the link to all of the Bryce tutorials at DAZ - I think you'll find them to be a good learning resource.