Here's a bit what I mean. It's crude, but I think makes the point. The solid (yes it's transparent looking, but there's no transparency bead involved) foam material on the ground shows the shape of the object. It's made from a sphere that's been pulled and poked a bit. I was experimenting with trying to make the foam look like it's residue inside the cup. Meanwhile, in the cup is the same object ontop of the original foam. You can barely see the CB Model Pro object, but it's there. I figure with better mats and more dedication someone could model something that could make a shape for steam.

I've tried to make nice vapors using just Bryce objects and there was always something not right (probably my skill level at the time). What I do like about this CB Model Pro program is it's like the TE with better control. Easier to pull/poke and rotate them all around.

Anyway, this is all just experimentation. Crude experiments, but something is indeed here. Just gotta flesh it out.