Just so youall don't think I'm just goofing off-commenting on others work and doing nothing myself. I've been abuilding in Bryce/exporting posed from Poser. Had a time getting peacock tail transparent in Bryce, but finally did an alpha channel in PSP. I tried through materials lab with the transparency map but finally decided the only feasible way was to make the tmap an alpha channel and finally got there. I have a lot more work to do on this-have decided the window/exterior scene is too busy behind the peacock tail so have to move him or delete the window or move it (and also decide about the scale of the peacock-since we have peacock visitors relatively often from our neighbors, I've been estimating their height with their heads up LOL). I have 'food' to place on plates, several more figures (one 'may' be humanoid), lighting to work on more, probably camera placement, but that's accomplished easier in Bryce than Poser (for me, anyhow). I created most everything in Bryce scene with booleans (even the silverware which I'm especially proud of-VBG) except for the chairs, the napkins, and the roses in the glass vase-made the palm from some .dxf ferns I found on the net. The peacock is Anton's wonderful peacock and the eagle is, of course, 'the Zygote eagle' which I love-and it poses so nicely-I used the same prop chair in Poser to be able to get the talons to close over the chair back properly and get the head/neck the way I wanted so I could place it correctly in Bryce. Exports from Poser to Bryce are getting 'waaaaaaaay' easier. Back to work. Diane

Oh, and had to mention that it took 47 minutes 20 seconds to render--the longest render I've had. Lights, trans maps, a fair amount of glass, lots of 'materials'--all contribute to longer renders. D.

Wow! Beautiful image. I agree about the window, though. It detracts from the peacock. I think I would just delete it and make the peacock tail a little brighter if you can. It seems a little too transparent. Yikes47 minutes to render. I guess now I really won't be getting any sleep. Just ordered Bryce 4 at the Seybold conference here. More to learn. More to play with!

The window is deleted. It just doesn't work in this image, I agree. The tail is difficult. I have it at 100% diffusion, no transparency (really-have it set for blend/transparency which I have to have for the alpha to work to 'cut out' the grey around the feathers). I've tried every possible way to increase the color-I did try putting a spot on the tail and that helps-that will probably be my solution. The tail is very 'feathered' with lots of 'space' around each feather as Anton modeled the tail. I'm going to try several things to make the tail stand out more. Oh, have fun with Bryce. I LOVE it-the combination with Poser is great fun (I got Bryce in late Spring and Poser in July). You have such a great handle on 3D graphics that you won't have any problems at all. I'm still slogging along trying to figure all this out LOL. Diane

Thanks for the compliment. We'll see what kind of handle I really have. I don't seem to be able to get the hang of Ray Dream. But I haven't spent a whole lot of time with it. I got it bundled with my video card, so it just has the online help and I hate that. I like to have a BOOK to refer to. I think you are doing great. This image is wonderful! Diane G

Sorry, I couldn't resist ; ) Terrific image! Great work on the silverware. I don't think the tail transparency is the problem, to my eyes, the tail blends in with the texture (which is great, BTW,) on the wall. If you could change the texture (or color?) I think it would stand out a lot more. Really nice work. Be sure and post when you're done, I'd really like to see it. Coldrake

That sounds like a good idea Coldrake. I'll try that. I was rendering some other WIP's to post in the Bryce forum (mainly just to keep it moving along-needs some posts-any other Brycers on this forum?-go post on the Bryce forum) and didn't get back to this. I'm always open to ideas from others, for sure. When I brought the peacock in (I usually bring them in-add material, save in my library, and then its a lot easier to just plop them in scene and scale), I had it against solid black background and I added one of the circular lights right at the level of the tail-mainly so I could see when I had the dadblamed tmap right in the material lab. That was pretty cool-black walls won't cut it, but I'll work on this. Thanks again. (BTW, there are some other flappy armed things circling overhead LOL). Diane

If you check out the Bryce forum this evening (see the list on the right and go to Bryce--we need more posts over there anyhow), I'll try to do either a printscreen or save the image of the meshes of these-perhaps you can see what I did. Its really not hard once you get the gist of how the boolean thing works-however-all this really belongs on the Bryce forum, not here-sorry. Diane

I didn't create the models, of course. Yes, I absolutely know that the male peacock has the tail that spreads (its his opposite sex attracting mechanism--he also shakes it very hard so it makes a 'rattly' sound) and-only he has the bright irridescent coloring on his neck. The female is sort of bland-like most of the females in the bird world. I'm taking your word about the eagle but I believe this is true. I think the female is the same coloration overall (have to check my Audubon--bland again LOL). La Cage Au Folles--? No, I just didn't invite couples (VBG). Also, these fellows were the ones out cruising around--the females are home with 'responsibilities'. I have to admit this image grew out of my idea of cows dining--I don't have the poseable cow so have never been able to execute that image with my 'static' cow. When I got the eagle I tried to think of an image that was a little 'unexpected' and then fauve reminded me of Anton's peacock (which I had neglected to dl) and the image grew from there-and isn't finished yet by any means. Diane

Steve, you didn't offend at all-tit for tat, as they say (VBG). Actually I thought it was sort of funny. Diane

heya; cool! i was kinda surprised that it was an indoor scene, though. thought the eagle swooped in on the patio, there. you know what you could do... the peacock's tail is actually a prop... you could add a second tail and either offset it to make the feathers thicker, or leave it in place to 'double' the colouration to make it stronger. (um, or both... use as many tails as you want!) psst... needs a swan. swans have little or no differentiation between male and female. ;) and i can imagine this with cows! lol! (how about dogs, playing cards? ....naah!)

Bloodsong, now what did you think I wanted that swan for anyhow??? LOL. Thanks a LOT for the tip about the tail-that never EVER occurred to me (well, maybe in a couple of years working with these programs things will 'ding' for me (smile). It SHOULD have since I played with it so much getting the transparency to work correctly-what can I say--big DUH!!!! Diane

Nope, got 'not found' for either one. Is it a candelabra? I don't think I can make one and I've decided that may be needed but think I saw one on Prop Guild (with a group of 'table things'). Also--may use a chandelier. There is a nice Poser one that I brought into Poser and then exported (wouldn't export as .obj, so did it as .3ds and that worked fine) and have in Bryce now. Depends upon whether it interferes-your candlesticks OR a pr. of candelabras may work better. Diane

heya; you know me, always with an idea! (good or bad ;) ) are you going to put the cardinal in, too? the cardinal is a good bird. (on fun stuff!) wont the chandelier get in the way from this viewpoint? its a cool viewpoint, btw, kinda way up there, as if the viewer is a bird, too. :) gotta love those cathedral ceilings.

Thanks once again--I wanted a bird-found another I had in my zipped dl files-a yellow bird with red head, etc.--I tried to MAKE it look like a cardinal-gosh, I have to just completely sort through that Funstuff I think. As to the chandelier-haven't tried it yet, but my thought has been it might interfere-esp if I stay at that perspective. I've posed and imported the swan, the yellow bird (which I changed to a pseudo cardinal LOL) and duplicated the peacock's tail but haven't gotten it all together yet. BTW, I duped the tail 4x and it took over 25 minutes to render, backed it off to 3 tails, over 15 minutes, so I'm now at 1 extra tail and am going to light it-rendering was already longish. The offset tails are really super too. Thanks so much for the idea. Diane