Part I

 

This is a mini-tutorial on how to generate some strange and interesting shapes within Bryce.

 

I use Apophysis fractal flame generator, a freeware gem that can be found at http://www.apophysis.org/tutorials/index.html

 

I will not explain the ins and outs of using Apophysis to generate a fractal.   There are tutorials available on the net and it is just plain fun experimenting with the settings but do make sure the background color is set to black. 

 

Here is an example of  a simple Apophysis render.

Part II

 Now open Bryce and 1) delete the default infinite plane and I like to use a plain black sky 2) create a terrain 3) click the “E” box beside you newly created terrain to take you to the terrain editor 3) click “new” to clear out your terrain mountain 4) set the resolution for at least 1024 5) click the “picture” tab.

Part III

1)      Browse your files to find your saved Apophysis image and load it to Bryce terrain editor  2) click “copy”  3) click “paste”  4) click “apply”… your image should now be converted to a terrain.  5)  slide the bottom crop and top chop bracket to slice off the base and top of the terrain… you should have visible only a slice for the fractal terrain.  6) click “elevation”  and perhaps apply a smoothing filter once or twice (optional)  7) click the check mark to exit the terrain editor and return to the main Bryce screen.

 

 

Part IV

 Now the fun begins…  You can simply apply a mat the terrain… or duplicate it (ctr+d ) and use the edit tools to slightly rotate or move the duplicated terrain on any axis you choose. 

 Repeat this several times and group them all together.  You now have a seriously weird, wonderful object to play and boolean additional features with.  

 Try it and post some results to thi thread if you like.

 Willie

Thanks very much!  
I will experiment with this now.  :)

Exampled result from multiple rotations on z axis

Thank you for this tutorial it looks fun.

I'm gonna have to save this link for later - my cat tells me it's bedtime and she's right... 

soooo far from being disinclined to acquiess to my cat's request, Mary Reid to all and to all Ann Bonney night. (I did some reading tonight on ol' Calico Jack who some seem to think was the inspiration for CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow and the aforementioned girls who by the way ARE in the "Pirates" display at DisneyLand according the same source don'tcha know.
-TJ ("Parley? - yes that's it".)

Nice Tut!!

I love Apophysis.

Thanks.

Well I tried it and it didn't turn out right; I did however discover that you can turn a terrain into a tree.  If you look closely the leaves are a very small picts of Ann, Mary and Jack. I think Ann and Mary were having bad hair days and Jack's regular clothes must have been in the laundry. Either that or the artist was going through a blue period. (Pardon the poor render.)   

Attached Link: Context Free

That's a very cool use for Apophysis! I love terrain/lattice modeling as well and thought I would post these links to a continuing thread that AgentSmith posted some time back about using a cool little freeware app called ***Context Free*** for a similar use*.* Perhaps someone will have missed these and find this useful. :-)

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?message_id=2790719&ebot_calc_page#message_2790719

Well this is what I got with context free. Coulda gotten something similar with Apophysis i guess. Anyrate good shape potential.   

Wow TJ! That looks really cool! Almost like some etherial, alien jellyfishfish-type thingie.

This is what I got with Apo fractals... I just put it together in an inspired context complete with fire FX and Booleaned box with reflective core mat. The strange thing created with the fractal is in the thing inside the flame texture sphere....

Look like chunks of material (shapnels) that goes flying out in an explosion?

Wicked explosion, Thunder Stone!