Hey everyone, I'm new around here! I've been using Bryce since Version 2. I ordered Vue 4, and should get it any day now. I loved Bryce 2, liked Bryce 3, but my interest for whatever reason began to wane. I admit I'm coming at Vue with a little more of a suspicious side, since I'm a long time brycer. Any thoughts on why you use Vue over Bryce, except for the interface? -Brian http://lonewolf.tierranet.com

Hello Brian and welcome. :) I have Bryce 4, and it was my first version of Bryce. I actually like Bryce's interface, but that's mostly because I was already used to Poser 4's interface, I guess. but I detest Bryce's material editor. Anyhow, for me, it's not an interface thing at all. The support from E-on has been very good. At any time I can email them and expect a reply fairly quickly. Vue's material editor, as well as ALL it's editors, seem far easier and more intuitive to work with-- for me, that is. Vue renders quicker. Vue trees look more real, and accept a wide variety of custom maps. Vue's trees are not static models as are Bryce's, but rather different each time, and often the differences between one maple tree (as an example) can be drastically different from another. Vue imports Poser models perfectly, as well as 3DS models. And, now that Vue 4 has volumetrics.... These are just a few of the reasons, but in a certain sense, it all relates back to "ease of use". I started out in art by doing simple pencil drawings, which slowly became more complex, then I moved up to oil painting landscapes, and then into the digital realm. So, for me, Vue was a natural, since it has such excellent landscape abilities, which I think Bryce 4 is lacking in. But I still like Bryce, only the feel is different.. Ifg i want to do something a little more "sterile", so to speak, I'll try it in Bryce. Bryce has a harder edge to it's renders, and when I want something with less of an "earthy" look, I'll use Bryce. It's all a matter of preference though, as you know.

I started with Bryce (v3 demo first then v4) for a while and I got used to the interface. I was skeptical at first when I tried Vue but a few things kept me motivated enough to try it : - Better looking result in natural scenes (I have to spend a lot of time in tuning and lighting with Bryce to get something equivalent to a quick scene in Vue) - Easier way to mix materials - Group objects in layers with possibility to lock them or turn them off - Natural looking vegetation (I just wish more models were available :) ) - Easier way to spread a large number of copies (trees for axample) and drop them on a terrain (for some reason, I could never get it working right in Bryce) - Better control of the rendering engine (I found Vue more 'customizable' than bryce in general, even if it is with the cost of becoming confusing at times) Now version 4 has arrived, I could add to the list : - Better control of volumetric atmospheres - Lens flares, glowing materials and soft shadows - Poser 4 scenes import This said, it took me about a month of test and failures before I got used to the Vue interface. Now I am completely converted. There is one feature of Bryce I miss at times : the positioning of the sun/moon is more intuitive in bryce than vue. Other than that, I haven't looked back for months.

I have both Bryce 4 & 5, and now Vue 4....on the whole...Vue's everything is better...as far as results go. Been testing Bryce 5 against Vue 4.....wasted my money on Byrce 5. Sharen

Shouldn't say it is a waste, my preverance is Vue 4...Byrce 5 does have unique things, but like was already said above, editing is much easier and better results in Vue. Sharen

My Bryce 4 is for sale - cheap. Installed once. Got VUE4 and immediately uninstalled Bryce. Not looking back. Besides, Bryce support leaves considerable to be desired. MUD

I keep my Bryce 4 around to convert OBP objects if I find something I like. I originally got it because I liked what seemed to be a "painterly" appearance in many Bryce images I'd seen. Then I found out that appearance was pretty much Bryce's norm, which was way too limited for me. I like Vue's vegetation (and versatility) and the greater ease in creating a scene and also modifying it. :)