No need for a challenge. We can do what we can and cannot do what we cannot.

This discussion is two fold, regarding the software limitations and user limitations. Feel free to place limits on software, but be careful placin glimits on individual artists.The user is more important than the software. So I meet your challenge.

Well, as I said, in this particular Cemetary example, Vue has the upperhand with atmospheric effects and integration. And I know for sure that Vue is faster than Bryce at complex effects, due to the optimizations. But I have made some seriously awesome volumetric clouds in Bryce, Here are some links:

http://www.daz3d.com/i/galleries/0?id=47856&sec=0&_m=d

http://www.daz3d.com/i/galleries/0?id=35900&sec=0&_m=d

http://www.daz3d.com/i/galleries/0?id=47437&sec=0&_m=d

More references:

http://forum.daz3d.com/postimages/origimage_1_1822044.jpg

http://forum.daz3d.com/postimages/origimage_2_1822044.jpg

http://forum.daz3d.com/postimages/origimage_3_1822044.jpg

Notice, my clouds are highly complex and particulate in form, not floating formless blobs, and they are lit from all sides using advanced IBL instead of cheap ambient glow or skydome. They do not look like Vue clouds because I did not use a procedural that would give me the filaments of the Vue clouds, but then again, they do not look like what you would expect from the average Bryce user either. My point is, because Bryce is so slow to render and has so many possibile configurations in the DTE, therefore we have seen very few examples of believable well lit complex clouds in Bryce, that does not mean however that Bryce cannot do it, only that it cannot do it as easily as Vue.

Vue is optimized for realism with realistic cloud presets and lighitng tools, Bryce is optimized for fantasy worlds that render quickly due to lack of natural effects, and I have always hated that about Bryce. Still, if one has the patience and the skill they can get results in Bryce that are fine when compared to Vue. Bryce has superior volumetic modeling potential than Vue, but the lack of practical lighting tools and slow render make it a waste of time for most users.

I have come no where near the limit of volumetric modeling potential in Bryce, just scratched the surface only. I feel certain that if I put my mind to it, I could make a scene similar to the Cemetary example. All I need is the proper procedural to produce the filamental look to the clouds, and a proper hdri to give the appearance of the sky color being transferred onto the clouds. I have to provide the GI myself in Bryce, which is skill intensive and time consuming. I do not however think very many other brycers could do so, and this is surely a problem.

This final included example shows Why Vue is so great, not only for clouds detail, but for realtic sky background gradients. In this scene the haze had to be set such that the background lost all gradient. It is the sky background, not the clouds that look fake to my eye. But that is just me.