Attached Link: Vue/Bryce Comparison

Lots of posts have been asking which of these two programs is better piece of software. Instead of going on about the various strong vs. weak points I offer this image to those of you trying to make up your minds. The top one is Vue 4, the bottom one Bryce 4. Both scenes have the same items, same number of lights, etc. The poser girl looks different as I did not save her when I did the Bryce version. Also the textures used are obviously different, the Bryce scene used lighter ones to give it a different look. The URL link is for the larger version of the Vue scene which is slightly different than the one presented here. As you can see though, both programs did a decent job on the render process. JAS

Thanks, pretty amazing. Bryce looks harsher somehow. Lighting in Vue is more convincing.

Good way of showing the comparisons. I salute you. Sharen

Lets see some product close-ups in Vue. Please I am thinking of upgrading and am still on the edge. Thanks

Product Close-ups? Do you mean you want to see tight shots of imported 3D models? -SMT

First of let me say you have a good looking scene. Did you know that there are over 200 3d programs commercial,Freeware, and shareware? Each one of those programs operate differently. I doubt you could use a vue set up in any of them and have it look like a vue image. I would also say putting one light in a scene is a no no in every single one of them except maybe some of the radiosity renderers. Even then a good scene setup will use several light sources. You cannot compare two programs like this even two as closely related as Bryce and Vue. An example: I could set up a scene in Bryce and then export it to Lightwave and it wont look the same. I would have to change the lighting,diffuse settings, specularity, bump, color, amoung several dozen other settings and I would still have a hard time matching them. That doesn't mean that Bryce is better then Lightwave, it just means Bryce is different then Lightwave. We all know which one of those has the better toolset. Isn't this Bryce vs. Vue thing getting a little old? What will it solve? The two programs will always exsist (we hope), People will choose to use either one sometimes both. Some of those people will be better in Bryce some of those people will be better in vue. The reality isn't what program is better but what program is best for the person or persons using it. Each of those persons have a different need in a 3d program too, there is much more to art then just landscapes, and portraits. This is just my humble opinion, and hopeful wishing that we can all just get along. Griggs

I couldn't say it any better, Griggs! :) Talking about "photorealism" these two program can produce...to a certain extend "yes" but most of the time "no". It takes lot more then just using these programs in withing....IMHO.

I'm with you Griggs :). Actually I think both renders look good. It's really hard to tell unless EVERYTHING is identical, which I think is rather impossible. I do think that Vue has more natural looking OUTDOOR lighting, but I think that Bryce lends itself to the types of images that may be a bit more difficult to achieve in Vue. I think that having both can be a good thing since each is better for different things. I have no problem with Bryce (other than using it ;)), but that is just personal preference and nothing more. I have admired (and will continue, I'm sure) many images made in Bryce. Lannie's artwork is drop-dead gorgeous and that's what she uses. I could never even hope to do anything that good in either program, but if I could, I use what was easier FOR ME. That's what it all comes down to...not which is better than the other. :) Laurie

Hi Griggs (& Everyone Else Too!), I wasn't making a case for either Bryce or Vue being better. I hope it did not come across that way. There has been a lot of folks who are contemplating purchasing one of these two programs. I use and like both. I could rehash all of the pros and cons of both systems, but instead simply did a similar render with both programs. Seeing is beliving. I am by no means a high end user of either program. Job, family, and a host of other interest compete with my 3d raytracing hobby. Now if I could just get by without sleeping! I hoped that the side by side comparison of the two photos might help some poor sod out there make up their mind. JAS

I was thinking to buy Bryce, or Vue. I spent a few days to look around the art works. The bottom Bryce picture does not seem great compared to the top Vue picture. However, I saw many really great pictures by Bryce. I am not sure what the comparison means.

Jas has his point made clear...it just a "look see" at the basic for his example here for people to male a choice. I believe that if other example of images, things would likely turn out different in many ways...so does your choice of which program to buy. Taking the "daytime" preset atmosphere for example, with Vue and that of Bryce...the difference is already there. I have tried the default "poshlish silever" of Bryce and Vue applied to a sphere with similar atmosphere setting (at at default) and seeing the result, I know which program I like to use ;-) Buy them both if you have the $$$s ...if you have only one choice, either way, your life in 3d rendering is missing something..LOL!

Thank you Jas, for the time you took in doing this little comparison here. I too have Bryce 4 as well as Vue 4, and have been meaning for a long time now to attempt such a thing just out of curiosity, but it seemed to me like it would have been nearly impossible with a very complex scene. And by the way, both of your pictures look good, I think! I prefer the one at the top, but that has more to do with the colors than anything else.

Ofcourse nearly similar lighting effects can be done in entirely different programs if you're prepared to work at it a little. Links below are of 2 pics I put in the gallery a while ago.The "Chevy" was done in VUE 3, the other one in Poser. http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=50394&Start=13&Sectionid=0&Form.Search=hein http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=50394&Start=13&Sectionid=0&Form.Search=hein

Hi again jas, You did a good job and I understand the way you tried to compare the two programs. I guess my point is (the short version) none of us can make those two comparrisons for someone else. Each person is different, they work differently and have different visions. All we can really do to help people make the right choice is to point them in the direction of the demos so they can see for themselves. There is no way for us to know which program is better for every individual. One would hesitate to say Vue is better then Bryce when you see works from the likes of andy simmons, Beton, cris pappathon, martin murphy and any one of the hundreds of other super Bryce artist. We cannot say to them hey Vue is better you made the wrong choice. The same can be said about Bryce how can I tell Tesign, Bloodsong, emporer Ken and the others, that Vue is the wrong choice and Bryce is the better of the two? It is impossible for me to decide for them, or know what it is they need in a 3d program. Hmmm.... This ended up being another long version :( In closing 3d renderers are but tools, why would the game myst 3 decide to use max's renderer over better renderers like houdini or lightwave? Who knows, who cares its the tool they decided to use, and it worked well for them. Griggs PS. normal disclosure :) If I missed someones name on the above list there is no way I could name all my favorite artist in either program so the miss is unintentional.

Thank you Griggs for you insight. I agree with you on every point. There are certian people who have mastered one or both of these wonderful pieces of software. I remember a gentelmen named Tony Richarson(?) who way back when was cranking out photo realistic pics with Bryce before Vue even came on the scene. I would also give Eric Knight Holbrook a nod in that area too! I could go on and on. Vue has it's fair share of excellent artist as well, you named several of them in your post. It is a personal decision on which piece of software one wishes to buy. I choose to use both, and it would be a difficult choice if I had to pick just one. Once again I am not endorsing one piece of software over the other. My posting was just to provide a side by side example of the two products. Griggs words of caution should be heeded though. The two programs can and do behave differently. For example, although both the above scenes are similar in regards to lighting, using just two point lights in realatively the same positions, most of the light in the room in the Vue scene is being provided by the light source outside of the lamp shade. While it is the light inside of the lamp shade doing most of the work in the Bryce scene. This is because lights sources behave differently in both programs. Once again, thanks Griggs (& of course everyone else too!)

A thousand pardons, it's Jeff Richardson I meant to credit in the above posting. JAS

Jeff Richardson is awesome. He is one of those who never puts out even an average picture. I was looking through the Vue gallery and must say that image by Kiki is one that would make anyone seriously look into Vue. I hope they come out with a demo soon. I would like to see how it runs in win2k, Didn't have much luck with 3.1 the window resizing was hard on my computer. Griggs

I looked at Kiki's works. They are very nice. I think that Vue has very nice landscape works. How about other works such as fantasy, or abstract.

I really liked the above renders. For some of us still swaying between Bryce and Vue and can only afford one, it's nice seeing something like this. It's not that one is better than the other, they are both good... as in, both have simliar capiblities so it comes down to price. From what I have seen Vue 4 is about a 100 bucks cheaper... I would love to have them both. But, there is no way I can afford that now. So it's nice to know buying the cheaper program doesn't cut down the ability to create some great stuff. Just a run through the gallery proves that. But, I'm still saving pennies as it is. Going to cry when my demo runs out.