Is there a text editor by a third party for Bryce?  Or can anyone offer any help on getting text effects into my scenes?
I hope this is not a dumb question - still a noob!

You can create text using Bitmaps and than importing them into Bryce using the terrain editor.

Take a look at the tutorial on this page.

3D Text in Bryce

Yup that's the way you do it, I suggest using a .tif file at 512x512 and 150 dpi on the resolution that makes it nice and crisp.

Or you can download this tool called Elefont... The ultimate tool to create 3D text objects for Bryce... Their words, not mine...) www.armanisoft.ch/webdesign/elefont/Elefont.html

Thankyou for your input here.  I guess I will try both approaches

Attached Link: Wings 3d

great idea too - brilliant - fonts are limited in elefont I notice - thanks

PSP does a good job of making text pics for importing onto 2D objects.

Or, you could import some letter models from Daz Studio via the Bridge - there are some free ready made letters and numbers  here at Renderosity:

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/search.php?section_id=-1&query=letters&sort=relevancy&use_age=no&older_age=&older_units=day&newer_age=&newer_units=day&username=&section_selector%5B0%5D=-1

If you have Daz Studio (it's free)  just install them into into it, then load them into Bryce using the Daz Studio link.  It would be the quickest way to get some letters but bear in mind using letter objects will increase your render time compared to the other suggestions given. Just shout if you need any help with any of that:)

Thank you to TheBryster and also to 104 - you are both really helpful here - I have DAZ Studio also and didnt know that I could do this...still a noob....but now a noob with some different and valuable approaches.  Thanks again.

Don't forget to let us see how you got on. Posting wip here would be good.