I have 7 pro and have used Bryce for many years. I have recently started learning Vue, because my teachers have said that it is more realistic for landscape scenes. However, the rendering time really sucks compared to Bryce. Is there a way to get as good quality materials for Bryce? also, the mats in Vue cost if you don't want to use the 2 or 3 shipped with it.

when it comes to materials in Bryce you would be better off asking david Brinnen over at the DAZ forum about that. He is absolutely the best at making Bryce mats. He has a few Video tutorials at that forum.

There's a bunch of textures called 'Seriously Real' but I'm not sure where they came from. I think they might have been bundled with Bryce at some point.

Seriously Real textures are still being sold at DAZ...lots of volumes available...skies, rocks, etc., and under 7 bux if you're a Platinium Club Member...lots of em there.. ...

Thanks. I have looked a  lot on daz. I have some of the seriously real textures, but am not sure they are as good as some of the ecosytem types in Vue. I think also, that the skies are more realistic in vue. I guess I need to get better at making them in Bryce.

Quote - Thanks. I have looked a  lot on daz. I have some of the seriously real textures, but am not sure they are as good as some of the ecosytem types in Vue. I think also, that the skies are more realistic in vue. I guess I need to get better at making them in Bryce.

There are tutorials for using the DTE (can find them over at DAZ or on YouTube) - try to find some of those and experiment too. But also, you could try making .jpg textures. You can get some very good results using these in Bryce, depending on what you are looking for. I've been making my own stone, wall, ground textures and find they work well (e.g the two wall textures used in this image:http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=2128844&user_id=347007&np&np and some examples here:
http://brycemats.blogspot.com/    )

There is this guy at Daz who creates real good mats based on photos, but I can't think of his name right now...................................................................................

Are the "Seriously Real" textures the ones that Jonathon Allen used to sell on 3DC?

I know he made them, but from what i know Daz is an exclusive deal, so they couldn't have been there...

I just today found out about 3D Commune =(

Best of luck to that guy...

Quote - I know he made them, but from what i know Daz is an exclusive deal, so they couldn't have been there...

I just today found out about 3D Commune =(

Best of luck to that guy...

[/quote

They were definately there as I bought several of his packs along with a lot of other stuff before leaving that site. He must have gone to Daz after 3dc tanked.

Hmmmmmmmm.........

I remember when Daz 1st bought Bryce... That very same day and ever since, I was on them for marketing Bryce products, and they replied saying they had no way to market or test Bryce products... I pushed it and pestered poor Nathan Blunt for weeks, and then, all of a sudden, Allens mats were the 1st there I believe, man was I envious =P

Not saying your wrong, I'm just a little shocked...

For how long has 3DC been down?!?

And what happened to JA, is he not making Bryce stuff anymore?!? Those are some of the best sets out...

Don't know exactly when 3DC went down as I had bailed out of there already along with all of the other sites I had posted on. Did that after finding out my employer was tracking all of my online activities. Don't ever take a favor or freebie from your company IT person. It may be loaded as mine was. Unfortunately the old Bryce ACE awards tanked with 3DC, along with some of the finest Bryce art I've ever seen short of Bill Ellsworth's stuff. He is still around btw and on twitter of all places. Infinitee Design is still up and so is Steve Lareau at Hilltop Design; or was at the last visit about 6 months ago.

I looked up the mats on Daz last night and he is now going as Jon Allen but the mat packs are the same. Worth the price if you don't go overboard and buy them all. His wood mats are very good as are the terrains.

A majority of the old big name Brycers that helped make the program what it would eventually become are no longer around or even mentioned. Most left the fold shortly after MetaCreations abandoned the community and it became another cultural victim of free enterprise. Haven't heard anything about Eric Wenger or Kai Krause in at least 5 years, not to mention SmithGiant, WolfiesDen, The WidowsWeb, and a host of others. Peter Sharpe has vanished from the face of the earth and a lot of the old sites simply are not to be found or their domains have been sold. Places like 3dcafe and chemical studio seem withered remnants of their former selves. Bryce, the program that was probably responsible for much of the interest and enthusiasm for 3d art has been left out for the dogs. Pity.

Sad indeed =(

You sent me into nostalgic aftershock w/ some of the names you mention.

Well, I have enjoyed Bryce thru the years and I have found out that seamless, tileable 2d photographs look wonderful in Bryce. The ease of use of Bryce and the price are unbeatable... that said there is no comparaison in the quality Vue brings to 3d landscaping. The price for the complete package is a lot of money but the results are amazing! I love the quantity of materials Bryce has but to me some are funky to look at and fun but unusable in most scenes, I still love the software and DAZ is working really hard at making a beter package but there is no comparaison in my eyes to the art work done with Vue.

I view software like brushes. No two programs are the same and like brushes they produce different effects. The same can be said for artists. Given the same palettes and brushes, canvas's, easels etc and subjects they will produce different products. The movement to realistic images in software is amazing but at what point are we right back at photography? Hyper realism in some images destroys the effect the artist is trying to create.  Also the separation of quality between props can throw a scene completely off in either program. I agree that Vue makes good images but in the final assesment many an experienced Brycer can give Vue a run for its' money in my eye. After all is not art impressionism and photography a recording medium? So are we trying to create art or just making a photograph......?

Mike

Quote - I view software like brushes. No two programs are the same and like brushes they produce different effects. The same can be said for artists. Given the same palettes and brushes, canvas's, easels etc and subjects they will produce different products. The movement to realistic images in software is amazing but at what point are we right back at photography? Hyper realism in some images destroys the effect the artist is trying to create.  Also the separation of quality between props can throw a scene completely off in either program. I agree that Vue makes good images but in the final assesment many an experienced Brycer can give Vue a run for its' money in my eye. After all is not art impressionism and photography a recording medium? So are we trying to create art or just making a photograph......?

I agree with everything you say Mike, a Nissan Sentra would take you to the same place as a Ferrari what matters is that you get there but you have to keep the proportions. If you give the same talented artists both packages there is no doubt that he would have more tools and choices with Vue than with Bryce. It is because of it limitations than most artists produce pseudosurreal work with it. I am one of them and as I said I love Bryce. I am sure you could also produce surreal work with Vue. Bryce is so neat and easy that anybody can produce something nice. Have you seen the thousands of posts with fractal mountains with a procedural mat, a water plane, shiny spheres, checkerboard ground and two spheres with a planet look and its called " Twin Moons of planet Spartahjer" or something like that with a detailed description of its habitants. Bryce allows anybody to dream and create something. Is like Photoshop and the myriad of $ 49 dollars software out there. You may argue that Paint shop lets you do the same than CS5 but it is not really true.

So as you said both are just tools but you can not deny the fact that Vue is a much powerful tool, you could give Dali a brush and some ink and he would create something beautiful gige him a complete set of oils and... you get my point.

 

Andres

 

Mike

Sorry I did verything as a quote :)

I agree with everything you say Mike, a Nissan Sentra would take you to the same place as a Ferrari what matters is that you get there but you have to keep the proportions. If you give the same talented artists both packages there is no doubt that he would have more tools and choices with Vue than with Bryce. It is because of it limitations than most artists produce pseudosurreal work with it. I am one of them and as I said I love Bryce. I am sure you could also produce surreal work with Vue. Bryce is so neat and easy that anybody can produce something nice. Have you seen the thousands of posts with fractal mountains with a procedural mat, a water plane, shiny spheres, checkerboard ground and two spheres with a planet look and its called " Twin Moons of planet Spartahjer" or something like that with a detailed description of its habitants. Bryce allows anybody to dream and create something. Is like Photoshop and the myriad of $ 49 dollars software out there. You may argue that Paint shop lets you do the same than CS5 but it is not really true.

So as you said both are just tools but you can not deny the fact that Vue is a much powerful tool, you could give Dali a brush and some ink and he would create something beautiful gige him a complete set of oils and... you get my point.

Andres

What happened to the spam filter?

Sorry, I just got to it. 

Thanks for getting all thse, Dan.

You're welcome.

I am sorry since I grew up not far from the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota it was easy to become accustomed to Rembrandt. However in my old age I let slip some knowledge of Dali. Perhaps this is become the Dali Museum is just over the bay in St.Petersburg and I was known for some slumming in my younger age. There you go Dan, time to get the old spam filter out!