I've got a great book, Real World Bryce 4, and it states that I should be able to restrict part of the Terrain Canvas subject to editing by using the clipping bracket. Despite my best efforts, any changes made to the terrain while clipped are still being applied to the entire terrain when unclipped. I'm using both the clipping bracket and the gradient tool in different combinations, together and alone, and am also working from both the top and bottom, but the result always seems to be the same, the effect is applied to the entire terrain. My idea is to create an island which would have smooth beaches around the edges, and rougher texture higher up. I'm sure I'm missing something simple, but can't figure it out. Suggestions, please???

Alexants, Which version of bryce are you using? I think 4.0.1 fixed that problem. Also the smooth beach thing can happen just as easy with a texture. Look at her chapter on materials and altitude in the deep texture editor. You can make a mat wth smooth sand down low and rougher things higher up. It's a great book and she covers it well.

the kitchens/gavenda book is indeed very good and as to you terrain problem, download the 4.1 upgrade from corel the problem has been fixed

I'm using Bryce 5 and still get the same results... any editing done to the terrain, with the gradient and/or clipping bracket in any position still applies the changes to the entire terrain when unclipped. Me need help......

Alexants, If you apply an effect by clicking once on the item, the effect is applied to all portions of the terain including those outside the clipped area. If you apply the effect by clicking and holding the item, then dragging left or right to apply the - or + effect, that effect is applied only to the clipped area. For example (just 'cause I think that was clear as mud) if you clip off the lowest part of a terain, then click on Spikes, spikes will appear on the whole terain including the lowest areas. If you click and hold on spikes, then drag to the right, spikes will not appear on the low area that was clipped off, only the upper area. Dragging left will put holes in the upper area and leave the clipped off area alone.

took a stock terrain attribute positive boolean
sphere attribute negative boolean
drew a rectangle around them both
pressed g (group) and rendered and rendered until i got
the cerro aqua frio render.

perspective and pov are way off and it needs work on the textures and i need to add...
but hey i did it just to figure it out for myself and post here.

WOW that image sure did degrade uploading. any tips?

Yes, I was applying all edits in "one clicks." Sliding changes effect only selected areas. I KNEW it was something simple that I was missing... THANK YOU sdnoble!!!

Well, bikermouse. It's only 6.8 KB, which is pretty small for 640 x 480. I'd say it probably wasn't degraded during the upload but that maybe your compression setting was too high?