I made this image with Terragen 0.8.44 just now (it took only ten minutes to set up this scene after downloading the program). I used Vista Pro ten years ago, so Terragen was a no-brainer for me because it uses the same interface pretty much (did Vista Pro become Terragen?). Anyway. I was wondering if someone could show me a Bryce image with a similar cloud pattern and sun angle. I've been able to do lake relections with Bryce without trouble. But I'm confused with the stratus and cumulus settings for Bryce. Thanks in advance. SHONNER http://www.shonner.com

Regarding the settings: Stratus and Cumulus are two different types of clouds found in nature. Stratus clouds are low and featureless. Cumulous are the nice fluffy ones. In Bryce, you can custom make a cloud map. In Bryce the two types are layers. Turning on one, the other or both, has different effects. Using the controls near each of them, you can alter the mapping. It's a little confusing at first, but as you play with the options, you get a feel for what each one does.

Here is one example (my work):

Here's another of mine:

I'll see if I can make one that's like what you posted.

I hope this works: the attached TXT (rename to clouds.br5 after d/l) file uses multiple spheres with volumetric textures to create custom clouds. In some ways this is easier than playing with Bryce's SkyLab. Also, you might use Bryce's "Create Rock" feature and map a bunch of rocks with a volumetric texture to make a nice irregular cloud surface.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=188607

The skylab is naff. Bryce Skylab clouds aren't rendered in 3D, and therein lies the problem. That's why I never use Skylab. If you want "realistic" clouds, you need volume mats. Be careful when using volume primitives, 'cos Bryce is bugged when they overlap and it usually creates horrendous artefacts. I like the volume plains better. For the image link attached I used 3 or 4 plain (can't recall exactly) to try and give a 3D effect to the sky. It didn't work, but it looked pretty! ;) I remember Vista Pro! I got it free on from a magazine about 8 years ago. Wonderful!

You're right about the SkyLab, but in Bryce 5, you can create volumetric cloud slabs by doing this:

1. bring up the create tab in the main window.

2. click and hold on Create Cloud Plane

3. select Volume

4. tweak material to your liking.

That's the other way beside overlaping volume primitives. BTW, I think that's been fixed in Bryce 5, because I've never seen it happen.

I still have VistaPro, I have 3 and 4. They work nicely for generating landscapes. And Vistapro 4's wave motion is nice for animated water.

Yeah, that's what I meant by "volume planes" - it would help if I didn't make up words and then spell them wrong!!! ;) That's how I did the above image. I've never used anything other than Bryce5, and I've had probs with the volume primitives overlapping. It's mostly easy enough to fix it in post, though. Maybe in Bryce6 we'll have a wonderful Skylab with awesome 3D clouds! Or else we won't.

This is possibly my only real problem with Bryce. I started with Terragen and I loved the results I could get with the skys. The program is so limited in it's functioning though, that I had no choice but to move up to Bryce. My wishlist for Bryce 6 is very short. Faster Render and more realistic skys. That's it. Give me that, and I'll have no complaints.

Hmm, it's odd that Vistapro had routines for forests and waterfalls (at least, that's what they said they were) but now Terragen & Bryce don't. ? :|

Now if only Vistapro could have animated the waterfalls......The waves animated nicely in ver 4. But Vistapro's clouds are even worse than Bryce's. I have Terragen. I play with it now and then, mainly for terrain generation. Once i get the hang of it, I'll use it for that and then my Bryce landscapes will look better.

Yes, Bryce can do realistic clouds and quite frankly, better than terragen. There's a couple of guys over at 3dcommune that have put out some tuts on that. http://www.pinhead.robbes.com/tutorial/Skyfx/sfx_intro.html http://www.pinhead.robbes.com/tutorial/B5skylat/B5skylat.html http://home.attbi.com/~paulvlos/Cloud_Tut/Combinationsky1.htm http://home.attbi.com/~paulvlos/Cloud_Tut/Part2/Sky_Part_2.html

That said, terragen does do skyz very well, so does MojoWorld. Its up to you. If you want a static sky, use Terragen. If you want to animate and get in close for detail, use Bryce.

Attached Link: http://www.3dcommune.com/3d/galview.mv?Bryce+f3XGoJtuU+0972247089

It is possible to get some good results in Bryce4 using spheroids and cloud slabs with volume mats - see image at the link. Grouping intersecting spheroids eliminates some of the artifacts.

The link above convinced me that Bryce has far more power than I had hoped for. I am going to get seriously addicted to this program. I'll be on the Bryce diet. You don't eat (or sleep) while you sit in front of Bryce for hours on end. Glued to its every render. SHONNER http://www.shonner.com

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=236215

All the clouds in the linked pic I created in Bryce. Unfortunately the "resume rendering" bug (the one with the procedural light textures) caused the lower part of the picture to become a bit corrupted, so I had to shade it out. I rendered the clouds on 41 quality, which on standard render is absolute crap but on fine art is pretty good.