Oh yeah, I would take the glass spheres off the balls. However, you are the artist, and if you like that ULTRA glossy look, leave them on!

What you have now is some lightdome, and some fake hdri. Real HDRI (contact me for the site if you want to read up on it, its quite complicated, but once you get it, you get it)CANNOT be done in Bryce. Only fake HDRI. by putting a white sphere around your scene, and having reflective objects, your objects are getting white ambience from the surroundings. This is what the bryce sky dome does as well. However, if you put an image on that sphere, your objects now get different colors of light from the surroundings depending on the reflectivity. Thus, and image can be made with no lights whatsoever. A REAL HDRI image has information in it that Bryce cannot read. Lightwave can. But you can still use the HDRI image on your sphere. images on your sphere look best when they are spherical, and HDRI images are. But you can use any photgraph if you want.The best description of FAKING HDRI IN BRYCE is this: -Leave the sun on but disable shadows -Make everything at least 10% reflective (more reflective= more GI effect) -Add an image sphere or a white area or a sky around your scene. -Leave ambience at zero, and specularity zero (unless you want something that looks like plastic) -For objects you want to be reflective, make the reflective/diffuse ratio about 85:15. For matte materials, make the reflective to diffuse about 10:90. For a defined reflection, make the specular halo about 30-43% grey. For matte objects, make the specular halo 251-254. The rule goes, more white in the specular halo value = more reflection blurring. -Now turn on blurry reflections, premium, 32RPP, and render. TADA! Might take some tweaks but it works great. Also fast renders since there's no shadows (biggest render time hog you'll encounter. This was posted by someone else, who I will mention in the next post here.

Now it is perfect!

Id like to see a bit more shiny on the sword blade. More specularity. perhaps even a bit more ambience on the blade material. The sword is the focus, its should be just a bit brighter

You're nuts. If it wasn't any good, Id understand. But its very good!

I love that image. Definitely the bluer one. Great idea and image. I know how you made the twister. Its a boolean object with 4 billion primitives...........right??? LOL. keep up the great work

Shadowdragonlord! Are you trying to hurt my feelings with that image??!!. LOL. Its a beautiful image, and explaining just how you set up the lights is very helpful. Yes, there are situations where you simply need to carefully light all portions of the scene just right. For instance, if you wanted to light the stuff under the table better (not that you would, I like it where it is) you could turn up the ambience of the objects or of the entire scene, or put more light under the table, but it wouldnt be easy.

Shadowdragonlord: Agreed, with blurry reflections and transmissions, the see through quality of the objects will be more masked. Ill try some maps soon. Clay: I love all your images, and you may well be right. Im checking the link now. I actually do not know what your "basic 3 light setup" is. Will try it immediately. Thanks

Yes, KAOM, thanks for your help. Now lets figure out how to do it without translucency, or with something other than white!!