This is one example of why I love Bryce. You can make more-or-less realistic scenes and have reflective elements in it and place the "camera" anywhere you want and it won't show up in the reflections. Can't do that in the real world. Of course this effect applies just as well to other 3D rendering programs but Bryce is the one I use. - Jeff

I have a question... If there is this "po2" trick (and then "po3" to get it back) and the "hair" trick... are there others as well?

Ah come on guys!... somebody really is proud of what they've done with those. Somebody who knows that Bryce can do some cool stuff and they've tinkered with it a bit and they are pleased with the amazing worlds they are able to create with it. And then to top it off... they get an opportunity to make some graphics for a MOVIE! Wouldn't you jump at the chance no matter how novice your skills were?!

okay Mary, here's my comments and what I see. First impression: I didn't like the overall green cast. Then I got to thinking about it. Storms before a tornado often give a green coloration. But then the shadows wouldn't be so sharp. I'd say turn that windmill around so it was facing the background (the storm), and change the sky to look more like a tornado storm. Have the green lighting coming softly from the background direction but maybe put in large yellow-white light off to the left to simulate the sun shining on the truck below the clouds. And the dirt road with the fence in front? That's really a plowed field right? And route 66 also went through Missouri and Oklahoma. Maybe a bit of Kansas too in the southeast corner.

okay, now I am showing my inexperience. Obviously you can see something in this image that clearly shows that I did not use a higher Ray and TIR depth. I could go try that out (and I will) but that will take hours on my slow machine so... my question is... what difference can I expect to see by doing the higher settings?

I don't have a website, or webpage and am trying to figure out how to set one up at one of those free provider sites. When I get it put together I will make available a few files, such as the .br5 file of this room of mirrors (without the characters) and the files I used to make the marbles (in another gallery image).

yeah, it needs something to "ground" the sword into this environment. Is it floating in the air? Is it on the ground? Is it in water? Hard to tell. Some strategical use of shadows could help a lot.

WOW! You guys are so kind. I also like the image as it came out of Bryce but I just thought there might be something that could be done that would take it even way beyond. Thanks for the suggestions. Moongoat, I did output a "distance mask" for the purpose of doing some depth of field blurring so I might give that a try. ICM, thanx for your tips. I like to think of myself as knowledgable with Photoshop but I've not ever done the blending modes you described with the glows. I will tinker with that for sure. And I like the edge brush effect. And yeah, tell me about where to get some of those brushes (and some examples of their use?). If anyone else has any more ideas I am still open. I may go ahead and work on these tips and post it from these and then post another one with later ideas.

I saw it too. Awesome image and modeling. I too like the ceiling.

Yeah, I am sure my off-the-wall worries are exactly that. I can't imagine that they would do anything that would DECREASE the functionality of Bryce and it is already, out-of-the-package, a wonderful application. Anything that can be done to make it still better is all right by me. I am looking forward to these new developments!

I too am excited about the DAZ acquisition of Bryce and am looking forward to many great advances for us users. I am impressed with DAZ products and admire the developers there. I think that adding more "eggs into the basket" will make all of DAZ a stronger company. Hopefully it will also allow them to continue to offer items at reduced expense to us. Aside from anxious anticipation of whatever changes may occur to Bryce itself here is my main concern about DAZ ownership of Bryce: DAZ has a number of great products marketed for Poser. Perhaps the single biggest product is the Victoria line of models. When you buy (for example) a V3 mesh model, are you all set up to do all the wonderful things you see others doing with V3? Or even half of the things you see them doing? The answer is NO! Well then, what is lacking? You need to get the body morph package, and the head morph package (both separate purchases). Then, and only then, can you apply some of freely available body and head morphs. And you know what else... she doesn't come with any clothes! There are "some" of those available in free places, but not many. Most clothes that are out there require you to have some of the DAZ or Renderosity Product clothes in order to apply their textures or morphs. And these cost even MORE money. (Hmmmm... now I know why there are so many nudes in the galleries. You can't afford to buy clothes!) Anyway... to get to the point. I am concerned that DAZ will do something with Bryce so that when you buy it you are "HOOKED" into needing to buy something else (from them of course) in order to actually get much functionality out of it. Hopefully this will not be the case, but their track record in this respect leads me to wonder. -- Jeff

as a Bryce novice in a lot of areas (mat creation especially!) I am curious... Are these mats you are just testing out that you've found as is? Are they mats you've modified from others? Or did you make these from scratch (from scratch I guess means starting from nothing and twiddling the settings in Bryce?). Or are they something else altogehter?

If you do decide to show part of the bottom of the aquarium I put my two-cents in that it ought to be that cheap, brightly colored gravel, fading into darkness and lack of clarity further back. I think that would help to define this as an aquarium.

Do I see a basement in that first image? And where do you get your inspiration for such detailed buildings like this? Do you live in a place where these kinds of structures exist? That would be so cool.