Orbital - Do you remember what settings you used for the clouds?

But I like the look, so the 'how' I got it for a very simple scene is probably irrelevent.

Orbital's method of using the "volumetric spheres" instead of the Skylab, which I agree with since the clouds are rather flat and don't behave well in Skylab - or they don't behave well for a newbie like me - how exactly do I set up a "volumetric sphere"?

I can guess it's one of the tools on the top bar, but which one? Create Sphere? Create radial light? Create dome light?

If it is the "Create Sphere" option, are the clouds one of the texture options... like the glass? I'll continue to have a play around - I'm about to try the spotlight that orbital suggested but thought I'd ask about the sphere thing and to show you what I've managed so far.

That is a very nice effect on the water, pipp44... very rough looking water.

I haven't managed to get back into Bryce yet today- had a major disaster on my domain that I've been trying to fix. But I'm itching to get back into Bryce and get this night scene sorted.

grafikeer- the ripples and texture of the water looks amazing. And making the adjustments in Photoshop make the sky/moon really pop when the mountains are more silhoutted than they were originally.

And the softer, more pastel blue of the sky makes it look more of a night sky.

Wow!!!!

Both images are just incredible!

@grafikeer - that is a cool looking effect you've got there. I will have to try it. While it does have the moon/sun show up very well, it doesn't have the night-time glow about it that I'm after. I'm looking for a more ethereal quality with the night-time scape, which orbital has captured very well with the blue tinge to everything.

I think I would be putting the stars in during post-work unless tweaking with Bryce's settings make them look more like stars and less like little dots on the screen. I have a plug-in for Photoshop that makes very realistic stars so I can sneak them in there. :)

@ orbital - that is exactly the kind of look I'm after! The night-time glow, the bright moon, the wisps of cloud and the ethereal glow that shines over everything. A cool white light would be better, but the blue does look incredible!

I will give it another try today to recreate the scene... but I'll probably have to send up a flare for some advice with what options for the sky and such that you used. But if you got the intensity of the image from post-work, then I won't worry so much if my renders don't look right with being dull and flat. (A purple moon might be a bit of an issue though)

Quote - Ctrl + alt and click in the scene for direct placement of the moon. Does this still work in B7?

Orbital will be on top of the matter that much is for sure.

I found Ctrl+ Alt doesn't work in Bryce 7.... but I discovered Ctrl+Alt+Shift does work for placing the moon/sun in the scene.

Thankyou so much for that link. I will check it out tomorrow. It's after 3AM now, and my brain refuses to concentrate on Bryce any longer. I managed to make some nice lookin' renders, but nothing at all like what I want.

You're exactly right about the sky lab making nice effects at the cost of lighting. I think that is why all my skies and water were going pitch black and just horrible. I still don't know how I managed to get a purple moon and red sky and blue water - obviously not at the same time, but in various attempts. It does get frustrating when it all seems to be hit and miss with turning the dials of what will work and what won't.

But hey, it's all practice.

Best of luck trying to replicate the image. I will be very interested to know what results you get. But for now - I need sleep.

Thanks for the tip on the stars, I will try that. At the moment, I have no stars showing up at all. I'm busy fighting with my moon and my water, trying to make the moonlight reflect off the water. Oh, and trying to fix why everything is purple and red

$250 for a $30 pair of jeans? Yep, that math really makes sense.

It's daylight robbery.

Exactly. Australian shops need to understand their customers if they want to keep them- shopping around and finding out that things are so often cheaper online even with the outrageous shipping charges - especially if something is weighty or coming express - they need to start slashing their prices if they want money to remain within Australian instead of going overseas.

We can't help it if we get more value for money overseas. shrugs Until Aussie shops straighten up their act, I'll still be shopping online... the same as everyone else.

I haven't even seen Poser in the shops here, but you're absolutely right. Everything for us compared to the US is so much more expensive, and for the same thing, there is absolutely no reason for it. Even when there is nothing to ship. Ulead VideoStudio is a perfect example. I bought the VS X13 about a week ago: US price was $59USD. On the Australian sister site, it was $140. Buying the same program, downloading it instead of having something shipped to you on a disc... how can they justify the reason behind such a price difference?

With the Aussie dollar doing so well against the Greenback lately, now is the perfect time for updating programs and buying them directly off the US sites, whenever applicable. Saves so much money.

I live part-time in Sydney, the rest of the time I'm in country NSW and I've noticed drastically the further you get away from the big cities, the higher the prices get within country NSW or even the availablity of items. Living in the country, only 4 hours from Sydney, it's like another planet.

If there was a logical justification of the massive differences in prices, maybe it would be easier to swallow... as it is now, it just burns.

That's good to know.

There seems to be an issue with my Windows 7 and the system restore points don't work, so if something goes wrong with installing this program, there's not much I can do to fix it.

Thankyou very much for the links! I'll check out those Bryce vids right now.

I've been using keepvid.com for downloading and saving youtube videos, but I think I like your downloader idea much more. Is the Downloader compatiable with Windows 7 64-bit? I had a look in FAQ and Help but there is nothing listed about operating systems.

I couldn't see anything on DAZ's website about Bryce 6.3 Only Bryce 7 Update or Bryce 7 Pro was available. Not to worry though. I'm used to missing out on stuff like this. I'll be more than happy with Bryce 7 once I get started and used to the program.

Considering the other programs I needed (and still need) to update for my new PC, Bryce was barely a blip on my radar, and a program I already knew I'd have to buy... instead of getting a nasty surprise when I try and install an older version on Win7, which is what so many of my other programs have seen fit to do.