Hi, Friends & Family :) It's been a long while, but in these weeks I tried to follow the postings and the uploads, even if not on a daily basis like before. Some quite great works as usual, and my late congrats to the challenge winners. I want to thank all the people who IMed me during this difficult period, you were all of great support. Luckily, now my family situation is a bit better, so I have begun again to dedicate some of my spare time to my favourite hobby. As many of you (thanks for your comments!) already know, lately I started working with C4D, and I'm slowly grasping the basics of the app. But I have great news, and for this I really have to be thankful to this community and specially to this Forum. Apart two new books on the making (scheduled to be published late next year), a small Italian videographics agency bought the rights of an earlier sci-fi short story of mine to make... a 3D animation of it! :) And they didn't even know that I'm a 3D maniac. So I phoned them immediately and bargained heavily :) I gave up the money they were offering (not millions, by the way, LOL) and proposed, instead, to be part of the production, even if only as a "bystander" (quite the right role, considering my skills). They agreed, so presently I'm learning, under their guide, to use Softimage|XSI, the full functional version in their studio and the free EXP version at home (too bad the two versions can't exchange files). What can I say? XSI is just plain incredible, and I'm dedicating to it virtually all of my spare time in order to be able to give my support to the final feature. Of course, I still remember all too well when, last November (almost a year ago) I started posting my images here. Without all the things I've learned here and the suggestions and exchanges I had with the members of this Bryce Forum, today I won't even be thinking of realizing one of my dreams like it's happening now. But, XSI notwithstanding, guess what the pros use for the early visualization process of the scenes? Yeah, you guessed it: good ole' Bryce 5. :-D I'll be again "present" in the forum and the galleries from now on, thanks to the "lighter" family situation. So, guys and gals, thanks a lot and, if for you it's alright, I'll be really glad to post here the various WIPS of the project even if they're not Bryce-related, because I trust your judgement more than anyone else's. May Your Renders Be Short :) Stefano