Forum: Bryce


Subject: How to make Bryce texture files (*.brt) ?

warewullf opened this issue on Dec 08, 2003 ยท 13 posts


warewullf posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 10:41 AM

Attached Link: http://www.petersharpe.com/Tutorial16.htm

Hi guys, I need your help again! I'm trying something new with Peter Sharpe's life-saving falling snow tutorial. I want to change the procedural texture from Blue Spots to something else. Basically, I want to use my own texture. My problem is that I can't just slap on a jpg and use it, nor can I import the image as Bryce looks for a *.brt file and I don't know how to make one. (You know where I'm talking about? When you shift+click the top-right button in the Materials Lab?) So, to recap, how do I make a *.BRT file from a JPG?

warewullf posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 10:44 AM

Heh, just tried something. I used a program to rename the *.jpg file to *.brt and while my PC now happily recognises the file as a Bryce file, Bryce itself won't import it. It says it "expected a composite file." That's what I get for taking short-cuts!


dan whiteside posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 11:20 AM

.BRTs are presets for the Bryce procedural (math derived) texture engine - it can't use image files. HTH; Dan


warewullf posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 11:25 AM

No workarounds? No program which will convert one to the other?


kimpe posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 11:27 AM

I hate to pop your bubble, but you can't. A .brt file is not an image, but a mathematical equation. Kind of like a vector image I guess. There has to be a way else they would not exist in Bryce, (D'oh). But I can't seem to find the answer either.


warewullf posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 11:33 AM

Attached Link: http://calyxa.best.vwh.net/~calyxa/pearl/materialtut/picts.html

I found this work around (see link) but it doesn't work for me.

warewullf posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 11:34 AM

Attached Link: http://www.3dcommune.com/3d/forum.mv?Bryce+read+8949649498

I found the link in this discussion (see link) Thought y'all might be interested.

rickymaveety posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 12:05 PM

Why can't you just "slap on your jpg"? As long as the texture is ultimately volumetric, a picture file can work just fine. (See a few of the rain tutorials to see what I mean). Otherwise, if your jpg doesn't look good as a volumetric, consider modifying it, or adjusting the base density of your volume material (which can help a lot) or playing with the fuzzy factor, or abandon the jpg and play a little more with the DTE and making your own material that way.

Could be worse, could be raining.


warewullf posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 12:19 PM

Attached Link: http://www.petersharpe.com/Tutorial16.htm

I just tried that idea about the rain texture but it doesn't give the effect I'm looking for. Basically, the idea I had was to follow Peter Sharpe's snow tutorial (see link) but swap "Blue Dots" for a similar image of snowflakes (ie, instead of blue dots on a white background, blue snowflakes on a white background). The idea was to have the same falling snow effect but each white dot would actually be a snowflake.

warewullf posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 12:57 PM

Attached Link: http://www.brycetech.com/tutor/bryce/rain.html

Ok, I may have something. Thanks to rickymaveety, I went back to the rain tutorial. I followed it so I had a rain cube. Then I edited the rainmap (kept the dark blue colour, added in white snowflakes using wingdings font), set it to World Cubic, Edit Texture to -10 and there ye go! It'll take some fiddling with the settings to get it just right.

rickymaveety posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 1:00 PM

Yeah, I was going to suggest taking that image and putting it as a few picture planes near the front of your image. That will also give you the same effect ... You wouldn't see real snowflakes going back very far anyway.

Could be worse, could be raining.


warewullf posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 1:09 PM

Exactly. That's why the volume material is the way to go. You fill up your secene, but only see snowflakes up close. The distance ones are just white dots.


rickymaveety posted Mon, 08 December 2003 at 1:35 PM

Yup ... but you can use both. Use the volume material for the entire scene, but stick one or two planes of your more detailed jpg up towards the front of the camera.

Could be worse, could be raining.