I posted this message on the Bryce forum to get opinions from Bryce users, and I'm posting it here to get opinions from Vue users. I'm not trying to spam, I'm trying to learn, so please don't get upset.

I am an avid Bryce 5 user and have posted tutorials for Bryce on my Web site (as some of you already know-- I'm the one who did the Robby the Robot tut).

A friend recommended I give Vue a try, so I downloaded the demo version. It works fine and seems quite nice. I've only had it a day or two, but so far, it seems like it does all the things Bryce does, but a little differently. For example, the Terrain editor in Vue uses an Amorphium type of sculpting feature which I like better than what Bryce uses, but the Vue Moon isn't as advanced as Bryce 5. (Not that Bryce 5 has a really great moon). Vue has nice lens flare features which I don't see in Bryce 5, but Bryce 5 seems to have more orthagonal modeling options (I may not have found all the options in Vue yet)

So I kind of like them both!

I was wondering, for those of you who have got both programs, what are your opinions? I really love Bryce 5, it's my all time favorite, but I am also finding Vue is quite interesting and not all that hard to work with. Perhaps this is because I am so used to Bryce. I am really kind of liking Vue!

What are your experiences with both programs if you use them?

Oh, and I am attaching a really stupid picture I did in Vue. I was testing some of the features and made this pseudo sci-fi scene to test lighing and things. Vue demo doesn't allow a save, so this thing is gone now, but I was able to do a screen capture of the image just for play.

I'm thinking of buying Vue as it is currently on sale. And, it's always nice to have yet another 3-D modeling program!

I suppose I should try this scene in Bryce 5 for a comparison of how easy it is to make and light etc. I may do that, now that I thought of it!

Still, I'd like to know what you all think of these two. It's great to have more than one modeling program, that's for sure.

Message edited on: 06/24/2005 07:33

One big thing is what you want to be compared with what? Right now there are several Vue versions with VERY different capabilities. And very different price levels too of course. If you have access to 3D World you should go and get the actual copy. It is the first magazine with a Vue Infinite demo on - even before E-on has it on their site. Part of that is a special price for 3D World magazine buyers. I think with Infinite you would never look back - especially with the incredible Ecosystem feature. I was a Bryce user from version 1 to 5. But when Vue came out on Mac and i tried it i never touched Bryce again. So much easier, so much more options. You as well can look into our Backroom (link in the header here) here, we have some special sections for Vue compared with... already.

I learned with Bryce but I got increasingly frustrated with the material editor over time. When I came across Vue d'Esprit 3, I immediately got the material editor. The support of Poser figures in Vue d'esprit 4 closed the deal for me. I haven't used Bryce since (although I still have it... even upgraded to Bryce 5.5). I still miss the volumetric materials from Bryce.... slow but superior to Vue's volumetric materials. I hope e=on will do something about that soon. But that's about the only feature I miss from Bryce.

I bought both Bryce 5 and Vue 4, and played extensively with them. I have decided to upgrade to Vue 5 Esprit, and never looked back.

I started with Bryce 4, got 5, was directed to Phoul's site and saw what he did with P4 and Vue 4Mover4, and jumped ship. After all the fighting with Poser import into Bryce, having the native support was a godsend. And like wabe said, there are quite a few flavors of Vue available, depending on what you want or need. Infinite is definitely the king at the moment (jump over to E-on's site and download the Vue Infinite show reel that Phoul did). The main thing is that Bryce was left to languish while Corel held it, and Vue moved forward

If you're comparing Bryce to Vue Infinite there is no comparision. The Ecosystem capababilities of VUE Infinite take you into a completely new realm of realism and possibiity. The material editor in Vue (all versions) is much more powerful and easier to use. Lights, vegetation, atmospheres, and render options are also superior in Vue. IMHO Bryce is really an older style, low-end 3D package that offers nice value for the $100 price. But it is not in the same league as Vue.

I loved bryce, used it for years, it stunk eventually because, although in right hands it can create marvels, in more..kludgy hands cough, mine it' could be a pain in the ass (importing, render times, animations), it was woefully lagging due to Metacreations dropping it into oblivion etc. Vue Infinite blows Bryce out of the water. :)

A lot could have been done with Bryce, but as has been said above, they rested on their laurels, and Vue caught up and left them in the dust. Ecosystems are incredible. It would take a hell of an effort for Bryce to change into something that can compete with Vue Infinite now. Mind you, Vue's not perfect. I would love to see them create the ability to reposition and pose (with Poser type dials) a Poser figure INSIDE Vue (or Bryce). That would be the ultimate! If the guys doing Bryce now threw that capability into the mix, they'd shake things up some. :)

I'll put it this way.... A lot of people don't seem to be able to create anything worthwhile with Bryce 5/5.5. Only experts seem to get great results, most others don't. With Vue almost anyone can create stunning images and experts even create stuff I have yet to see created with Bryce. The biggest backdraw with Vue 5 is the Infinite version. It seems to have destroyed creativity amongst many Vue users.

I got Bryce 4 as a gift from a friend, some year ago... I tried and tried.... Then bought a book and started again to try and try and try.... Ok, I'm surely dumb, but I never got anything over "plastic-like islands in the sea"... Vue is different, I'm REALLY far from getting the masterworks you can see in the Gallery, but I'm satisfied with the "attitude" I've got with this program.... Like aeilkema said, seems you would be a real expert to get good results with Bryce... Try Infinite version, try ecosystem.... I havent't it (yet), but I'm sure you will "cross the river" for ever ;)

I just picked up Vue Infinite yesterday, and I must say, I am most impressed. The ecosystems are a godsend for landscapes. I've yet to delve into the deeper nature of ecosystem creation, but the presets alone are fun and impressive. Granted it takes some of the skill out of positioning your foliage on the landscape, but, often times that gets to be a time consuming bit of frustration anyway, and many Bryce users are now more apt to just create forests with photos, simply to save time. The 4 camera view is something that Bryce could have benefited from years ago, that alone makes creating a scen so much more simplified. I've used Bryce for a few years, and have dabbled in Vue, my frustrations with Vue came simply from not having a fast enough system, otherwise I think I would have probably quit Bryce at version 4 and opted for Vue.

i own and have worked extensively with all versions of bryce, vue and mojoworld. imho vue 5 infinite is in another league.

Well, I got into this whole digital thing starting with Poser and Painter, and was quite naturally directed to this site, and subsequently to Bryce which was the first experience I had with raytrace rendering. Tell you the truth, I didn't like it; it confused me, and I found the interface just..well...stupid. (sorry, die-hard Bryce fans. :)) So one day I'm complaining about this on some Poser email group, and this guy named Orio and this woman named Guitta tell me to try Vue (version 3 had just come out at the time), and all of a sudden making 3D pictures was FUN... can't say I ever had any "fun" with Bryce, albeit I admittedly didn't try for long. Nevertheless, Vue was sooo much easier to get a handle on, and where Bryce might have caused me to lose interest in CG forever, had I had to continue with it, Vue only served to enhance my interest. Now, of course, some people do some amazing things with Bryce, just as some people do some horrendous things with Vue... I guess it's the Big Competition Thing 'tween the affordable rendering packages, but this Bryce vs. Vue thing seems to have been going on for quite awhile now, although it does seem to have become more civil. My advice: Get LightWave.

what issue if 3D World has the special VI pricing ???

July i think, the actual issue!

Just popping in here with my 2p worth... I'm a total amateur, and nowhere near an expert. I've used Poser (5) + Bryce (3D) for about 3 years now, and in the time I've created just two "successful" landscape scenes with Bryce. There's something about it that I just don't get. It's not for want of trying. Strangely, I'm a lot more successful using Bryce for indoor scenes! Nothing I'd want to put in a gallery, but better from my point of view. I recently tried one of the vue demos (for Vue 4 I believe, I can't remember and it's time-expired now), and was very interested. I'm going to be getting Vue5 I as soon as I've done one more important thing and upgraded my PC..:-) Mind you, I'll also be getting Poser 6 and Bryce 5.5 at the same time. But I rather suspect that I'll be using Vue considerably more than Bryce. Time will tell.. Maybe I'll finally manage to create images worth posting.. Or not:-( Cheers, Diolma