"So you went and did it - you bought yourself a copy of Bryce. You saw a beautiful landscape on someone's Web site, or your friend showed you a stunning otherworldly vista she created for a video game, or you saw the program in action on a colleague's computer and were taken with the subtle beauty of the interface. You parted with your hard-earned cash, rushed home with the box and ripped off the shrinkwrap. You put the software through the install-serialize-register routine.
"So now what?
"You tentatively start clicking things; create a cube, move it around. Click the thing that looks like a mountain on the top of the screen, and BAM - there's a mountain in your picture. Cool! Now you get more adventurous. What happens if you click that tiny M-thingie next to the mountain? YEOW! What is blazes is that? Don't worry, it's just the Materials Lab, it won't bite...much.
"Welcome to Bryce. Throughout the program you'll find over and over again that a deceptively simple surface masks an underlying complexity.You'll also find that Bryce's complexity leads it to trip over its own feet from time to time."
...Such was my first encounter with Bryce back in 1997. (Bryce 3D) If it was not for the patient and nurturing support I got from the Bryce "enthusisasts" from the Bryce Forum and other places, I would have long ago given up on ever becoming a "Brycer". This site is dedicated to them, and is my small way of giving back to the community to keep Bryce "alive". Gunther Berkus had a dream of creating an online resource/webring for digital artists using Bryce - his dream was called Bryce-Alive.net. This site is not meant to replace Gunther's dream, but to continue it.
Some Examples...
Bryce has been described as "a 3D modeling, rendering and animation program specializing in fractal landscapes." However it can do a lot more than that, as these examples will show. Move your mouse over the thumbnails for closer view!
All example images displayed are copyrighted to their respective owners
What is Image based lighting?
Image Based Lighting (IBL) is a 3D rendering technique which involves plotting an image onto a dome or sphere which holds the primary subject. The lighting characteristics of the surrounding surface are then taken into account when rendering the scene, using the modeling techniques of global illumination. This is in contrast to light sources such as a computer-simulated sun or light bulb, which are more localized.
Image based lighting generally uses high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) for greater realism, though this is not universal. Almost all modern rendering software, including Bryce 6, offers some type of image based lighting, though the exact terminology used in the system may vary. [more...]
