Bryce 6: A Product Review

by: Jon Roberts

Bryce 6 Introduction

Bryce 6Bryce 6 is a tool that any 3D graphics enthusiast can pick up and use. To give you a basic idea of the tool a new users can create a basic scene in less then 5 minutes using the provided 3d models and textures found in the library included The library also includes a large number of pre defined skies, from the morning sun rise to the turbulent and menacing storm sky.

Bryce 6 also can be used at the professional level of 3d rendering and modeling. With features like HRI lighting, conversion of models to exportable mesh, and importing of animation via the DAZ|Studio tool; Bryce allows professionals to use this tool effectively. The list of professional features makes Bryce a well-rounded tool.

The features and ease of the user interface allow the beginner to learn the basic of the tool while the advance features allow even the most seasoned professional use the tool with comfort. It is unusual for a tool to allow both the novice and the professional access to be productive.

Another unique thing about Bryce is the cost of owner ship. Bryce costs only $99.95. It also comes in versions that work on MS Windows, and Mac OSX (though network rendering is not available under the Mac version). Many of the features found in Bryce are usually found in tools cost many times as much.

 

Pros And Cons

Pros

Cons


A look at Bryce 6 New Features

1. Real World Lighting via HDRI

This new feature allows you to apply HDRI images to apply to the environment to produce real world lighting effect to objects allow you to create more realistic renders. The HDRI lighting allows subtle control to be taken over how light plays on objects allowing the controlling of light filtering and interactions with the atmosphere and the solid 3d objects in the scene.

2. Animation Import

The animation import is done via the DAZ|Studio tool. This works in conjunction with poser models to set up a animation sequence that then can be imported in to Bryce. Once the basic animation is set up and imported the animation can have further Bryce effects applied to it and then rendered in a storyboard format for preview. Once you are happy with the result and complete rendering of the animation can be done.

3. Mesh Export of Booleans

This is a feature that many a Bryce user has asked for several years. This feature allows you to create a model of Boolean objects (grouped and intersected). You then can convert the grouped objects in to a single mesh and export the model to be used in other application. This now bring model usage full circle from import to export allowing Bryce to be used dynamically as both a rendering engine and as a modeling tool.

4. Dual Processor and Hyper-Threading support

This is a feature that gives the rendering engine in Bryce a tremendous boost in performance. Bryce is now able to take full advantage to the new processors strength of number crunching to allow quicker renderings of complex scenes. This feature now makes it possible to create volumetric scenes in a timely manor without having to wait days to see your results.

5. Random replications

In the past you would have to replicate and object yourself and then move the object to another location in the scene. The replication and manual manipulation lead to a feeling of unnatural ordering in many instances. This new feature makes it easy to create complex distribution of an object after replication; this features lets you set the number or replications to create and several other parameters to allow the creation of the objects.

This feature will now allow you to create dynamic tree lines or a swarm of ants that will look more natural and require less work on the part of the artist.

6. 16-bit image support in terrain editor

This Feature allows the use of a 16-bit image to define a terrain. This allows for a more detailed terrain and allows for greater control by the artist on how the terrain will look when generated.

7. Compressed scene files

Gone are the days of the scene file that is insanely huge (I personally have some old Bryce Files that are well over 1 gig in size) This features allow you to save disk space will also allowing you to create even more complex scenes with out the worry of running up against the dreaded files size limits.

8. Improved preset manager

This new feature is one a fell in love with from the instant I started using it. Gone are the days of searching through screen after screen for the preset model or textures. Now you can define in both the installed and the user libraries your on custom categories (this could be done in older versions but required a unsupported work around). This feature now lets you organize your items in the way you work and thinks.

9. Custom textures for Moon

This feature allows you to define a custom texture to use on the onscreen rendered moon. Now you can have a planet in the sky that is does not look like the earths moon with little effort gone are the day when you needed to do multiple renders and then combine in Photoshop to get the planet in the sky effect.

10. Mouse-over tool tips

This new feature is a Godsend for the new user. As Bryce has what is considered a “non-standard” interface. This little feature works by letting the pointer hover over a control for a second or two and a title pops up telling you what it is.

11. Dozens of preset models, textures and sky

This version of Bryce comes with many more models, textures, and skies allowing the beginner to jump right in and create scenes with out the need to first learn the more complex features of the product.

Features to Wish for in Future Versions

There are a few features that I feel that could be added in the next version that would make the tool even better than it is now.

As you can see the developers of Bryce pulled all the stops when adding new features to this version. Also many of the new features are items that many past users of Bryce have asked for. By doing this the developers have answered their customers requests and allowed the tool to become more useful to other professionals who had not looked at the product before.

I believe that Bryce is an excellent tool; especially for the cost of entry. This would be a great gift for any aspiring artist; both young and old who wishes to try their hand at 3d graphics. The many features also allow the season professional to create works that are worth of any publication. Anyone to wishing to take a foray into the world of 3d scene creation should take a look at Bryce 6 and a cost effective and easy to use tool as a starting point.

Until next time this is Jon Roberts saying "See Ya !" , and keep up the good work .

Disclaimer

Bryce 6 is a product produced by Daz3d. The name (Bryce 6) and product box image are copyrighted and wholey owned by Daz3d. For more information about Bryce 6 please visit http://www.daz3d.com .

Any opinion stated in this article are those dirived by the author after working with the product being reviewed. Any opinion found with in the are ticle are not ment to harm or slander any person or company in any way.

Terms of Usage

This article may not be republished in whole or in part without the concent of the Author

Copy Right 2006 Jon O. Roberts

Published 11/27/2006


 

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