Bryce is a texture based rendering and ray tracing program ideal for creating 3D landscapes, space scenes, buildings and other objects. The name is taken from Bryce Canyon a rugged region with many of the same landscapes that were first simulated with the software.

History

The original Bryce software arose from work with fractal geometry to create realistic computer images of mountain ranges and coastlines. An initial set of fractal based programs were developed by Ken Musgrave, a student of Benoit Mandelbrot, and extended by Eric Wenger. Wenger later met and worked with software artist Kai Krause to design a basic user interface. The first commercial version, Bryce 1.0, appeared in 1994 for the Macintosh.

Bryce 2.0, shipped in 1996, included much beyond the original notion of creating a realistic mountain range. These included: independent light sources, complex atmospheric effects, the addition of primitive forms with Boolean methods to combine them, and a revamped Texture Editor. Bryce 2.0 was also ported to the Windows platform, although the first stable version, 2.1, was not released until 1997.

The ability to animate a scene was added (in a stable form) with the cross-platform Bryce 3D (version 3.1) in 1997. A “camera object,” unseen in the final image acted as the observer. The camera can be held in one place for a single image, or sent on a trajectory with images being rendered at many locations. The collection of images created along the camera’s trajectory are combined to create a realistic animation simulating a journey through a dynamic world.

In 1999 Bryce 4.0 was released with major improvements in the handling of atmospheres and skies, textures and also in the import/export of objects. The latest version, Bryce 5.0, includes new rendering options, additional primatives for creating more organic shapes, as well as new options for creating trees and lightning.

Bryce was originally developed as a commercial product by MetaTools (originally HSC Software), and continued when MetaTools merged with Fractal Design and became MetaCreations. In 2000 the Bryce software was purchased by Corel Corporation, which quickly marketed its own version of Bryce 4.0.

However, in 2004 the software was sold again to DAZ Productions which has rebranded Bryce 5.0. One of the goals of DAZ is to provide greater integration with Poser, a software rendering program designed to create people.

Basic Features

This section is not a tutorial but describes the basic objects and object characteristics used within Bryce.

Primitives

An object in Bryce begins as one or more “primitives.” These are a collection of basic shapes, such as a sphere, torus, cylinder and cones. The size, relative dimensions and orientation of primitives can be adjusted, and they can be combined to create more complex objects.

For example one can start with three cylinders and create two wheels and an axle by making one cylinder (the axle) thin and long, and two others (the wheels) wide and short. An inverted cone and a long, thin cylinder can be used to make a simple pine tree.

Bryce allows objects to be combined using one of several Boolean operations. Addition is one method, as shown by the examples in the previous paragraph. Objects can also be subtracted from one another. With this method one object is denoted as “positive” the other “negative.” When they are combined the negative object – and all portions of the positive object enclosed by the negative object – vanish. Bryce treats the removed material as if it were empty space.

More sophisticated objects are also available as primitives, including mountains and boulders. Unlike other primitives these first appear in slightly different forms. Fractal methods are used to ensure that each mountain and rock is slightly different from all others. Editing tools supply an abundance of ways to modify these and maintain their realistic fractal nature.

These more complex primitives can also be combined like any other. For example a mountain can be made “positive” and combined with a “negative” cylinder to create a tunnel through the mountain.

Textures and Materials

Textures are mapped or painted onto the surface of an object. These can be as simple as a single color or very sophisticated patterns to create an alien world out of a sphere, a metallic sheen to turn simple cylinders into pipes, or snow for the peaks of mountains.

Materials are mathematical descriptions of how an object behaves in the Bryce environment. Settings are available to control the amount of light is naturally given off by an object, the amount that is reflected, details of the reflection, transparency and much more. Materials can be dealt with as surface quantities or the more computationally expensive volume properties. The latter are appropriate for complex translucent materials such as the smoke rising from a chimney.

Bryce includes an enormous number of controls on in the Deep Texture Editor and the Materials Lab to change or modify these properties.

Oceans and Atmosphere

An infinite plane represents a special primitive for Bryce. These can be used to create the ground or water, as well as to create the atmosphere. The complete range of textures and materials are available. In a standard scene one may want a lower plane to look like a calm sea, while a higher plane has the texture of wispy clouds. But these can be easily changed, for example adding the texture of a distant city to the plane and of a rough ocean to a higher plane can be used to simulate a mechanized, underwater landscape.

Bryce includes a Sky Lab for the fine tuning of atmospheric effects. Ground fogs can be added, a distant haze, the Sun, or Stars put in the sky.

Lights

The objects within a Bryce scene respond to the light in the environment. Light can come evenly from everywhere on an imaginary sphere surrounding the objects (the “sky dome”) or from a single bright distant source such as the Sun or the Moon.

Independent lights can also be added. Primitive shapes, including the sphere and cone are available to create new light sources. The light sources can be visible themselves, such as a sphere acting as a round light bulb, or they can be invisible light sources.

Basic Capabilities

This section is not a tutorial but a description of some of what Bryce can do. These functions are also available, in one form or another, with other high-end rendering and ray tracing programs.

To illustrate these capabilities the sample image “Encounter” will be used. “Encounter” includes three major objects which we will call the Open Earth, Flying Mountain, and the Island, as well as the Ocean and Sky environment.

Applying Textures

One of the best ways to develop a superb 3D scene is to start with a bitmap editing program such as Adobe PhotoShop or the equivalent. The 2D images created in these programs can be applied to the surface of a primative object within Bryce. The “open Earth” requires a 2D map of the Earth’s surface. For optimum use on a sphere within Bryce the flat map has a width twice the size of the height.

The “open Earth” begins as a simple sphere. The 2D image is then imported into the program. Bryce maps the image onto the primitive and in this case create a rather convincing (but cloudless) Earth.

Combining Primitive Objects

Primitive objects can be combined in several different ways. Two objects which are next to each other can be added in order to create a seemless blend that appears as a single more complex object. Objects can also be subtracted, the process used to create the “open Earth.”

A cube primitive is created that is comparable in size to the textured sphere. Within Bryce the cube is designated as a negative object and the sphere as a positive object. By itself this does nothing, even when the cube is placed so that it intersects with the Earth sphere. However when the objects are combined the “negative” portions – in this case the cube and all portions of the sphere enclosed by the cube – vanish. Bryce treats these portions as if they are empty space.

The result is that original sphere is now a series of six circular, lens shaped segments each with a portion of the Earth’s surface. The interior portions (because of the selection of texture for the cube) are reflective.

With Bryce the creation of the “open Earth” effect is quite easy. Much more complex shapes, representing realistic or surrealistic elements are possible with more time and skill.

Lighting Effects

Objects in the Bryce environment can be illuminated in a number of ways. Sources of light include a Sun and Moon effect, and also the Sky Dome, an imaginary half sphere that enclosed the Bryce scene. The Sky Dome is useful for creating daylight scenes, or to have reflected illumination where there is no direct sunlight.

But there are many other options for light as well. In addition to a texture an object in Bryce has a “material” for which 14 properties can be adjusted. Among these are the amount of light an object reflect and the amount of light an object creates. Bryce includes primitive objects which take this to an extreme: light objects.

The use of a light object is shown with the Flying Mountain object in the sample image. The initial mountain is created, in this case by subtracting a flat cube from a craggy, rocky object. The initial texture is a flat gray, material reflects some light but create none. The complexity of this new texture allows it to set the material to emit light in a few locations. The Flying Mountain glows as if from torches or windows.

Finally a directed light source is created directly under the Flying Mountain. This applies a great deal of illumination to the underside of the object, but none to the top and none to the other objects in the scene. The material at the bottom of the Flying Mountain reflects this light and appears much brighter. The result is this part of the object glows, creating the appearance of an engine holding the mountain aloft.

Wire Frame and Camera View

It is equally important for a good image to have the camera object well located. Bryce creates a true three dimension world and the camera must be able to capture what is best.

Bryce Resources

Pixel2Life Tutorials (http://www.pixel2life.com/tutorials/bryce.php?tut=20) A large amount of Bryce tutorials.
TutorialPod Bryce Tutorials (http://www.tutorialpod.com) Many tutorials to assist users in learning Bryce.

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