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| PUBLISHER: | MetaCreations | DESCRIPTION: | 3D Landscapes |
| REVIEWED: | Version 2 | RATING: | 8/10 |
Having the distinction of being one of the relatively few Win95 applications designed soley for the creation of 3D landscapes, Bryce enables the user to create photorealistic 3D environments with relatively little effort, or knowledge of advanced 3D principles!
Using an intuitive, eye-pleasing interface that feels more like a paint program than a 3D package, creating realistic environments becomes a visible experience, rather than an exercise in wading through complex dialog boxes.
MAIN FEATURES AND BENEFITS
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Easily 3D editing of complex terrains using an
intuitive 2D paint interface |
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A countless array of texture presets,
easily enough to texture an entire continent! |
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Highly customizable and scalable user interface |
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Editable 3D wireframe display resolution, real-time
wireframe shadows and fully adjustable depth-cueing |
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Ability to import DXF objects modeled elsewhere
into Bryce landscapes |
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Large list of primitive objects available, and
the ability to use 2D images to represent rendered objects |
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Large list of render options with preview(quick)
and nano(very quick) render settings available |
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Automated, simplified control over sky, sun and fog settings |
DISADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS
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Currenly, version 2 of Bryce has no animation capabilities |
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Apart from editing of terrain objects, no traditional
3D modeling tools are provided for editing either primitives or objects imported
into Bryce |
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Bryce currently has no 3D export option for using its 3D modeled terrains in other packages |
REVIEW SUMMARY
Unquestionably, Bryce is an excellent, user-friendly piece of software which idealy every computer based artist should own. The landscapes generated with the package are often visualy breathtaking, and the intuitive interface makes it easy to get the most out of the application.
On the negative side, Bryce is not a cheap piece of software, and the fact that it is only capable of producing still images of 3D landscapes is a big drawback. Users in need of a more 'all-round' 3D application may be better advised to look at a package such as Truespace.
Written by Nick Smith