Amazon.co.uk
Real World Bryce 2 became something of a phenomenon among Bryce users. Consequently the follow-up volume, which has been in gestation for over three years, has been eagerly anticipated as Bryce itself moved up through three to version four and changed owners from MetaCreations to Corel. Now the wait is over and thanks to meticulous work by authors Susan A. Kitchens and Victor Gavenda
Real World Bryce 4 is bigger and better than ever.
Just short of a 1,000 pages, Real World Bryce 4 is stuffed with intimate details and authoritative advice on the inner workings of Bryce 4 showing power users how to rip off the hood and tweak the engine. Beginners aren't left out either as there's a short chapter offering a gentle introduction to Bryce's tools and techniques. From building 3-D landscapes through to 3-D animation, Real World Bryce 4 covers lighting, Boolean operations, model building, scene building, materials, sky lab, the deep texture editor and rendering. The text is straightforward and informative and illustrated throughout in black and white. There's a 64-page colour section of reference charts and inspirational artwork as well as a CD-ROM with images and sample files to help you work through the chapters along with bonus tips, portfolios and extra goodies such as graduations, materials and pre-set libraries. If Bryce 4 is your god, then Real World Bryce 4 is the 10 commandments. You'll not only live by it but by the end you'll be able to create and animate your own Mount Sinai! --John Cranmer
Amazon.com
Bryce, thanks mostly to its unique user interface, always elicits a powerful reaction from users--sometimes positive, sometimes negative, but rarely indifferent. What can't be denied, though, is the amazing quality and variety of images that Bryce can produce in the hands of an experienced user. The problem, then, is acquiring that experience.
Real World Bryce 4 is a massive and insightful tome that manages to pierce through that obscure and uncommon interface and reveal the power of the underlying tool. Written by a pair of veteran Bryce users and seasoned writers, this book is the source of that sought-after experience--a virtual fountain of information from which to drink deeply.
Bryce 4 is a rich and varied program, with options and controls over just about everything, and the 17 chapters and nearly 1,000 pages of text reflect this. Starting with a brief history of 3-D graphics, and a history of Bryce, the authors take us step by step through the program, from interface basics through modeling, texturing, and rendering.
There is much more to Bryce than meets the eye (if you can believe that). Chapter 5 is dedicated to streamlining and optimizing the interface and the workflow, from display controls to batch management to setting up your default scene. Complex modeling using Booleans, multiple objects, terrains, and lattices is covered in chapters 7 and 8.
The heart of Bryce is procedural materials, and chapters 9 through 11 are devoted to using materials and the materials lab. This portion of the book spans nearly 200 pages and covers everything from the water and rocks below to the skies and clouds above. These are arguably the most valuable chapters in the book.
Bryce isn't often thought of as an application worthy of a book, especially a book of this size. Considered a consumer application by many professionals, it's nice to see a top-notch publisher like Peachpit give it the attention it deserves. A solid application, and a terrific book. --Mike Caputo