Bryce 5

If you have verion 4.x, you might not find it to be as much of an improvement as could be expected from a major upgrade. Only an affcianado like myself would find the new features worthwhile. So, if you are an avid Bycer, this upgrade is for you. Causual users need not apply ;)

What has always been so radical about Bryce is the interface. A new user will have a short learning curve. I have used several other renderers, and while they may be more powerful, they certainly take a lot of effort and time to learn. The way that Byrce user materials, (the textures you apply to objects) is the best I have ever seen and makes the process a breeze.

Now, price can be ALMOST as powerful as other 3D rendering software. As you get used to it, you can create some fantastic works with it. So, like any software, getting the tips and tricks, (from books and websites) can make all the difference. I have seen some VERY poor work done in expensive "pro" packages and some mind boggling works of art done in Bryce ... so the user's skill always makes a difference.

While Bryce is marketed as a "landscape" rendering program, it is certainly not limited to that. I have done every kind of scene imaginable and pushed it to its limits with excellent results. For the money, this is a great tool when you consider all the tools in includes and the animation section.....I highly recommend Bryce 5 for beginners AND professionals. Currently, I do professional work with it and my clients find the results to be impressive and more than satisfactory. Just keep in mind that I do study and apply common 3D rendering techniques to my scenes and recommend learning by doing.

Buy it ... you may find this is one of the more enjoyable and addictive things you can do with your computer.

I have been with Bryce since ver. 1.0 so many years ago, and have seen a lot of changes over the years, all of them good. The renderer has grown fast and robust, the amount of control over every facet of a "Scene" is almost total at this point, and the new Tree Lab is nothing short of stunning.

And at this price point, the features and functionality are tough to beat, especially for the aspiring 3D novice.

But, and this is were I begin to differ with many of these reviews, I think Bryce has reached a point of diminished returns; the program as it has grown, has become confusing and laden with superfluous features. The interface, never the most intuitive of creations, has grown boggy and tough to maneuver within, and this coming from a Bryce veteran. I still get hung up in places.

And, as always, you get out what you put in. The scenes do not make themselves and it will take some time to position materials, texture them, and tweak for things to look photorealistic. Don't be fooled! There is work involved

Don't get me wrong, Bryce is a powerful program and worth the money. It just seems that it has gone a little too far, grown a little too confusing from what Kai intended many years ago. Too much blood, sweat and tears, not enough results.

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   Written on July 11, 2002
   Summary: Wonderful product
If your on any kind of budget and start choking when you see $500 or $1,000 for 3D software this is an excellent product. Bryce 5 has an easy to learn interface that allows you to move and alter objects, change atmosphere, and change camera views without having to beat it with a stick. The program lets you save objects, textures, and atmospheres you've created into the program so that they're always there when you come back. It also comes with alot of preset object and textures you can use, so you can create an image the first time you open the program. This isn't the program you want if your trying to do complex character animation, but it's really good for landscapes, architecture, and background. If your not sure this product is for you go to a few 3D sites and look at images people have made with Bryce 5. I've been using it for a year and I'm really happy with it.

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   Written on April 2, 2002
   Summary: Save Yourself the Upgrade
As a long time user of Bryce 2, 3 and 4, I was sorely disappointed with v. 5. The rendering machine is extremely slow, and did not produce higher quality results than older versions. The addition of the tree lab is nice, but that's the only feature that is added. Any other "improvements" are not obvious or counter-productive.