# Bryce 7.1 - Free! Fun Creation Software **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 4, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979 "2012-06-04T00:12:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/1 "2012-06-04T00:12:42Z")
Ok, this software is a long way beyond what most people use it for; it’s a VERY handy set of tools for people who want to create, well…a lot of things. I’ll just cut and paste for a description, because even though I can spend hours doinking around with it, I am a complete and total noob, and still love it! > [@](#): > > Bryce Personal Learning Edition is a 3D landscaping and animation tool. With Bryce 7 you can add unbelievable realism with Image Based Lighting, true instancing, improved skies and clouds, and even particle emitters. Plus, the totally redesigned bridge to DAZ Studio allows for seamless integration of the entire DAZ 3D content library into any Bryce scene. > > This Personal Learning Edition (PLE) of Bryce 7 is a full-version with no watermarks or limitations of any kind in the program itself. The licensing allows for strictly personal, non-commercial use Wikpedia has a big entry on it as well; it’s been around quite a while. New versions come up, and DAZ, the developer, routinely offers free downloads of older versions to play with. Anyway, the boys, 12 and 14 and hard to get to sit still for long, saw me playing with it and were entranced, so I loaded it up for them on their computers, too. They have been at it ALL WEEKEND, and are making all kinds of cool landscapes and backgrounds for their computers, even though I can barely offer any help or advice. It’s potentially quite complicated, but it’s still easy to just point and click and play around and come up with something just…neat. ANYway, I really think a lot of people will like playing with this, and I wanted to share. You can google for the download if you like, but I will include a link to the site that I know also has the serial code right there with it. When you first start it up, after installing, it asks for name, and a serial number; just cut and paste into the number area, and Bob’s your uncle. That’s it, that’s all, it’s completely legitimate and free and easy and a whole lot of fun. 🙂 > **[Apps for multimedia - CNET Download](https://download.cnet.com/multimedia/)** > > Are you a video maker, or do you just want to watch? Find the best video software for Windows, Mac, and mobile, whether you want to be the next YouTube star or just need a great media player for watching movies. These apps help you capture video,... ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/2 "2012-06-04T02:30:05Z")
I will have to check it out, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/3 "2012-06-04T10:51:15Z")
I rememebr when Bryce was first introduced, and thought it was neat then. Never could justify the cost, but now tha there is a free version will have to check it out. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/4 "2012-06-04T14:35:01Z")
Too bad the Mac version isn’t compatible with OS X Lion (10.7). I’ll have to keep an eye on their website for a bit and see if that changes. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/5 "2012-06-04T15:40:13Z")
DAZ also do a free Bryce & Poser-compatible figure animation tool called [DAZ Studio](http://www.daz3d.com/products/daz-studio/daz-studio-what-is-daz-studio) ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/6 "2012-06-04T17:09:32Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > DAZ also do a free Bryce & Poser-compatible figure animation tool called [DAZ Studio](http://www.daz3d.com/products/daz-studio/daz-studio-what-is-daz-studio) Nice! I really need to check out more of their stuff…like the tutorials, hehe. And that! Thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/7 "2012-06-04T20:14:00Z")
I’ve used Bryce for years (never paid for it - always one version or another from computer magazine covermount discs). Does this latest free offering still feature the intuitive User Interface designed by Kai Krause? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/8 "2012-06-04T21:03:05Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’ve used Bryce for years (never paid for it - always one version or another from computer magazine covermount discs). Does this latest free offering still feature the intuitive User Interface designed by Kai Krause? I…don’t know. \>.\< It seems to be similar, maybe the same, as the version I used a long, long time ago. I know there’s no watermarking or anything. I could post a screenshot, if that would help. 🙂 [http://i46.tinypic.com/16hp6ol.jpg](http://i46.tinypic.com/16hp6ol.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/9 "2012-06-05T15:43:13Z")
I had a housemate who could actually use Bryce. I mean, I can use Bryce to make cool looking landscapes but about 80% of what I come up with is the result of random “gee let’s try this” fooling around. He used Bryce to make 3D models of absolutely anything. If your advertisement needed a slightly rusty 1987 Chevrolet Camaro slewing around a muddy dirt road with pine trees waving in the wind directly overhead, being chased by a 27 foot tall kangaroo dressed in khakis and WW I style flight goggles and weilding a Home Depot garden hose, he’d be the person you’d pay to do the ad and he’d do it all in Bryce. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/10 "2012-06-05T16:05:25Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I had a housemate who could actually use Bryce. I mean, I can use Bryce to make cool looking landscapes but about 80% of what I come up with is the result of random “gee let’s try this” fooling around. He used Bryce to make 3D models of absolutely anything. If your advertisement needed a slightly rusty 1987 Chevrolet Camaro slewing around a muddy dirt road with pine trees waving in the wind directly overhead, being chased by a 27 foot tall kangaroo dressed in khakis and WW I style flight goggles and weilding a Home Depot garden hose, he’d be the person you’d pay to do the ad and he’d do it all in Bryce. I believe this! It’s really amazing, even if I am, figuratively, just picking out Chopsticks on the world’s most expensive piano. :p:p ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bryce-7-1-free-fun-creation-software/623979/11 "2012-06-06T07:31:46Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > I…don’t know. \>.\< It seems to be similar, maybe the same, as the version I used a long, long time ago. I know there’s no watermarking or anything. I could post a screenshot, if that would help. 🙂 > [http://i46.tinypic.com/16hp6ol.jpg](http://i46.tinypic.com/16hp6ol.jpg) That’s the one - [Kai](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai_Krause) designed those onscreen joystick-style controls. Fun thing to try with Bryce: Set up two flat mirror objects parallel to one another, then position the camera between them to get the ‘infinite tunnel’ effect, except you’ll notice that the tunnel turns abruptly black a short way in - this is caused by a limit (there has to be one) in the number of reflections that the raytracing engine will calculate.