Any one use Campaign Cartographer and Bryce 7 together ?

JimP

Well... not exactly together, but does anyone use CC to create scenes for use in Bryce ? Or add Bryce pictures as pngs into CC3 ?

I'm looking for some good Bryce tutorials as well. The ones I found at Daz, unless I looked in the wrong places, don't show basic things for a new user of Bryce.

Thanks.

Avotas

Hi,

I can't think of any reason to integrate Bryce scenes into CC3, or CC3 scenes into Bryce.

CC3 is a vector software package, that means it uses mathematically defined lines, arc's and color fills to create its maps. The vector art aspect allows CC3 to become a fast solution with the ability to render/print/export images at any size and still maintain their fullest level of quality. It also doesn't require massive amounts of computer resources. On the downside, it can't reflect real world subject matter like a photograph.

Bryce is the polar opposite, as a raster based software package, it relays on color values rendered to pixels. Once an image is rendered, it eats up a sizeable amount of resources necessary to draw that image. Depending on how much you zoom in, the image will degrade in quality. Raster images are, as a rule, slower to draw and yet can be truer to real life. All photographs are raster based images.

CC3 does use some raster based symbols (castles, houses, etc) but Bryce is a mostly a landscape program and I can't think of a reason make symbols out of those files.

If you want to do add vector based graphics like Text, or Map Markers to a Bryce image, any image based editing program (ie Photoshop or Gimp) can do that for you.

So it boils down to if you want "realistic environments and maps" choose Bryce. If you want representations / drawings of maps choose CC3.

Hope that helps,

-Avotas

JimP

Well, I'm not making symbols out of Bryce files. I've used CC2 and later CC3, for years. There are different capabilities for both. I was thinking of making some scenes in CC3, and some in Bryce, and put both on my web site. I was also looking at the character generation capabilities of Bryce.

I've used Pov-ray in the past, just not for drawing castles, towns, etc.

VassiV

I would say it depends on what you want to do, if you have an idea for something then give it a go. I basically bought the ProFantasy software so I can make maps for a game engine I'm currently working on. Since I don't want the character sprites to be running on top of the buildings, through walls, etc... It's useful to be able to transfer a map into some other app then add items for collision detection and lines for the AI characters to follow.

Thanks for the tools by the way ProFantasy, I've really been enjoying playing around with them.

JimP

Mine is for a paper and pencil 1E AD&D campaign my players and I have been thinking of getting back together and playing.

But they and I are kinda tired of verbal descriptions. I showed them CC2, when I bought it around 10 years ago, and they were overjoyed.

Jay_NOLA

You may get some ideas from this Bryce tutorial on making a map on how you can combine the 2 programs.

http://www.daz3d.com/i.x/tutorial/tutorial/-/?id=2149&trid=665395800

JimP

Thanks !

One thing my players mentioned was they want street level views, not overhead.

I bought the Castle Construction set, Vlad Castle kit, Saxon Settlement.

Those can be made out of just the parts. The Castle has separate walls, towers, gatehouse, etc. The Settlement can be just an Inn and stables along the road. I have to learn more about using DAZ and Bryce before I do that though. Like ground and sky items that look the same scale as the buildings.

Jay_NOLA

Glad you found the link helpful.

The tutorial forgets to remind you that you can change the camera angle after you get it finished if you want street level views.

I was at a convention last weekend and got to talk to some Daz3d represenatives about using the software for map making puposes.

One rep showed me a 3d world and map made entirely in Carrrara and mentioned that several map making tutorials and ones I'd find useful were online. Both reps were glad to know Bryce was getting used by people in conjuction with Profantasy's FTPro.

I found the futuristic city tutorial for Bryce that you may get some intergration ideas with Cosmo 3 with. I was thinking do the map in Cosmo 3 and put like a view screen pic of the Bryce image on it on the finished map.

http://mos.futurenet.com/pdf/3dworld/TDW88_t_bryce.pdf

http://ftp.futurenet.co.uk/crayon/resources/3dw88bryce.zip

I'm still trying to learn Bryce 7 and now Carrara in my spare time. I'm not going to mess too much with Daz3, since Daz4 will be comming out in the next few months.

JimP

Ah. I have an artifical world as part of the Crestar-Starship wanderer universe. I bought Cloud City as a beginning into doing it better than my sketch.

Not much here yet, but I hope to expand it.

The first one, the pdf, looks somewhat like the futuristic city in part of Ghost in the Shell.

Jay_NOLA

Yeah it has a very cyperpukish look to it. The Adobe specific stuff in the tutorial can be done with GIMP.
The 2nd link after the PDF as you already know contains the support files for the tutorial, forgot to mention that in my last post.

I like your starship stuff.

I found 2 more tutoriols on using Bryce for mapping puposes. They are part of the Conworld in 3D series, like the 1st one I posted.

1st up is a tutorial showing how to take a 2D map and make it into a 3D landscape. The link to it is bellow.

http://www.daz3d.com/i/tutorial/tutorial?id=2090&printable=1&_m=d

The 2nd one is on tunnel system maps. This one is a sequal to the city map tutorial I posted the link to in a previous post.

http://www.daz3d.com/dxutil/dxsrchredir.php?type=tutorial&idx=2158&sr_idx=3334987

I found some mention on some video tutorial exhisting on the Daz3d forum that show using Fractal Terrains Pro with Bryce, but I've had no luck so far finding them.

if your looking at some resouces that you could use for doing a Star Trek stuff check out this link. Has lots of links to free ships, eqipment, characters, etc. models on the first page if you scroll down.

http://forum.daz3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=153006&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Side note Carrarra Pro 8 has very bad install instructions and you have over 30 diffrent installers that come with it. I spent the lasday just trying to find info on how to install all of the stuff and still am going to have to contact Daz's tech support.

JimP

No star trek, I want to use the starship of my own design. I did borrow some decks from the, I think, U941 space station example that came with Cosmo Pro. But I decided to change to my own. Coming up with room layouts for rooms of 1 000 feet by 2 000 feet was a bit much.

The share site I see most used in DAZ 3D forums is: http://www.sharecg.com/ but you have to have a login to download. I found 1950s ray guns, robots, flying saucers, sf corridors, etc.

Some items for Bryce, some for Poser, some for Carrera, and I think Hexagon.

I bought this book: Figures, Characters and Avatars: The Official Guide to Using DAZ Studio to Create Beautiful Art from Barnes and Noble. Comes with a DVD with free starter software, and people models.

VassiV

A cool tool that I came across for creating humans is at http://www.makehuman.org/, if DAZ can import object files (.obj) it might be useful.

If you've got Dioramas then you might be able to map the output textures to a model in Bryce. Just a thought.

JimP

Yes, Bryce can handle .obj files from Wings3d. I'll try and check the makehuman web site this weekend to see if Bryce can import its files.

JimP

quote: I found some mention on some video tutorial exhisting on the Daz3d forum that show using Fractal Terrains Pro with Bryce, but I've had no luck so far finding them. end quote.

I went ahead and made a post asking about this. Two reads, no replys yet.

Jay_NOLA

Thanks Jim for mentioning the Character's book and giving that share sight link. I ordered a copy of the book at my local bookstore.

I found some refrences to a free program called Wilbur that can be helpful.

You can get it at the link bellow.

http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~jslayton/software.html

The designer also has some CC2 you can download too.

One obvious thing that you can do with Daz that I haven't seen mentioned yet, is you can use it to make PNG files for characters for a counter sheet. With enough of these you could make some symbol sets.

I've attached a zip that has PNGs front, back, and top view of a Daz character if someone wants a look at one character.

Thanks VassiV for the Make Human link. I've bookmarked it.

Jay_NOLA

Sorry had a glitch with the PNG in the zip I posted. I forgot to add some of the facial features to the character. The zip bellow has fixed versions of the PNGs.

JimP

And this might be the Fractal Terrains mention on the DAZ 3D forums.

I got all this extra stuff so i can make 3D characters for my Crestar and Starship Wanderer sites.

Oh, if you are interested in Bryce/DAZ 3D, get an account on their site and download all of the free character models as they are going to start charging for them 'soon'. Likely this year.

Jay_NOLA

The archive for the old free weekly models for Bryce and Daz at the link bellow. These are diffrent from the ones in the free figures currently on the main Daz.

http://free.daz3d.com/free_weekly/detail.php?weekly=yes

The figure archive has 11 pages of models and the Bryce one has o1 page of stuff I got a bunch of models of buildings, furniture, weapons, etc. that can be used to make PNGs for CC3 symbol purposes.

I got my copy of the Figures, Characters, and Avatar's book Jim mentioned.

A few quick things on that book.

1.) It comes with full versions Hexagon 2.5 and Carrara 6 Pro on the DVD with it. You need to contact Daz's tech support to get your serial numbers to activate the software. I called them on the phone a few hours ago and the sent them to me. Some people reported in some comments I read about the book that they had to email a copy of the recepit they got when they purchased it. When I called Daz to get my codes I didn't get asked for this. Definetly worth it considering how much these programs run. The version of Hexagon on the CD isn't the most current version of 2.5, but you can download itfrom Daz's site and serial key does work on it. I'm not sure if you need to get any of the Carrara 6 Pro patches. I didn't look at the Carrara 6 files to closely.

2.) It has lots of free Daz content, as was mentioned before. You would spend a good bit of money on for that. However, it is missing I've been told some of the Michael 4 Complete files. These are the 2 installers 7878_2 & 7878_4 it is missing. If you contact Daz's tech support they'll send you the files if you need them. The copy of Michael 4 that was included in my purchase of Carrara Pro 8 included them in the version of Michael that came with it.

The Carrara 6 Pro Folders on the DVD have a zip of support files in it that include video tutorials, sample textures, etc. Some of the textures in that folder are for planets.

3.) The book is written for an older version of Daz Studio so some info in it isn't accurate now. However, the new version hasn't changed too much so it is still usefull. The version of Daz Studio on the DVD isn't the most current one, but you can download it from Daz's site.

Anyway, I'm going to try and do some Daz/Bryce with CC3 & FT in the near future that I'll try and post on in the future. I'm do want to make some counter symbol set for CC3 in the next couple of months with Daz when I have money to ge some more models.

yuanyelss@yahoo.com

Turning to the character of the book, view the link thanks for sharing Jim. I ordered at my local bookstore for a copy of the book.I found some refrences to a free program called Wilbur, can be beneficial...