Terra-Tropolis (Bryce, Daz Studio & Poser)
I bought Terra-Tropolis (https://www.daz3d.com/terra-tropolis), a very old Bryce product, several months ago and installed it but never made any headway with using it in either Bryce, Poser or Daz Studio. The store page states that there are instructions on applying the displacement maps in Poser 5/6 and DAZ|Studio. A one-page PDF file (attached) was added in January 2024 but it only attempts to explain how to add the Terra-Tropolis terrains and height maps to Bryce. I was able to follow how to add the terrains in Bryce but not the height maps. No other instructions have been added to explain how to use the height maps in Daz Studio or Poser. Has anyone successfully added the height maps in Bryce or used them in Daz Studio or Poser? Thanks in advance.
Comments
jjoyner - I don't have this set. Generally, in Bryce a heightmap is a 48-bit greyscale TIFF or PNG file. Heightmaps can be made in the Bryce Terrain Editor (TE), the Deep Texture Editor (DTE) and imported. From such a heightmap an object (obp) is created when you exit the TE and you can render it and also save it in the Objects Library. There is also an option to export the height map as an object for other applications. There are some PDFs on my website, perhaps this one can help you:
Bryce & 3D CG Documents > Mine > Objects > TE-Terrain Editor Explained (16 pages).
Horo,
Thanks much for your info. I'll take a look at some of your PDFs to see if I can figure out how to add or import the heightmaps into Bryce. I could not get that from the steps in the PDF that was added to the product file just a few months ago.
That PDF file still had no instructions, though, about how to use the files in Daz Studio and Poser as the store page indicates. If anyone else can help me with that part, I’ll be most appreciative.
Export... select Wavefront OBJ, give it a name, than a new windows opens that permits adjusting the resolution, etc.
Export image... lets you export the terrain as height map (TIFF or PNG), but Daz Studio (and I think Poser) cannot use it, maybe Vue can.
Carrara can import the Bryce Terrain maps
Bunyip02 - indeed, you are right. The terrains I had made with WorldCreator for Bryce some time ago I exported as Raw 32-bit for Carrara.
Importing heightmaps in Bryce is easy. You create a terrain, edit it (click 'E'), choose 'New', click the button next to 'picture' and then go to the location where the heightmap is, select it and choose 'Open'.
You cannot import heightmaps (which are pictures) directly into DAZ Studio, I think. But after you have imported it into Bryce and textured it the way you want, you can export it as object, choosing between a multitude of formats. I tried (without texturing) 3ds mesh and that imported well into DAZ Studio. You will have to play around with settings to get the optimum result. The terrain I god into DAZ Studio was very small.
Bryce does or did have an option 'Send to DAZ Studio', but that is not working with my version of Bryce anymore.
Hope you find a way that fits your wishes.
Thanks much for your info about using heightmaps in Bryce. I'll take a go at it soon.
My license of Bryce Pro 7.1 has the Send to DAZ Studio option but it wasn't working for me the other day either.
I think the issue with Send to DAZ Studio is that Bryce has never been updated in many years and therefore is not able to send to the much more modern versions of DAZ Studio. Therefore, exporting to mesh and then importing in DAZ Studio appears to be the only option.
My thoughts also.
Your mentioning of Terra-Tropolis made me check, whether I have it on my machine and .. yes, I have! So I decided to put some things in Bryce, add textures as well as some other elements and give it some renders.
The heli in the first one is AH-9100, which, apparently is no longer on the DAZ shop. The train in the second one is a freebie, but I forgot from where. the chapel is from Alfons Blom.
Very nice examples Hansmar, all are very nice.
Hansmar - agreed, nice examples.
Fine images Hansmar. Great examples.
Mermaid, Horo, NGartplay, Thank you. Here is another one. This is the museum mile from Terra-Tropolis with a number of low-poly people from Turbosquid or Renderosity, a robot (Yellow, retextured) and a sky from the fantastic skies by David B and Horo.
Interesting type of scene, Hansmar.
Very nice scene Hansmar, I think I should add this product to my wish list.