Creating Scenes with a River

Introduction

Making a river in Bryce is easy. The key is the use of a ground plane and a lattice, and the positive and negative charging of objects.

Step 1 - Setting the Ground

First, create a new document in Bryce. Your new document already contains one Ground Plane.

Choose a material for your plane. I'll use Mediterranean Hills for this tutorial.

Here is a render of how this scene looks with only the Ground Plane.

Next, create a Symmetrical Lattice.

Click on the small grey color square next to the plane and the lattice.

Choose a color and give your object a family name.

I called my lattice "River Cut" and my plane "Ground".

Step 2 - Positioning the Lattice

To see the tool bar shown at left, click on the gridded circle

located at the right-hand end of the animation palette (located below the work area).

Now you can use the family names you gave on step 1 to choose objects in your scene as shown above.

Choose your lattice.

Once chosen, use the Edit controls to rotate, resize and position your lattice. Select a material for it -- you can use the same material as the ground plane or you could try a mud material.

This is how your scene would look after being rendered.

Step 3 - Negatives and Positives

Select your plane and click the [A] to open the Object Attributes box.

Choose a positive charge as shown at left.

Now choose your lattice and give it a negative charge.

Next, choose both the plane and the lattice and group them. (Click on the [G] next to the selected objects to group them)

When you group a positive object with a negative one, the negative will punch a hole in the positive. That is why there is a crack in your plane, and the lattice disappeared.

Step 4 - Making the River

Now, create a Water Plane.

Don't forget to give it a family color.

I named mine "Water".

Use the Edit controls to change the position of your water along the Y axis, until they are just below the ground.

As you can see in my render, the river looks more like a pond. use the Families button to choose the lattice:

Now, use the Edit controls until your river is the way you want it.

Step 5 - Water That Runs Deeper

As you can see in the render from Step 4, the waters are very high and the river is about to overflow.

Choose the water from the Families list. Looking at the work area, it looks like nothing is chosen.

The problem is that the waters are below ground level.

In order to see the Water Plane you need to see what's underground by clicking the Underground On/Off button (on the panel down the right side of the work area).

Now you can lower the water a little using the Edit controls to get a deeper river.

Step 6 - Final Render and Final Tips

Here is the final render of this river.

Remember - you can always change the position of your river by selecting the lattice and using the Edit control to resize it, rotate it and reposition it.

You can also use the trackball to move around the scene until you have a view that you like.

Introduction Making a river in Bryce is easy. The key is the use of a ground plane and a lattice, and the positive and negative charging of objects.

Step 1 - Setting the Ground
	First, create a new document in Bryce. Your new document already contains one Ground Plane. Choose a material for your plane. I'll use Mediterranean Hills for this tutorial.
	Here is a render of how this scene looks with only the Ground Plane. Next, create a Symmetrical Lattice. Click on the small grey color square next to the plane and the lattice. Choose a color and give your object a family name. I called my lattice "River Cut" and my plane "Ground".
Step 2 - Positioning the Lattice
	To see the tool bar shown at left, click on the gridded circle located at the right-hand end of the animation palette (located below the work area).
	Now you can use the family names you gave on step 1 to choose objects in your scene as shown above. Choose your lattice. Once chosen, use the Edit controls to rotate, resize and position your lattice. Select a material for it -- you can use the same material as the ground plane or you could try a mud material. This is how your scene would look after being rendered.
Step 3 - Negatives and Positives
	Select your plane and click the [A] to open the Object Attributes box. Choose a positive charge as shown at left.
	Now choose your lattice and give it a negative charge. Next, choose both the plane and the lattice and group them. (Click on the [G] next to the selected objects to group them) When you group a positive object with a negative one, the negative will punch a hole in the positive. That is why there is a crack in your plane, and the lattice disappeared.
Step 4 - Making the River
	Now, create a Water Plane. Don't forget to give it a family color. I named mine "Water". Use the Edit controls to change the position of your water along the Y axis, until they are just below the ground.
	As you can see in my render, the river looks more like a pond. use the Families button to choose the lattice: Now, use the Edit controls until your river is the way you want it.
Step 5 - Water That Runs Deeper

	As you can see in the render from Step 4, the waters are very high and the river is about to overflow. Choose the water from the Families list. Looking at the work area, it looks like nothing is chosen. The problem is that the waters are below ground level. In order to see the Water Plane you need to see what's underground by clicking the Underground On/Off button (on the panel down the right side of the work area). Now you can lower the water a little using the Edit controls to get a deeper river.
Step 6 - Final Render and Final Tips
	Here is the final render of this river. Remember - you can always change the position of your river by selecting the lattice and using the Edit control to resize it, rotate it and reposition it. You can also use the trackball to move around the scene until you have a view that you like.