Rating: 
Summary: Wow!
Review: If you really want to learn everything there is about Bryce, get this book. I've learned more from this in just a few days of reading it than I have in the last month pouring over the manual that came with Bryce. As you read it, you can't help but keep saying, "Oh, so that's how to do that."This book will help beginners (that's where I am!) to advanced users. The included CD has lots of lessons to follow along with the chapters. All of the graphics are very helpful and give you tons of ideas for your own projects.
Rating: 
Summary: not for real beginers
Review: It's a good book, in comparison to anything else I have read on Bryce 4. Still, it seems that author knows that you have been using Bryce for quite a while and now she may help you even more. Not entirely for beginners. But still good.
Rating:
Summary: not for real beginers
Review: It's a good book, in comparison to anything else I have read on Bryce 4. Still, it seems that author knows that you have been using Bryce for quite a while and now she may help you even more. Not entirely for beginners. But still good.
Rating:
Summary: Late, great, and completely worth the wait
Review: Painful rhymes aside, this book has been in the works for several years, and eagerly anticipated within the large online community of Brycers. To say that it was worth the wait would be to damn this book with faint praise. If you have Ms. Kitchens' first Bryce book, "Real World Bryce 2" then you know what you're in for: seemingly every possibility, every undocumented keyboard shortcut, and every trick that is available to the Bryce afficiando. Needless to say, much has changed since version 2, and this massive tome reflects that. Animation, the Deep Texture Lab, the Sky Lab -- all are covered in detail. And this detail is excellently presented, neither brain-twistingly confusing nor painfully obvious. I cannot overstate that, even in the seemingly most basic areas, such as camera manipulation, Kitchens and Gavenda are able to provide you with important, easily usable information. Kitchens was one of the writers of the most recent manual for Bryce, and her expertise shows. This also allowed her unparalleled access to the programmers -- many of whom are no longer working with Bryce after its, ahem, rapid divestiture from Metacreations and purchase by Corel. This is, quite simply, one of the best computer books I have ever purchased, and one of the few that I actually felt like I got my money's worth -- and then some. Whether you are playing with Bryce for the first time, or a seasoned veteran, you will appreciate the huge amount of work that has gone into this book.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant book made better.
Review: Real World Bryce 2 was THE book on Bryce for years. Now, with Real World Bryce 4 finally arriving, Brycers everywhere can rejoice. Forget any other book on Bryce - this is destined to become a classic. Every page contains a wealth of information - hints, tips, 'cooking instructions', everything you will need to create your Bryce dream worlds. The color plates are fabulous, providing the reader with plenty of inspiration and giving you a good idea of Bryce's power when used correctly. The only one annoying point about this book is how late it appeared. It was due to be released about 2 years ago! But, as they say, better late than never.
Rating:
Summary: RWB4 Aunti Susan does it again !!
Review: Susan Kitchens IS the Bryce lady. Again she has compiled an enormous amount of information on what is an enormously versatile piece of software. Warning!! This is not a book which you read and put down. You refer to it many times and can always find a new path or an easier one to achieve the effect you want. Susan does have a set of introductory chapters for the novice Bryce user. If you don't understand a reference to something. Track it down learn it and get on with the book. This is top grade reference material. If you are serious about learning the craft you WILL NEED this book.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Bryce 4 User's Guide but very lengthy.
Review: The best way of describing "Real World Bryce 4: Industrial-Strength 3D World Creation Techniques" is in this fashion: If you need to lookup how something is used in Bryce 4, use the delivered User's Guide. If however, you want to really learn how to use Bryce 4, "Real World Bryce 4" is the only way to go. Susan and Victor do an excellent job of taking you step by step through the use of the tools and discussions of objects in the Brycean world. The book contains caveats about things that are suppose to work but don't as expected, and tips and tricks to help the new user optimize design and render times. It is absolutely, an indespensible resource for all things Bryce. It's only shortcoming is it's extreme length. The reader is often times forced to wade through sideline commentaries that are scattered throughout the book. One wonder if this is to add more pulp since some of it was little real value in boosting one up the Bryce 4 learning curve. It's a small nit, but one that kept me from giving the book a perfect 5. The buyer should also be aware that Corel released Bryce 5 in July 2001. The Sky and Materials Labs interface has changed from that in Bryce 4 ... some may say for the better, other seasoned Bryce may oppose. Additionally, there is a new Light Lab, Tree Objects, and Metaballs objects that are new to Bryce 5 that are obviously not in this book. Not withstanding the software differences, "Real World Bryce 4: Industrial-Strength 3D World Creation Techniques" is still a good starting point for learning even Bryce 5. I hope Susan and Victor are on the heels and currently working on a new book.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Bryce 4 User's Guide but very lengthy.
Review: The best way of describing "Real World Bryce 4: Industrial-Strength 3D World Creation Techniques" is in this fashion: If you need to lookup how something is used in Bryce 4, use the delivered User's Guide. If however, you want to really learn how to use Bryce 4, "Real World Bryce 4" is the only way to go. Susan and Victor do an excellent job of taking you step by step through the use of the tools and discussions of objects in the Brycean world. The book contains caveats about things that are suppose to work but don't as expected, and tips and tricks to help the new user optimize design and render times. It is absolutely, an indespensible resource for all things Bryce. It's only shortcoming is it's extreme length. The reader is often times forced to wade through sideline commentaries that are scattered throughout the book. One wonder if this is to add more pulp since some of it was little real value in boosting one up the Bryce 4 learning curve. It's a small nit, but one that kept me from giving the book a perfect 5. The buyer should also be aware that Corel released Bryce 5 in July 2001. The Sky and Materials Labs interface has changed from that in Bryce 4 ... some may say for the better, other seasoned Bryce may oppose. Additionally, there is a new Light Lab, Tree Objects, and Metaballs objects that are new to Bryce 5 that are obviously not in this book. Not withstanding the software differences, "Real World Bryce 4: Industrial-Strength 3D World Creation Techniques" is still a good starting point for learning even Bryce 5. I hope Susan and Victor are on the heels and currently working on a new book.
Rating:
Summary: Whether Novice Or Expert, You'll Want To Have This Book
Review: The manual that accompanies this newest version of Bryce is barely useful, full of errors and inconsistencies bound to mislead and, in particular, frustrate the beginner. Fortunately, there is a place where you can turn to learn the intricacies of the program, "Real World Bryce 4." Comprehensive and, for the beginner, daunting in the sheer scope of its information, I suspect that this will become the Bible for Brycers everywhere, whether just starting out or already familiar with earlier versions. With such praise, why have I given it only four stars? Because not all the chapters are written with the same clarity as others (for example, Chapter 3 on Camera and Scene), and at times it is apparent in the exposition that a presumption exists that the reader has used earlier versions of Bryce, or has some familiarity with other 3D programs. This assumption at times makes the description of working within 3D space, various tools and instructions less than immediately accessible for the beginner, and is bound to lead to some temporary confusion on the part of the first time user. One might wish there was a 3D reference that learned from the example of Adobe's "Classroom in a Book" series, and provided more comprehensive tutorials and instruction. Though the latter are provided here, it is doubtful they are extensive enough to satisfy the needs of those just beginning to use the program. Fortunately, there are a large number of websites maintained by Bryce enthusiasts who are willing to share their knowledge and experience, and the authors themselves maintain such a site where additional tips are provided. My final quibble is that before I was even halfway through the book the binding had begun to fall apart, and as I suspect anyone purchasing this book will find themselves referring to it time and again, if for no other reason than that it is impossible to assimilate all the information present in a single reading, you may want to set aside some sturdy tape. Nonetheless, this is an important resource for anyone intending to use Bryce, and, as I noted earlier, will surely set the standard of reference for anyone wishing to explore or use this extraordinary program.
Rating: 
Summary: Awful!
Review: The tool-heavy approach to this software makes it very difficult to actually do anything with the software. I had hoped to come away with more than just a rudimentary knowledge of the product, but after several days of frustration, I gave up!
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