Key Board Commands, Short Cuts, and Easter Eggs

Key Board Commands and Short Cuts are used to speed up work flow and to make work functions easier. Some are documented on the menus or in the Bryce User Manuals, others are not. Some are done using only the Key Board, others use a combination of keys and cursor clicks and movement. Easter Eggs are hidden functions, most of which are not documented in the User Manual. They are nice surprises that can enhance Bryce's capabilities.

Key Board Commands, Short Cuts

File

New Document---Ctrl/N
Open---Ctrl/O
Save---Ctrl/S
Quit---Ctrl/Q

Editing

Undo---Ctrl/Z
Redo---Ctrl/Shift/Z
Cut---Ctrl/X    When objects are cut they are copied to the clip board and can then be pasted.
Copy---Ctrl/C
Paste---Ctrl/V
Clear---Alt/>    Backspace or Delete Keys can also be used.
Copy Material---Ctrl/Alt/C
Paste Material---Ctrl/Alt/V
Copy Matrix---Alt/C
Paste Matrix---Alt/V
Duplicate---Ctrl/D
Replicate---Alt/D    When objects are replicated, they will be positioned, scaled or rotated, using the current objects transformation. Example: if the object is rotated 90 degrees on the Y axes, then replicated, the new object will be rotated 180 degrees, on the Y axes, the next one will be 270 degrees, and so on. The same applies to position and scaling
Select All---Ctrl/A
Invert Selection---Ctrl/Shift/A
Scroll Objects--- Tab Key

Menus

Attributes---Ctrl/Alt/E
Document Set-Up---Ctrl/Alt/N
Render Animation---Alt/Shift/R
Multi-Replicate---Alt/Shift/D

Palates

Create---Ctrl/1
Edit---Ctrl/2
Sky---Ctrl/3
Toggle Animation and Object Palates---S

Labs
Tab Key will scroll to the next activated numeric option, in all of Bryce's Labs

Materials---Ctrl/M
Picture Library---Ctrl/Alt/M
DTE---Alt/M
Sky Lab---Ctrl/K
Motion Lab---Ctrl/T
Edit Selected Object---Ctrl/E   This will open the Smooth Menu, Torus Editor, Terrain Editor, Light Lab or Tree Lab depending on what type object is selected when it's used.

Rendering

Render---Ctrl/R
Clear and Render---Ctrl/Alt/R
Print---Ctrl/P

Tools

Demo Marker--- M

Time Line
These work on all Time Line in all Labs

Scrub Time Line--- < or >    each time the key is pressed will move to the next Ticker Marker
Next Key frame---Shift/< or >
Move to Animation Start--- {
Move to Animation End--- }

Selecting

Multi-Selection--- Shift    Hold shift key while selecting objects.
Menu Selection---Ctrl    Hold Ctrl and left click to bring up list of objects in the area of the cursor.
Scroll Objects---Tab Key
Deselect---Click in Null Space

Translating Objects

Constrain Direction--- X/Y/Z    Hold the X,Y or Z key while dragging objects.
Arrow Keys--- will move objects 5.12 Bryce units to positive and negative X or Z directions.
Shift/Arrow Keys--- will move objects 10.24 Bryce units to positive and negative X or Z directions.
Move Positive X--- '   Moves the object to the positive X direction 5.12 Bryce units.
Move Positive X--- Alt/'   Moves the object to the positive X direction 0.08 Bryce units.
Negative X---Shift/Alt/5   Moves the object to the negative X direction 2.56 Bryce units.
Positive Z---Shift/Alt/7    Moves the object to the positive Z direction 0.08 Bryce units.
Negative Z---Shift/Alt/9   Moves the object to the negative Z direction 2.56 Bryce units.
Positive Y---Shift/Alt/1    Moves the object to the positive Y direction 0.08 Bryce units.
Negative Y---Shift/Alt/"   Moves the object to the negative Y direction 2.56 Bryce units.
Negative Y---Shift/"   Moves the object to the negative Y direction 10.24 Bryce units.
Scale Large---Shift/Alt/8    Scales the object 20 Bryce units larger.
Scale Small--- ?    Scales the object 20 Bryce units smaller.
Reset Size, Shape, and Rotation---Space bar/+    Resets the object to the original size, shape and rotation as when it was created. ( The object may change position depending on it's shape )

Object Properties

Show as Box---Ctrl/B
Show as Lattice---Ctrl/L
Neutral--- O
Positive--- P
Negative--- N
Intersect--- I
Group---Ctrl/G
Ungroup---Ctrl/U
Create Path---Alt/P

Camera Views

Drag Camera---Space bar    Works in all views.
Position Camera---Alt/Space bar    Director and Camera view only.
Rotate Camera---Ctrl/Arrow Keys    Works in all views.
Zoom In & Out--- Ctrl/Alt/Space bar    All views.
Marque Zoom---Ctrl/Space bar    Hold keys then draw a marque around zoom area.
Zoom In by Steps---Ctrl/=
Zoom Out by Steps--- -   minus sign
Reset Zoom--- Ctrl/-    Resets the Director and Camera to original zoom ( not position )
Fly Around---Ctrl/Y
Director View--- ~
Camera View--- 1
Top View--- 2
Right View--- 3
Front View--- 4

Viewing Modes

Alternate Viewing Modes---Esc Key    Alternates between wireframe and rendered mode.

Preview Windows    Excluding the scene Nano Preview.

Rotate X & Y--- Click & Drag    Up & Down for X, Side to Side for Y.
Drag---Space bar
Zoom or Rotate Y---Ctrl/Space bar    To Zoom Drag strait up & down, to rotate Y drag strait side to side.
Reset Window---Alt/Click

Background Paper

Paper---Ctrl/Alt/1
Streak Paper---Ctrl/Alt/2
Gray---Ctrl/Alt/3    Default
Black---Ctrl/Alt/4
Grid---Ctrl/Alt/5
Legal Pad---Ctrl/Alt/6
White---Ctrl/Alt/7
Paper Grid---Ctrl/Alt/8
Grain---Ctrl/Alt/9


Easter Eggs and Undocumented Features

Categorize Object, Material and Texture Libraries

Browse the hard drive and locate the library folders, ( default location will be ) Program Files/Corel/Bryce5/Presets/.


Go into one of the folders, there an Installed and User Folder will be found.


Create a new Folder and name it according to the element it will hold. Here a Material Folder called Glass is made.


Then go into the Material User folder and copy the User.mat file. ( it is best to copy the file before any objects have been added to the file inside Bryce ).

Paste the .mat file in the new Glass folder, and rename it to a glass type that will be stored in the library. Keep pasting and renaming the file adding different categories to the Library. Up to fourteen Files can be added to a single folder.


Once Folders and Categories have been made for the Materials, Objects and Texture Libraries, elements can be added and imported into them inside Bryce.


Import/Export elements in the Libraries.

All Bryce Libraries have options for Importing/Exporting files stored inside them. This is how the files are backed up or/and shared with other users. To Import the files simply click the import option and locate where the files have been stored or down loaded to.



Files are Exported by selecting them, then using the Export Option. Files are selected by clicking on them, a red box will highlight the file.


By holding the Shift Key multi inline selections can be made.


By holding the Ctrl Key multi random selections can be made.


Color Palates

Clicking on any color palate will bring up the default color selector.


Ctrl/Alt---Click the palate will bring up the system color selector.


Alt---Click the palate will bring up Bryce's color selector, on this selector color schemes of RBG, HSV, HLS and CMY can be selected also.

The Pen Tool

Is basically used for highlighting or marking areas. ( for tutorials and examples ). There are some options for setting color and line thickness. The options are found by selecting the tool then right clicking. Select a color by holding the marker over a color then release the right mouse button or adjust the line thickness by dragging the marker along the line thickness option then release the button.


Placing the Sun or Moon

The Sun or Moon can be precisely placed in the scene window by bringing up the Sky Tool Palate, then while holding the Ctrl/Alt keys double click on the sun icon. Then if the Ctrl/Alt keys are held and a single click is performed in the Scene Window the sun will be placed there. If the Ctrl/Shift/Alt keys are held the moon will be placed there.



Viewing Modes

Although the Manual states there are shaded viewing modes. It doesn't tell how to enable them. To use the Open GL accelerator on the computer's video card or one of the software accelerator, click and hold on the Display Modes Icon. Then a menu will pop-up with all the viewing modes available.


Delete All Keyframes

Need to delete all the keyframes in a project. Hold the Ctrl/Shift/Alt keys, then click on the delete keyframe button. Then a pop-up message will appear, and all the keyframes will be deleted when the message is exited. Warning this function is not reversible, once the first message pops-up, all keyframe will be deleted no matter how the message is exited.



Turn Anti-Aliasing Off for a Single Object or Group Select the object or group, then go to the Attributes Menu. Hold the Ctrl/Shift/Alt keys and exit the menu using the green check. To turn Anti-Aliasing for the object or group back on, go to the Attributes Menu and hold the shift key while exiting using the green check.



Export Stones & Imported Mesh Objects

Lattices and terrains can be exported using the File/Export command, but Bryce Stones and Imported Mesh objects can also be exported. Select the stone (or imported mesh object) then click the E (edit) Icon.

While the Edit Option ( smooth tool ) is open press, Ctrl/D keys.

This will open a save dialog so the object can be given a name, location and a file type can be selected.


Export Wireframe Animation

To render or export the wireframe ( or open GL ) version of an animation. After the project is set-up and keyframed hold the Alt key and click on the render button. This brings up the Render Animation Menu, set up the type of animation and a location to save it. Then hold the Shift key and exit the Menu using the green check. Short time later the animation is complete.


Torus Editor

Rotate View---Ctrl Key and drag in window
Zoom View---Ctrl/Alt and drag in window
Fly Around---Cap Locks
Scale Inside Radius---Drag in window
Scale whole Torus---Space bar and drag in window


Negative Metaballs

Metaballs are not effected by negative or intersect boolean operations. But negative metaballs can be created by holding the shift key while creating a metaball.


Negative Metaballs look like normal metaballs until they are rendered. Their negative energy will cut away at normal metaballs like a negative boolean operation.




Tree Library

With the 5.01 Patch installed there is a tree library that can be accessed by holding the Alt Key while clicking the tree icon to crate a tree. Or if a custom tree has been made it can be added to the library by holding the Ctrl key and clicking the tree icon. These files are saved as BTO files ( Bryce Tree Objects )




The Leaf Shape and Tree Shape Libraries can also be accessed this way, by Alt clicking on the Shape options, but only for the Open Dialog.



Gradient Editor

Color Markers can be precisely added or deleted by Shift Clicking to Add, or Alt Clicking to Delete.


Material Lab

A Short Cut to load a new texture or image into a texture window is to click on the textures name or arrow button next to the name. This will display all the textures in the current selected texture library, or all the images currently loaded into the image library.





The texture scale slider can be used to scale the size of the texture larger or smaller. Pulling the slider up will scale the texture to the positive, about 3 percent each time. Pushing the slider down will scale the texture to the negative, about 3 percent each time.


Holding the Ctrl Key and using the slider will scale the texture about 30 percent larger or smaller, depending on the direction.


Holding the Shift Key and pulling the slider up will scale to 100, and pushing the slider down will reset the scale to 0. Holding the Shift/Ctrl Keys and pulling the slider up will reset back to 0, and pushing the slider down will scale to -100.


The Copy and Paste function in the Material Lab is a separate clip board than the Edit / Copy & Paste Material function. So there can be 2 separate materials copied at one time, but the to clip boards can not be inter mix.


The DTE (Deep Texture Editor )

Clicking the Combination Window and Alt Clicking a Component Window, will render a full screen preview of it's contents.



The content of a Component Window can be dragged and dropped in another Component Window.



Blending Modes can be Scrolled by Alt clicking Mode Names.


Filter Wave can be adjusted by dragging in it's window, Ctrl constrains the A value, Shift constrains the B value.


The Noise and Phase, type and mode options can be scrolled by Shift clicking the name.


New Texture---Ctrl/N    Creates a new texture with no properties.
Undo/Redo---Ctrl/Z    Will undo the last change made, in any part of the DTE. If it is used a second time without any changes being made, it will redo what was just undone.

Terrain Editor

3D Preview Window

Dragging side to side in the window will rotate the preview on the Y axes. Dragging up & down will rotate the preview about 90 degrees on the X axes.



When the Ctrl key is held and drag movement is Up & Down, the terrain grows up or down in the preview window. This does not effect the actual size of the terrain, just the way it's previewed.


When the Alt key is held with Up & Down drag movement, the preview will zoom in and out.



Full Screen Preview---Ctrl/W


Auto Rotate---Shift/Click    Side to side movement will change directions.
Reset Zoom & Growth---Ctrl/Alt Click

The Canvas

Holding the Shift Key while painting the canvas will constrain the brush to horizontal movement.


To constrain the brush to vertical and diagonal movement, move the cursor back and forth in the direction to be painted, ( vertical or diagonal ) then while still performing the back and fourth movement hit and hold the Shift Key, then click the mouse to start painting.


When Space bar is held, an eye dropper appears, so the elevation to be painted can be selected from the canvas.


To Paint an Effect using the brush, hold the shift key and click the effect's button.

This will enable the Paint Effect Brush with the selected Effect.


Clicking on the Picture button will give an open dialog to locate an image.

Holding the Ctrl Key while clicking the Picture Button will jump to the Image Library, so an image can be used.

Holding the Shift Key while clicking the Picture Button will jump to the DTE, so a Bryce texture can be used.

Copy---Ctrl/C
Paste---Ctrl/V
New---Ctrl/N
Undo---Ctrl/Z
Export---Ctrl/D
Picture Library---Ctrl/O
Smooth---Ctrl/S
Lower Elevation---Ctrl/X
Paint Max Elevation---Ctrl/L
Invert Paint Brush Elevation---Ctrl/Alt
Invert Colors---Ctrl/F
Invert Elevation---Ctrl/I
Reset Clipping Bracket---Ctrl/A
Reset to original image---Ctrl/Alt and click new button.
Alternate Background---Ctrl/B
Scroll Edit Tabs---Tab Key
Terrain Editor Size---Ctrl/1 or 2 or 3

Filtering

To Preview the changes being made by filtering in real time, hold the Ctrl Key while drawing in the Filter Window. Changes will still have to be applied to take effect.


Plug-in Folder

There is an option in the Image Library and Terrain Editor to access Photoshop compatible plug-in filters.

Click one of the arrows then use the Set Plug-ins Folder option to browse to the location where the plug-ins are kept. ( example: C:Program Files/Adobe/Photoshop/Plug-Ins )

Then when Bryce is launched again, it will locate and load the plug-ins so they can be used on images from inside Bryce.



Bryce 4

Man on the Moon

To Place one of the Bryce 4 Developers image on the moon, hold the Ctrl Key while enabling the Moon Image option in the Sky Lab.

Choose one of the names off the menu that pops-up.

The persons face will be rendered on the moon disk.

This feature exists in Bryce 5, but there are no images to choose from on the menu.

Gradient Light

With the Corel Bryce Patch installed, a Photoshop gradient can be added to a light when it's created. Hold the Shift key while creating a light.

An open dialog will appear, to locate and load the gradient.

The gradient is displayed at the top of the preview, when the light is in edit mode.

The Gradient is added to the light properties.


Light Range Fall-Off

In the Light Editor click the menu arrow and enable Ranged Fall Off.

Alt click and drag in the preview window to set range, a numeric value indicator will appear while range is being set.

Examples of Range Fall-Off




This tutorial is written and provided by : Stephen Ray