Daz just released the new version of Bryce. This software has bounced around from Metacreations, to Corel, and finally DAZ. Bryce can make complex landscapes from grayscale images.
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A 360 pano mode is great for making horizon images for the edge of age files.
I've built quicktime pano images with the software so I'm assuming it can be used for cubic DDS environment and reflection maps. I also build textures to export and use on my models.
The new version of Bryce now exports boleans as meshes as well as terrains.
Daz has a special but convoluted offer to sell Bryce for 6$. In order to buy it you have to join Daz platinum club for $29 In order to join platinum club you have to join Daz for free.
To Join Daz go to the Daz website http://www.daz3d.com/ You have to provide them with an email and get a weekly newsletter to get a free username and password. I did not see a sudden upturn in spam so they're pretty good about only using your email or giving it out.
You can get a yearly Platinum Club membership for $99 or a monthly for $29.95 If you choose the monthly your credit card will be billed $7.95 every month so you need to cancel after you buy Bryce unless you want to keep the membership. Here's the link to the monthly membership.
http://www.daz3d.com/shop.php?op=itemdetails&item=1
After you get the membership you can get Bryce 6 at this link. http://www.daz3d.com/newsletter/2006/weekl...l?trid=93786410
The download version is around 450mb. You can get a box version but the wait is already 2 weeks because of demand.