bwtr - Ok, I see your billboard and terrain approaches, and appreciate the heads up, thanks! 

I've also been told, by the Maya Forum Moderator, that AI and Spline Modeling would be a good way to approach this.  Spline Modeling is definitely something I'd like to pick up with Carrara, and I've started a new thread just for that!

danamo - Nice Bryce!  I too have had past experience with Bryce.  Even with Bryce's new 4000 vertex terrains, there is still a huge problem with using the terrain editor to create object; and this is that the edges of the objects always look rough.  I'm not sure why this happens, but it has been a problem since Bryce 3!  I've been told that this is something that can be smoothed in a Modeler application, but if that's where this'd be headed I may as well just start there(Err...here!)