FOTD -- January 18, 2002 (Rating 5) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Today's image can be rendered using either conventional math or arbitrary precision math. Conventional math finishes the image in 14 minutes on my machine. If I switched to arbitrary precision math the image would take 24 hours. Since the advantage of the more accurate math is minimal, I have included an entry in the parameter file that will force the use of the much faster conventional math. The image features a tiny midget that lies in the seventh valley out of the large period-2 north bud of the Mandelbrot set. I named the image "A Fractal for Squares" because only a 'square' (an old-fashioned term for someone who is not hip to the trends of the times) would still waste time looking at fractals as old-fashioned as the Mandelbrot set, using a 15-year-old fractal generating program that runs under an obsolete operating system. Then I realized that I had just described myself. In frustration, I sighed and rated the image at a 5. The true logmap setting of the image is 11594. This is the logmap I found by entering a 2, which causes the program to scan the border and calculate the image using the lowest iteration it finds there. But today's image is tricky, and when it is calculated at its true logmap setting, most of the color bands are wasted on tiny areas in the corners. I found that raising the logmap to around 17000 gives a far better rendering, and finally settled on 17010. Overall, the image is an unusually delicate and feathery one, given perhaps un-necessary weight by the heavy colors. It's worth the 14-minute render time. It is not worth the 24-hour render time. Both waits can be avoided however by giving Scott a chance to render and post the image on his web site at: <http://sdboyd.dyndns.org/~sdboyd/fotd/index.html> Hopefully, he'll use the fast method of rendering, or else the image will not be ready until tomorrow. The FOTD images will once again be posted to Paul's web site when and if he re-appears. The fractal weather, (everything at Fractal Central is 'fractal'), here Thursday was non-eventful. The mostly cloudy skies, moderate winds and temperature of 52F 11C would have gone un-noticed and un-remembered by human observers other than weather forecasters, but cats are not human, and the fractal cats were not happy with these routine conditions. They expressed their unhappiness by getting into two scuffles, and did not settle down until I gave them a double treat of tuna. The cats are now settled, all else is well, and it's time to get busy on other things. The fractal shoppe will now become a graphic design office. Until next time, take care and stay settled. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com START PARAMETER FILE======================================= AFractalForSquares { ; time=0:13:59.70--SF5 on a P200 reset=2002 type=mandel passes=1 mathtolerance=/1 center-mag=-0.10933261204450130/+0.894917942125181\ 40/1.745905e+013/1.0001/-27.3962776352267738/-0.13\ 1115529719981111 params=0/0 float=y maxiter=144000 inside=0 logmap=17010 colors=000HNYIOZJQ_KR`LSaMUb\ NVcOWdPXeQZfR_gS`hTbiUcjVdkXckZbj``ib_hdZgfXfhWfjV\ elTdnScpRbqQbpSapUaoVaoXanZ`n_`ma`mb`md`lf_lg_ki_k\ j_jlZjnZjoZiqZirZhtYhvYgwYgyYgzYnY_u5ar8cpBdmEekHf\ iKgfNidQjbTk_WlYZmVaoTdpRgqOjrMmsKptMorOopPonRolSo\ jUoiWogXoeZoc_oaao_boZ9m6AiABeECbHDZLEWPFSSGPWHL_H\ IbIL_INYJPVJSTKURKWOLZML`JMbHMeFNgCNiAOl7On5Op3Pl4\ Ph4Pd5Pa5PY6PU6QQ6QN7QJ7QF8QB8Q88P78O67M57L47K37J2\ 7N4AQ6CT8EWAGZCJaDLeFNhHPkJSnLUqNWtOYhScXViLYoA`tB\ asPgnCbsCbrDcrDdrEdqEeqFfqFfpGgpx`xuawrawobvlbvicu\ gcuddtadtZdsWesUerRfrOfqLgqIgpJRHIXTHbdQ3WO9ZNFaLL\ dKRgIXjHbmTdPQeUOeZMfbKfgIglemHalMZkQWjVTjZPicMhgJ\ gl2Pv4Ru5Tt6Vt8Ws9YsA_rBarDbqEdqFfpmzcjxdgweeufbtg\ _rhYqiVojTnkQllNkmLinIho`NLYQPWSTUUWRX_PZbN`fKciIe\ mZmaSkfMikT4OPEWMObJYienNZlVTjaMhiZcfWdhUdiRejPekN\ fmKfnIgowIvsKupMulOtiQtfSsbUs_WrWYrT_qQaqMcpJep } END PARAMETER FILE=========================================