Bud,
I just started using Fractint for the first time in 5 years. I am currently running one of the two versions below (can't determine which):
SDL2-fractint-20.05alpha-2018-08-05 SDL2-fractint-20.05alpha-2019-04-06
The latest version is dated 2024-12-09 Look in the directory at: https://www.fractint.net/ftp/experimental/ For: Windows version (32-bit) is: SDL2-fractint-20.05alpha-2024-12-09.zip Make sure you are on fractint.net. The files on fractint.org are not up to date.
The frequency of crashes when trying to change video modes (and other ? operations) has me wanting to update ASAP. I have concerns and questions.
The crashing issues should have all been addressed by the latest version.
1) It has been so long since my last install I am not sure how to set this up. Confusing to me as there is not a standard Windows app installation process. Do I just unzip the files and launch the EXE?
Unzip the files and launch the EXE.
2) Can I unzip this in my existing folder without losing my files or causing problems, or should I create a new folder and copy my legacy files (GIF, PAR, FRM) as required?
The zip file contains all the files that will be distributed with the release version, so if you have modified fractint.frm or fractint.cfg, for instance, they will get overwritten. Unzipping into a new folder is a better option.
3) Is there a method for arbitrary size disk video (2048x2048 is a bit small for my current needs) like the last DOS versions?
Yes. At the end of the included fractint.cfg file are disk modes that test the boundaries: ,Disk/RAM 'Video' , 11,46340,46340,256,Largest square image ,Disk/RAM 'Video' , 11,65535,32768,256,Largest X (width) ,Disk/RAM 'Video' , 11,32768,65535,256,Largest Y (height) ,Disk/RAM 'Video' , 11,53510,40132,256,Largest .75 aspect ratio Within those limits, you can set any video size you like.
Also is there a current version of Winfract that is worthwhile, or am I better off sticking with the latest version of Fractint?
Not Winfract. It is strictly a 16-bit program. I ported Fractint to SDL so that it would run under the current versions of windows. Richard has a fork of Fractint called Iterated Dynamics. Jonathan