FOTD -- May 03, 2004 (Rating 5) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Today's image is more of a demonstration of a Fractint program feature than a picture of a great fractal scene just discovered. I named the image "Fractal Cheating" because I used the 'decomp' option on yesterday's image to create it, which makes the image more of an intentional creation than a discovery. Yes, I cheated. But look at yesterday's FOTD, and you will see why I cheated. The standard rendering of today's scene makes a really nothing image. I humbly admitted my guilt by naming the image "Fractal Cheating". I also cheated with the formula I used. To create yesterday's version of the scene, I used the MandelbrotMix3a formula and entered the critical -8.888 by hand. For today's version, I turned to the MandelbrotMix4 formula, which calculated and entered the initial value of Z automatically. The benefit is a great increase in speed, though with an image as fast as today's, the difference is not very large. Most of my fractals are calculated by iterating a simple function of a complex number, producing another complex number, until either the number exceeds some pre-defined bailout value, or the maxiter is reached. The pixel corresponding to the starting point is then colored based on the result of that calculation. The decomp feature turns on another coloring method, in which the points are colored according to which section of the complex plane the final value lies in. The decomp parameter determines how many sections the complex plane is divided into for this purpose. In today's image, the plane is divided into the maximum 256 sections. I would have rated today's image higher than a 5, but the coloring is less than satisfactory, and I just can't shake the feeling that it is not a real fractal. Apparently, just as man has philosophically done with the sensory-created mental image of a physical universe, I have arbitrarily created a reality. I have decided that that the 'outside=iter' method produces the 'real' fractal, and all other rendering methods are mere distortions of the one ultimate fractal reality. But at least, I am still aware that I myself have created and decided what is fractal reality. The rating of 5 equals an overall value of 281 when the 1-3/4 minute render time is considered. The time required to download the image from: <http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/FotD/FotD.html> is roughly the same. A warm sunny Sunday here at Fractal Central gave the dynamic duo ample time under the holly trees. When evening came, they were totally exhausted from doing nothing, and came inside for their evening meal without hesitation. In the late evening, a severe thunder-storm arose, which brought down a large limb from one of the fractal trees. But, other than the need to eventually remove the fallen limb, no harm was done, as it fell in the alley beside F.C. This morning is cloudy, chilly and damp, with occasional rain. What will the cats do to adapt? The most immediate task for me is to put the work that is now in front of me behind me. Then it's on to the fractals, and maybe that tree limb. Until next time, take care, and a fractal a day may keep the doctor away, but five hundred a day will bring the doctor running. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com jimmuth@aol.com START 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE================================ Fractal_Cheating { ; time=0:01:46.83--SF5 on a P200 reset=2003 type=formula formulafile=allinone.frm formulaname=MandelbrotMix4 function=ident passes=1 center-mag=-22.97767772633961000/+0.06349061612053\ 014/3.426261e+008/1/-152.5/0.000251818031069418746 params=1/2/0.075/3/0/0 float=y maxiter=300 inside=0 logmap=34 decomp=256 periodicity=10 colors=000cmzzzVzzWzzWzyWzxXzwXzvXzuXztWysWxsVwrVv\ qVuqUtpUspUroTqnTpnTomSnmSmlSlkRkkRjjQijQhiQghPfhP\ egPdgOdfOceObeNbdNadNacM`bM`bL_aL_aLZ`KZ_KY_KYZJXZ\ JWYIWXGVXFVWEUVCUVCTUCTUBSTDSSDRSERRFQRGPQHPPIOPJO\ OKNOLNNMMMNMMOLLPLLPKKPKJPJJPIIPIIPHHPHGPGGPGFPFFP\ FEPEDPEDPDCPDCPCDPCEPCEPCFPCGPCGPCHPCIPCIPCJPBJPBK\ PBLPBLPBMPBNPBNNBOLBPJBPHAQFAQDARCASCASCATCAUEAUEA\ VEAWF9WF9XF9XF9YG9YG9ZG9ZG9_H9_H9`H8_G9aH9`H9aHAaH\ AaHAbHAbHBcHBcHBcHCdHCdICdICeIDeIDfIDfIDfIEgIEgIEg\ IFhIFhIFiJFiJGiJGjJGjJGjJHkJHkJHlJIlJIlJImKImKJnKJ\ nKJnKKoKKoKKoKKpKLpKLqKLqKLqLMrLMrLMrLNsLNsLNtLNtL\ OtLOuLOuLNvMOuLOtLOsLPsLPrLPqLPpLQpLQoLQnLRmLRmLRl\ LRkLSkLSjLSiLThLThLTgLTfLUeLUeLUdLVcLVcLVbLVaLW`LW\ `LW_LXZLXYLXYLXXLYWLYWLYVKZUKZTKZTKZSK_RK_QK_QK`PK\ `OK`NK`NKaMKaLKaLKbKKbJKbIKbIKcHKcGKcFKdFKdEKdDKdD\ KeCKeBKeAKfAKf9Kf8Kf7Kg7K } frm:MandelbrotMix4 {; Jim Muth a=real(p1), b=imag(p1), d=real(p2), f=imag(p2), g=1/f, h=1/d, j=1/(f-b), z=(-a*b*g*h)^j, k=real(p3)+1, l=imag(p3)+100, c=fn1(pixel): z=k*((a*(z^b))+(d*(z^f)))+c, |z| < l } END 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE==================================