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Mandelbulber 1.16

Open source program (GNU GPL) for rendering photo-realistic 3D fractals
Free download (executables and source): http://sourceforge.net/projects/mandelbulber/
Website:       http://www.mandelbulber.com/
User manual: http://wiki.mandelbulber.com/index.php?title=User_Manual

New features in version 1.16:

- all shaders and rendering engine rewritten from the beginning
- light sources are rendered as a volumetric objects (now looks properly also with fish-eye projection and fog effects)
- introduced soft shadows
- raytracing works with all shaders and is much more accurate
- glow and all fog shaders now are volumetric effects and can be used simultanously
- possible to set different reflection factor for each primitive object
- zoom by click works much more accurate and rotates the camera towards to selected point
- added option for using constant step length for zoom by click (useful for animations)
- added contrast adjustment for image
- user interface reorganized
- internal image buffer is now floating point type (much better HDR effects)
- fixed bug: crashed when animation keyframe thumbnail was refreshed during image rendering
- fixed bug: NetRender client saved partially rendered images
- fixed bug: animated water wasn't rendered properly with NetRender
- remark: some shaders settings are not compatible with older setting files (fog and DOF distance, reflection factor). Sometimes is needed to re-tune some shaders parameters, especially fog visibility distance

SVN repository: http://mandelbulber.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/
This repository is available from Google Code: http://code.google.com/p/mandelbulber/

:thumbsup1:

I guess it is time to update from svn

Oops, just tried to get the latest version, but where is the 64bit support for windows???

While I think, there are a lot of great improvements in this version, I'm not really happy with the performance. I customized a recent Mandelbox parameter, so it produces identical results than v 1.12.1 win 64 (de step and Detail level). Rendering took 11:48min on 1.12.1 and 15:08min on v1.16. Don't get me wrong, without customization, the results would have been very different, and the time gap would have been even bigger.
Still remains a performance loss of almost 30%. I hope, there is some room for code optimization.

About 64-bit version, now it's difficult for me to make it. I don't know why, but WinSocks under Win64 (Vista 64-bit) doesn't work in the same way like it is under Win32 (XP 32-bit). It is some kind of challenge for me. I see that I have to do this. Maybe somebody can help me in this matter and make Win64 port. I also think just to make 64-bit version without NetRender.


I think that there is some space for optimization. I did a lot of changes in shading algorithms to improve rendering quality. Many shading algorithms works now as a volumetric to make possible to combine them together. It has some negative influence on rendering speed.
I did also similar comparison, but under Linux. In some cases version 1.16 works a little faster than 1.12.1 but is some a little slower. You compared 64-bit version with 32-bit. It could also made some difference, because for 64-bit systems there is used a little different optimization of the code during compilation.
To have the same test setup as you, please send me some settings file where you see visible speed difference.

ok, here we go. Here's an example. I Chose this to see the difference in placement of lightsources in a fish eye environment. Please note the changes I made on DE step and Detail level, to match the original. Especially Detail level with exact half of the value, should be possile to make downwardly compatible.
On my machine
1.121 rendered in 8:37 min (64bit)
1.16 rendered in 10:36 min (32bit)

here's the preview
(http://fotos.bilder-speicher.de/images/image_350/13061805441971.jpg)

the fract files are attached to thread

Thank you for this example. Now I see differences. I will work on it.

....so, detail level difference exists only in fish eye projection. In version 1.16 in this mode there is two times more details level because I forgot to double distance threshold in ray-marching algorithm. I will fix it.
Difference in light placement was wrong in old version. In fish eye mode positions of visible lights were calculated wrong. In the newest version visible light is placed exactly where it should be.
Size of the visible lights is also different because they are rendered in completely other way. In old version it was post-processing. In the newest version lights are volumetric objects. Try to set "Lights visibility" to 5.0 in this example. You will see the light in proper place.
About the speed under Linux there is almost no speed difference between 1.12 and 1.16. As I wrote there is significant speed difference between 32-bit and 64-bit version under Windows.

That's all for now. There is too hot to sit more by the computer  :D

thanks for the quick reply. No need to rush - no deadline in sight :dink:
I knew that the positioning of visible lights can't be true in 1.121. The example is taken from a still unfinished animation. I let the light wander from left to right, from top to bottom there and while shadows were calculated right, the visible light allways took place around the center. Must have been wrong... I'm not quite sure if the lightsource is within the viewportin this scene.

I'd prefer to avoid linux. Besides my aversion against command lines I don't like restrictions like max. 2048px for desktop-width in ubuntu - not useful with two screens. But when opencl functions come back to live again, I might be trying again. Much to do for me, as I even failed to istall the opencl sdk for my graphics device last time (something about the ownership of folders)

Keep up that brilliant piece of software!

Soft shadows <3

Great work B! ^.^

I've actually been away for a little while, hence the late thank you, but what an excellent "welcome home" present.

Thanks Buddhi!  :)