Welcome to Fractal Forums

Is it possible to change the texture files for Mandelbulb 3D?  I'm new to Mandelbulb and this was something I really liked about Incendia, was the ability to import my own texture files. Just curious, not complaining.  So far, I really like Mandelbulb, the learning curve isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Still a long way to go to catch up to you guys.

The textures in M3D are non existent, so no.  Not possible.

"Textures" are done with lighting, and you can change that all you like, but in the absence of an actual mesh, texturing like in traditional 3D software is not possible  (Inendia actually creates a mesh for exporting 3D object files and that's how texturing works in that software).

We'll just call this another voice in the 3D Object Export feature request choir   :worm:  (knowing full well that a mandelbulb obj file would be HUGE  -  even a full GB for one file - but we'd still use it to death anyhow!)

Or maybe bringing back Bitmap Lighting?   :jabbering:

More such options need adding - there are loads of ways to do 3D textures and indeed bump mapping - in fact I'd say there are actually more options in 3D than in 2D. The difference is that the straightforward mapping of a 2D square texture to the 2D plane the fractal is in is not relevant (the equivalent is to use a full 3D+ texture).
One way to get plain fBm texturing is to combine 2D fBm texturing in 3 planes - I did this in my formulas for UF and it works quite well.
Another is true 3D+ fBm where your fBm itself can take up the whole of the 3D+ space - essentially as if your object was carved from a block of marble.
Also you can of course use any 2 values from any one or more colourings for the surface of the fractal object and use the standard method to look up a colour from a 2D texture.
Of course all the above can also be applied to add bump mapping to a surface though of course generally that will require at least 2 values rather than one (e.g. two small angle adjustments to be applied to the normals for lighting purposes).

Thanks for the replies. In Incendia, the texture is applied as coloring and can also be applied directly to the baseshape under the colors tab and checking "use surface textures". Since Incendia allows imports of 3D objects does that mean that it actaully applying it to the mesh. I do know that the 3D objects are in STL format, because the author says that it is easier to parse. Just trying to make sure I understand you correctly. William

I just love being proven wrong!

The new version of M3D now accepts ANY jpg image as a texture map!

When I saw map files for coloring in the list of new stuffs, I thought it meant .map files like the ones used in FractInt, UltraFractal, and many many other programs.

It's really IMAGES!

There was no way I found to import an image through the interface, but I plopped a jpg in the folder holding the other jpg files used for maps, renamed it to the next number in the sequence, and sure enough - M3D found it and we can now texture with images of ...  You Know!  (and if you don't - after this heat wave passes you will)  (or if I can get a working air-conditioner, maybe sooner)

Thanks Again, Jesse!

Edit:

(http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m278/sockratease/teddykisses2.gif)

I know I posted that as a comment on the download page, but fewer people will see it there - and I did make it myself in 3D software, so I post it again!

I think it would be a not to bad to be kissed to death by a crazy puppy, if i could choose it?  ;D

Beside this, i have wrote it somewhere in the readme how you can include own pics, dunno why i make this  ^-^

The way they are used in the program is not really very common implemented, this is due to resrictions to be compatible with older versions and the light parameters are very filled already... that is also the reason why only numbers from 1 to 255 are allowed.

Anyways, i hope it is still useful  :beer:

Aexion and Jesse FTW!!!!! :dink: :dink: :dink: :dink:

Yeah this M3d business is getting serious now...

Jesse can you make a future release of M3d NOT compute any fractals at all so I go outside and get some sunlight?

Btw I owe you my firstborn Jesse, actually it will be more like I'll be too busy making fractals so you might have to just take it and feed it for me ;-)

rofl
why not grab a piece of air when pressin: RENDER


rofl, strange logic, jesse has to work on both ends ? feeding your child AND programming the stuff !? how should that work ?
@ and be sure that jesse isnt just the "pseudonym" ... lol ....