the interpolations in mandelbulb3d

[cKleinhuis]

when using alternation, you create new formulas, and create new parameters, but you can not go back to the basic formulas,
when using interpolation, you can blend between two independent formulas....

Unless you do alternated blending - or even blending across iterations ?

sure, you can combine everything with everything, so, you could blend to alternating formulas together ... that should lead to the blend effect,

i just say:

when iteraten 2 functions parallel, f1 and f2
if you use linear interpolation, and interpolation value is 0,
at each iteration step exactly lerp(0,f1,f2) -> f1 is the result,and lerp or better slerp (spherical linear interpolation )
leads to a new formula, as sock demonstrated it is working on certain fractal combinations, you have to combine diverging formulas together, or converging formulas, but not mixing those two ...

people, i am drunk, did i mention i love this forum ? considering i am just moderating it, it is a real pleasure to see it thrive even more....

[kameelian]

Hi again,

Gosh folks -  I think that this interpolation between two formulas is just what I was hitting on at the bottom of my lengthy post as a newbie @: http://www.fractalforums.com/mandelbulb-3d/how-to-create-%27unique%27-fractal-art-with-m3d-%28or-how-not-to%29/msg33594/#msg33594 - but at that time I did not know how to deal with some of the bizarre effects of doing so - like the Navi not showing the same image that had been calculated or how to get the M3i to recreate what was between the anim keyframes - and - it seemed at the time, no one was really able to offer a real solution or couldn't understand what I was trying to say. Maybe I didn't explain myself very well at that time. It felt like I was waffling nonsense or using the program 'wrong' sometimes. It seems from this thread that some some of this is better known now - at least to some. I wonder if this was always the case or if my post has helped others try this method out (?)

Anyway, if it helps, I have learned a few ways of improving matters since then:

One is to make sure that the opening program default parameters are gotten rid of by sending an image from the anim keyframes into the main window. (You don't have to render it)
two: simple use of the 'M' below the Calculation box often (but not always) works to create an M3i file that keeps whatever weirdness has been created. It took me ages to spot this one.
3: If loading the M3i back into the same open program still does not load the correct picture, try loading it into a completely new instance of the program. This sometimes works. Make sure you have saved the correct colour scheme as this is often completely wrong on reload (which can also work out ok too).
4: If all else fails and the massive jumps between changes cannot be overcome or you cannot get the right params into the Navi to gain two new keyframes to render between - (sometimes  - not always) a way around the jumps at least is to make massive (and I mean like 10,000 or 20,000 ++?) subframes between the two rogue keyframes - but you only need to start rendering from the number where the change point you want starts to occur (trial and error - it may be from, say, 9999 to 15999) and, with luck, you will generate sufficient subframes to give a smooth animation of sufficient length, gaining pictures you (or at least - I) cannot seem get any other way (yet).

Hope this helps. I didn't post these new tips as an addition to my original post because I thought it would still appear like garbled nonsense to folk. Hopefully not now.

regards
Kam