yFract major update: Multicore/Hyperthreading support, 3D Mandelbulb and more!

[yv3]

Hello fractal lovers!
Its time for a new release of yFract! This is a major release with new cool features:

Multicore/Hyperthreading support added!

If you own a modern processor with more than one logical core than you can feel happy now :) I modified all rendering loops in yFract (except for the "magnifier") and added multithreading capabilty to them. On my AMD Athlon 64 Dual Core the rendering is TWICE as fast now ! :) Check this image from a test on a notebook with dual core and hyperthreading (2 physical cores x 2 hyperthreads = 4 logical cores):



All CPU's at 100%, finally :)
yFract detects the amount of logical CPU's at first start and sets the number of threads automatically aiming for performance. You can change the number of threads manually in the Options/General-Menu.

Added cache to the fractal selection dialog



The fractal thumbnails shown in the fractal selection dialog are saved in cache-files now. No more annoying breaks while selecting your own fractals when you have applied large overlay images on them.

First 3D fractal: "Other 3D Mandelbrot":

With help of ker2x i managed to integrate the 3D Mandelbulb Fractal into yFract. OK let's say the basics of it ;).



It's not rendered in the "classical way" in my application, you can't rotate it, wander around in it like in other apps that are suited for Mandelbulb exploring. Its like scanning a body with a scanner and splitting the scan data into viewable slices. I found out that this technique is satisfying for me, the puristic touch of 2D-Fractals is still there and unusual patterns appear. This formula enables many nice images, here are the first of my renderings:













Like in any other fractal you can also apply an "Overlay image" to the Mandelbulb fractal. Check out the results when combining simple images with this technique:

A two color circuit texture used:


Combining with a bitmap of a sierpinski fractal:

[FULL SIZE]

Download Link: http://yv3.bplaced.net/files/yFract.exe
Detailed description and quickstart manual: http://yv3.bplaced.net/

Have fun and happy easter!

Greetings from Germany, Dawid

[Dinkydau]

Those renders are awesome! You know I've been thinking for a very long time of the difference between the light effects and shadows that are possible in 3d do to the mandelbulb, and how that makes it so much different from classic fractals. This really brings back the 2d-fractal feeling.