Fractal Generators

[Nahee_Enterprises]

    Hello:   I'm new to the forum.  I'm a graduate student in architecture @ Miami University
    and am looking at 3D fractal geometry as a generative methodology for building structure
    + form for my thesis project.  I'm searching for the best/easiest 3D fractal generating
    software to use ... and one that exports into some sort of 3D MODEL format ... not just
    making cool/pretty/interesting 2D IMAGES.

    Does anybody have any suggestions recommendations?

Greetings, and Welcome to this particular Forum !!!   

Sockratease has already mentioned two places that I would try first:
  •  The many varied programs by Terry W. Gintz at Mystic Fractal.
  •  And the one by Garth Thornton at XenoDream.

Terry's programs should export into many different 3-D file formats, the .OBJ is just one of them.

    It's a little overwhelming stepping into this realm (initially) of finding a good match of
    software and (my) skills ... or lack thereof!  
    The formulas and mathematics are a little mind-numbing.  I'm hoping to find a software
    that is intuitive and less reliant on "numbers".

I am afraid that when you deal with fractals, working with numbers is something one can not get away from.  A good thing about XenoDream is the ability to "drag" field values in directions to rapidly change numerical parameters, which can save a lot of guess work when one wishes to just play around with various images.
 

[SBrown9]

Thanks for the reply. I realize that I can't hide from the mathematics completely (or forever). I think I may need to experiment with several applications to find a good fit.

Thanks for the help!

[Bent-Winged Angel]

sbrown9 feel the same way about "hiding from the math" However there must be a balance of what is nesseccary VS thosae who absolutely love the math aspect.  For example with "fractal Forge" I jst cannot get the hang if animation.  ChaosPro it has been slow but steady progress.  Now with "fractal Explorer it has come fairly easily. We all have differing strenths & weakness. Soo ya just gotta find the "right fit" 

[bib]

Yes I have tried that. What I can't do for example is to draw a distinct shadow of a peak on a plane surface, like if the shadow strengh depends only on the surface normal, and not on objects around projecting their own shadows.

Just a quick hint because this thread is not only related to M3D:
You have to turn the hard shadow option in its tab on before rendering, only the amount and gradient can then be changed after rendering. Of course, it takes some more time to render because an additional ray must be calculated.

Jesse I forgot to tell you it's been a few days since I understood how hard shadows work. At first I had not understood that the angle was to be set up in the main window, not in the lighting window. So everything is perfect. Now I still need to figure out how I can make the best use of the BMP feature in lighting
Sorry for the off-topic, but the parallel discussion started here

[Jesse]

Jesse I forgot to tell you it's been a few days since I understood how hard shadows work. At first I had not understood that the angle was to be set up in the main window, not in the lighting window. So everything is perfect. Now I still need to figure out how I can make the best use of the BMP feature in lighting
Sorry for the off-topic, but the parallel discussion started here

Not really OT, but maybe too specific...
but dont spend too much time for the BMP feature because i change this in the future version to a background/ambient light.
If i ever will be ready with the next version, just have to change the half program (thats why i may moan sometimes  )

[Bent-Winged Angel]

Has anyone noticed any correlations between experience levels & programs?

[Wel lEnTaoed]

One thing I have noticed is that some of the fractal generaters I use (freeware)  do not seem to come from a secure sight.

[Nahee_Enterprises]

    One thing I have noticed is that some of the fractal generaters I use (freeware) 
    do not seem to come from a secure sight.

Like anything in this digital age, one needs to be wary of what they download and where it came from.  Sometimes even the well known software distribution sites will have problematic downloads.

For many years now, I have offered downloads of several hundred fractal applications for just about every OS environment.  But I test them very thoroughly before uploading to my site.  To this day, there has never been one single complaint or problem with the files when it comes to malware.
 

[Bent-Winged Angel]

One thing I have noticed, is that here there is help & support with some programs.  I have been doing this for just under a yr. now.  (self taught)  I have tried a few "freewares"  Chaospro, Chaoscope, Fractal Forge, Fractal explorer & most recently Mandelbulb3d Jesse's program?  I t appears that here that is the main program.  Which I'm really liking it>  Could the problem be with the other programs... is that developer is MIA?

[lenord]

One thing I have noticed, is that here there is help & support with some programs.  I have been doing this for just under a yr. now.  (self taught)  I have tried a few "freewares"  Chaospro, Chaoscope, Fractal Forge, Fractal explorer & most recently Mandelbulb3d Jesse's program?  I t appears that here that is the main program.  Which I'm really liking it>  Could the problem be with the other programs... is that developer is MIA?

FractalExplorer has a Site with all kinds of Tutorials and info as well as a Mailing list keeping subscribers to it up to date with the goings on with FE users, That's where I got Started with Fractals. Most Freebie apps have no support because no monies are generated by sales of it to support anything dedicated to it.

[Bent-Winged Angel]

FractalExplorer has a Site with all kinds of Tutorials and info as well as a Mailing list keeping subscribers to it up to date with the goings on with FE users, That's where I got Started with Fractals. Most Freebie apps have no support because no monies are generated by sales of it to support anything dedicated to it.
[/quote]

yes I love FE... buuut is does not do 3D.  Yes I found 3d landscape, but it won't take other images.  Also I  noticed that here on FF there will be forums/galleries that arew closed.  Hard to get folks into specific programs that way.  Or at least other programs that "management" are not into..  Everything is political!  lol

[David Makin]

> Also I  noticed that here on FF there will be forums/galleries that arew closed

? As far as I know the only closed galleries/forums are the old completed competitions....but then again it's not something I check.

[lenord]

Yes I love FE... buuut is does not do 3D.  Yes I found 3d landscape, but it won't take other images.  Also I  noticed that here on FF there will be forums/galleries that arew closed.  Hard to get folks into specific programs that way.  Or at least other programs that "management" are not into..  Everything is political!  lol

You didn't specify 2d or 3d, you just mentioned FE and I knew it is a heavily supported app. I rarely use it anymore but it is still near and dear because it started me on this amazing journey into the Fractalverse. As far as FractalForums, I had never heard of this place until I went in search of MB3D because of the amazing Images from it I was seeing at Renderosity and DA. Since, I've learned more about Fractals here than any other site, that's Fractals themselves, their generation, not apps. Most of the details goes right over my head, Ohm' law and Kirchhoff' law , some Sinewave analysis is about as advanced as I get in Mathmatics, but the threory is compelling reading nonetheless. As far as apps go it seems to me trial and error is the best teacher, haven't found one yet that can't be figured out within a few hours of use, maybe not master it but use it, mastering anything takes time. hell I've been using MojoWorld for 2.5 years and still figuring it out but hey, serendipity is the spice of life.

[Bent-Winged Angel]

Closed galleries ... fractal explorer, chaoscope, chaospro, yep just about all the programs I use. lol

When I 1st started this thread I was only using chaospro. Now that I've added a few I noticed that the program I use depends on what I want to accomplish. There is no perfect program.

[Nahee_Enterprises]

    Closed galleries ... fractal explorer, chaoscope, chaospro, yep just about all the programs I use.

Those specific galleries are not closed.  People just do not post in them that often.  The only ones that I know of which are closed are the Contest Galleries.

    Now that I've added a few [programs] I noticed that the program I use depends on
    what I want to accomplish.  There is no perfect program.

Now that is a very truthful and insightful statement.  Something I have been telling people for almost two decades now when it comes to fractal software.  The more one learns about what is available, and learns what each is capable of, the more they will be able to accomplish.

But some people would rather waste many hours, if not many days or weeks, trying to get something created under a specific application, instead of just using what others have already made available.  (I think it comes down to hardheadedness and stubbornness.)