July 2003 - Fractint - mailman.xmission.com

FOTD 10-07-03 (Madhouse [4])
by JimMuth＠aol.com 10 Jul '03

10 Jul '03

FOTD -- July 10, 2003 (Rating 4) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Well, the fractal phone is still not working and the place is still a madhouse. It's an intermittent problem that appears only when the repairman is not here. Today's fractal has accordingly been named "Madhouse". It features a pathetic remnant of a midget and no order at all. I rated it a 4 because it's not very good. Luckily, it's a quick one. And downloading the image from: <http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/FotD/FotD.html> or: <http://sdboyd.dyndns.org/~sdboyd/fotd/index.html> is even faster. The cats were cranky on Wednesday and so was the fractalist. The next FOTD will hopefully appear in 24 hours. Jim Muth jamth(a)mindspring.com jimmuth(a)aol.com START 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE================================ Madhouse { ; time=0:02:49.88--SF5 on a P200 reset=2002 type=formula formulafile=allinone.frm formulaname=MandelbrotMix2 function=recip passes=1 center-mag=39.8495/-25.2642/0.1510465/1/-137.5/-5.\ 05012698326368081e-014 params=0.905/1.5/-1/-1.5/-0\ .15/0/0/0 float=y maxiter=3000 inside=255 logmap=28 periodicity=10 colors=000d6Wb5Va5U`5TZ5SY5RX5QW5QUBUTGYRLaQRdOWhN\ `lLfoKksIpwHtzIrwJotKlqLinMfkNchO`ePYcQV`RSYSPVTMS\ UJPVGMWEKZOLaYMdfNgpOjyPhuQgrRfoSdlTciUbfVabW__XZX\ YYUZWR_VO`UKaTHbREcQBdP8eO5eP8gPAhPDiPFjQHkQKlQMmQ\ OoRRpRTqRVrRYsR_tSbuSdwSfxSiyTkzTmzTpzTrzTtzVopWjb\ XePY`CkebkchjIomKjoLfqMbtNZvOVxPRzQNzRJzSFzTBtUHhV\ MWWSKWXNT_QQaTNcWKeZIgXJfWJfVKfUKfTLfRLeQMePMeONeN\ NeMOeKOdJPdIPdHQdGQdFQdESbETaEV`EW_EXZEZYE_XD`VDbU\ DcTDdSDfRDgQDhPIdXN`cSXkXTraQjyXjwYjvZjuZjs_lr_nq`\ pp`rnatmavlbxkbziazhazfazeazcazbaz`az_azYazXazVazU\ `zS`zR`zP`zO`zM`zL`zJ`zI`zG`zF`zE`zF_zFZzFZzFYzFYz\ FXzFWzFWzFVzFVzFUzFTzFTzFSzFSzFRzFQzFQzFPzFPzFOzFO\ zLPzRQzWQzaRzgSzlSzrTzxUzzUzzWzwYzt_zq`znbzkdziezf\ gzciz`jzYlzVnzSpzQqzNszKuzHvzExzBzz9zzCxzEvzGtzIqz\ KozMmzOkzQhzSfzUdzXazZ_z`YzbWzdTzfRzhPzjMzlKznIzpG\ zmIzjJzgKzdLzaNz_OzXPzzzp } frm:MandelbrotMix2 {; Jim Muth a=real(p1), b=imag(p1), d=real(p2), f=imag(p2), g=1/f, h=1/d, j=1/(f-b), z=(((-a*b*g*h)^j)+(p4)), k=real(p3)+1, l=imag(p3)+100, c=fn1(pixel): z=k*((a*(z^b))+(d*(z^f)))+c, |z| < l } END 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE==================================

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Russ, Would you please try the following? Thanks...
by Harold Lane 10 Jul '03

10 Jul '03

=============================================== Russ, Thanks for letting me know what happens when you use <Alt>Enter to cycle DOS window maximization in Win XP when going back and forth between Fractint and the Win XP desktop. Would you please try the following to see if it will avoid corrupting your Fractint image and Win XP desktop when switching between Fractint and WinXP? Thanks in advance... - IMPORTANT! Put textsafe=save into sstools.ini - Run Fractint your usual way - Begin to calculate an image (use SF7) - View a text screen in Fractint (hit Tab while calculating or viewing the image) - Type the key combination <Alt>Enter to change the full screen text to windowed text. Use Windows XP normally. - Click on the Fractint window to select it - Type the key combination <Alt>Enter to change the windowed text to full screen. - Hit Tab again and you will be back to calculating your image. The key idea here is that the switching between DOS and Win XP will be done from a DOS *text* screen, which should be easier for XP to get right. Also, if I understand textsafe=save correctly, your image will be written to a temporary file when you switch to the text screen so the video mode associated with the image will not be involved in the window context switching at all. Are the image and your desktop still corrupted when you use this procedure? <==<< If this procedure no longer corrupts the image and desktop, does it work in both Home and Pro versions of Win XP? <==<< - Hal Lane hallane @ compuserve.com =============================================== > > <======<< <======<< <======<< > >Will an XP user please let me know if the > ><Alt>Enter key combination is still bound > >to the action of switching between a > >windowed and full screen **DOS** text > >window? > > <======<< <======<< <======<< > Yes, but a return to full screen eventually takes both > my XP Home desktop and XP Pro laptop to a partially > rendered and sometimes slightly garbled fractal image > (in SF7 video mode). > Ciao, Russ ===============================================

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Versions of DOS to run Fractint under
by Harold Lane 10 Jul '03

10 Jul '03

========================================= Kevin, Fractint doesn't need to be on the same floppy that boots DOS. Put Fractint 20.0 and its fractint.cfg on a separate 1.4MB floppy. One would want to boot DOS from a floppy and read Fractint from a 2nd floppy only for the purpose of establishing whether you are having problems with you video hardware or just with the XP video drivers. I also recommend putting textsafe=save into a SSTOOLS.INI file on the same floppy as Fractint since it is the most conservative and thus most likely to work method of insuring nondestructive text and video image swapping. If you do not need the version of DOS that you boot to be able to read your hard drive (as in the scenario above) any relatively recent version of DOS should do. (Say, 4.0 on thru the DOSes that come with Win 9X.) If you want DOS to be able to read a FAT32 partition on your hard drive (as in the scenario that Tim Wegner described and I copied below) you need the DOS from Win98 or a DOS specially written to have this capability. I am not certain, but I assume that Win ME has a DOS that can read FAT32. The DOS from Win95 and earlier DOSes cannot read FAT32. And Windows NT and 2000 have no DOS. An afterthought - laptops often have non-standard video hardware so one can expect to find a few more problems and fewer working compatible video modes than found in the video hardware in desktops. For a good overview of Fractint and video hardware see Noel Giffin's: http://spanky.triumf.ca/www/fractint/hardware_modes.html You will probably want to run Makefcfg (that comes with fractint) from DOS (put it on the floppy with Fractint or on a separate floppy) to have it create a fractint.cfg file compatible with your video hardware. "Makefcfg 1.0 -- A Fractint video utility by The Stone Soup Group" "Makefcfg reads your VESA Video BIOS and writes a Fractint fractint.cfg file with VESA video modes set up." Re Tim's recommendation to "Make a FAT32 partition for fractint"... I recommend that you use Partition Commander or Partition Magic to do this. DOS's FDISK will delete Win XP if you attempt to create a FAT32 partition on your existing hard drive. You also wrote: > ...in the standard video setting, I get an image, then > garbage when I try to leave it. If I set textsave=safe, I > cannot leave it. I can use the windows key to switch out, > and when I go back to fractint, the image is still there. On my Gateway desktop machine running Win98 to safely go between a running copy of Fractint and back to the Windows desktop I: - Put textsafe=save into sstools.ini - View any text screen in Fractint (say, hit Tab while calculating an image) - Type the key combination <Alt>Enter to change the fullscreen text to a window. I can then use my Windows normally. - Click on the window title bar to select the window (rather than in its interior) when you want to go back to Fractint. - Type the key combination <Alt>Enter to change the windowed text to full screen. - Hit Tab again and you are back to calculating your image. Note that Fractint does not contine calculating your image while you are viewing the Tab or X screens. I do not know if this method will work under Win XP I but offer it as something that works consistantly in Win98 for me and might possibly be of help in Win XP. If I don't adhere strictly to the above, the video in Fractint is corrupted or the Fractint task is terminated by Win98. <======<< <======<< <======<< Will an XP user please let me know if the <Alt>Enter key combination is still bound to the action of switching between a windowed and full screen **DOS** text window? <======<< <======<< <======<< The only way I have been able to figure out how to have Fractint continue calculating an image while I am using my machine for other windowed tasks is to use a Disk Video mode. After starting a fractal calculation in Disk Video mode I then use <Alt>Enter to make the text mode Disk Video window of Fractint a window on my desktop. I move the window to where I can see the status message: "Image has been completed" when is done. I have had a dozen copies of Fractint calculating Disk Video images at the same time successfully with no problems other than a decrease in Windows' responsiveness. =============================================== >Kevin asked: >> Ok what dos either can read NTFS or fit with fractint on a floppy? Tim Wegner replied: >Make a FAT32 partition for fractint and keep Fractint there. This >will be accessible under XP but also under DOS. You could then dual >boot or boot from a floppy, and run Fractint off the hard drive in >the FAT32 partition. - Hal Lane hallane @ compuserve.com ===============================================

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No FOTD for July 09, 2003
by Jim Muth 10 Jul '03

10 Jul '03

With unexpected work, telephone repairmen climbing all over the place, cranky cats and severe storms forecast, there is just no time to find a fractal for July 09. The FOTD for July 10 will most likely appear on schedule. Sorry, fractal fans. Jim M.

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Re: [Fractint] Versions of DOS to run Fractint under
by Russell Walsmith 09 Jul '03

09 Jul '03

--------- Original Message --------- DATE: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 12:29:40 From: Harold Lane <hallane(a)compuserve.com> To: Fractint <fractint(a)mailman.xmission.com> Cc: > <======<< <======<< <======<< >Will an XP user please let me know if the ><Alt>Enter key combination is still bound >to the action of switching between a >windowed and full screen **DOS** text >window? > <======<< <======<< <======<< Yes, but a return to full screen eventually takes both my XP Home desktop and XP Pro laptop to a partially rendered and sometimes slightly garbled fractal image (in SF7 video mode). Ciao, Russ

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Source Editors
by Programmer Dude 08 Jul '03

08 Jul '03

Tim Wegner wrote: >> And, sorry, it's not for me. I'm a vi guy. > > So am I, but I'll have you know that many tens of thousands of lines > of Fractint's code were typed in using Wordstar under DOS :-) Ah, an old, old friend! WordStar was my first serious editor, too! My folks made me take a typing course, so the "hands-in-home-position" paradigm of WordStar was a joy for me. I used WordPerfect a lot, too (my cousin was really into it, and it was used in my company as well), but that was all Function keys. I later found the "best" MS-DOS editor: QEdit. Multiple split screens, macros, user-configurable....it was my primary editor for many, many years (didn't have to remember to "Save As Text"). > I even had to write a little utility to strip out the ^Z at the > bottom oif each file I edited ... You know, I think I wrote one of those, too! > I'm not sure about Jonathan, but if memory serves Bert Tyler used > Wordstar also. I have never found another editor that does column > block operations as well as Wordstar. QEdit did. And QEdit was freeware! ;-) -- |_ CJSonnack <Chris(a)Sonnack.com> _____________| How's my programming? | |_ http://www.Sonnack.com/ ___________________| Call: 1-800-DEV-NULL | |_____________________________________________|_______________________|

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re: FOTD 08-07-03 (Cellular Fractal [6])
by Programmer Dude 08 Jul '03

08 Jul '03

Jim Muth wrote: > My day will be better if they can get the fractal phone fixed > sometime today and keep it fixed this time. Until then, I have > the use of another phone and ample other work to distract me > from the bumbling attempts at phone repair. Isn't that a little unkind? Do you *know* they are "bumbling" attempts? Or could they be skilled attempts faced with difficult conditions? -- |_ CJSonnack <Chris(a)Sonnack.com> _____________| How's my programming? | |_ http://www.Sonnack.com/ ___________________| Call: 1-800-DEV-NULL | |_____________________________________________|_______________________|

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FOTD 08-07-03 (Cellular Fractal [6])
by Jim Muth 08 Jul '03

08 Jul '03

FOTD -- July 08, 2003 (Rating 6) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: The fractal phone, which had just been repaired, went out again Monday afternoon. When I last checked, it was still not working. As a result, I had to use an alternate connection and today's FOTD is once again late. The parent fractal is an impossible-to-describe, oversized nest of bays and pieces with X-axis symmetry, produced when 9 parts of Z^(-2.1) are subtracted from 9 parts of Z^(-1.9). A long, looping, zig-zagging filament extends east of the main action. Today's scene is located very close to the point where this filament crosses the X-axis. When rendered in the traditional manner, with the outside colored according to the iteration count, today's image is . . . well, all right. When rendered with the outside colored by the 'tdis' option, today's image reaches FOTD status, and rates a 6, which equals a bit above average. When studying the image in search of a name, I was still annoyed by the out-of-service telephone. In my state of mind, I saw in the image the cells of a cellular phone system, which do not always switch as smoothly as they were originally supposed to do. I named the image "Cellular Fractal". Luckily, the attached parameter file runs smoother than a cellular phone switches cells, and it runs in 3-1/2 minutes. With a good cellular connection, or a working wire connection, the finished GIF file can be downloaded in even less time from: <http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/FotD/FotD.html> and from: <http://sdboyd.dyndns.org/~sdboyd/fotd/index.html> The hot sun and temperature of 91F 28C here at Fractal Central on Monday was good enough to give the dynamic fractal cats a generous outing in the yard and an exciting adventure in the surrounding brush. For a brief period, a storm threatened, but passed by harmlessly to the south, permitting the duo to finish their afternoon of fun. Today looks like a repeat. Could the duo possibly have three good days in a row? My day will be better if they can get the fractal phone fixed sometime today and keep it fixed this time. Until then, I have the use of another phone and ample other work to distract me from the bumbling attempts at phone repair. Regardless, I'll return in 24 or so hours with another FOTD. Until then, take care, and maybe this second outage is not the phone company's fault. Jim Muth jamth(a)mindspring.com jimmuth(a)aol.com START 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE================================ Cellular_Fractal { ; time=0:03:37.67--SF5 on a P200 reset=2002 type=formula formulafile=allinone.frm formulaname=MandelbrotMix4 function=recip passes=1 center-mag=+3.81765632548784200/+0.000422484324479\ 60/2.134992e+010/1/-140/-0.0521980194412531157 params=9/-1.9/-9/-2.1/0/0 float=y maxiter=600 inside=0 outside=tdis periodicity=10 colors=000Xo8Xo4Xq2Xs0Xs0Xu0Vu0Vv0Vv0Vx0Vx0Vz0Vz0`\ z0dz0iz0mz0qz0vz0zz0zz0zz0zz0zz0zz0zz0zz0zz0zz0zz0\ zo0ze2zVEvLPiA`Z0kN0vC0zH0zN0zT0zX0zb2zg6zkCzqGzvJ\ zzPzzTzzXzzbzzezzizzozzszzvzzzzzuzzqzzmzzizzezzbzz\ ZzzVzzRzzNzzJzzGzvCzs8zq4zs6zu6zv6zx8zz8zz8xzCvzHs\ zLqzPozTmzXiz`gzdezibzm`zqZzuXzxTzzRzzPzzNzzRzzTzz\ XzxZzvbzudzqgzoizmmzkozgszeuzdvz`zzZzzXzzVzzRzzPzz\ NzzJzzHzzGzzEzzAzz8zz6zx2zu0zs0zo0zm0zi0zg0zd0zb0z\ Z0xX0vT0uR0sP0oP0mN0kN0gL0eL0dL0`J0ZJ0XH0TH2RG4PG6\ LG8JECHEEECGCCJAAL6AN4AP28R48R46T66T66V64V84X82XA2\ ZA2ZA0`C0`C0bE0bE0bE6dCEeALg8Ti6Zk6em4mm2uo0zq0zs0\ zu0zv0zx0zx0zz0zz0zz0zz0zz0zz2zz4zz4zz6xz8uzAqzAmz\ CizEezGbzGizNozTvz`zzezvkzsszoxzmzzeuzZkzRbzJTzCJz\ 4Az00zZezzzzzzzzzzzvzzozzezzZuzRozJizCqzHvzLzoPzdT\ zRXzG`z2dz0gz0kz0bz0Vg0LP0E60640A40C`ei`ee`eb`e``e\ X`eVZgRZiPZiLZkJZkGZmEXmA } frm:MandelbrotMix4 {; Jim Muth a=real(p1), b=imag(p1), d=real(p2), f=imag(p2), g=1/f, h=1/d, j=1/(f-b), z=(-a*b*g*h)^j, k=real(p3)+1, l=imag(p3)+100, c=fn1(pixel): z=k*((a*(z^b))+(d*(z^f)))+c, |z| < l } END 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE==================================

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Port to java
by Thaddaeus Parker 07 Jul '03

07 Jul '03

To all: I have a question concerning the different ports that Spanky has ongoing. Are there any efforts to port the awesomeness of Fractint over to Java? I see NT, Linux, and a few others, but I am curious about utilizing the cross platform capability of Java to enhance the Fractint feel. Has the Stone Soup Group thought about it? Or would a port to Java be too inhibitive? Your thoughts? T. Parker

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FOTD 07-07-03 (Rings [4])
by JimMuth＠aol.com 07 Jul '03

07 Jul '03

FOTD -- July 07, 2003 (Rating 4) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Due to heavy weather at Fractal Central last evening, today's FOTD is both late and brief. What do you get if you subtract Z^2.1 from Z^1.9? You get a Mandelbrot set that is splitting up, but does not know which way to split. In addition to being rotated 180 degrees, the figure has two main stems, and East Valley, now on the west side, has split into two separate valleys, with a broad area between them containing a whole new world. Today's scene is located in a basin rather deep in the northern half of East Valley. With little thought, I named today's image "Rings". Then I rated it at a 4. The rating of 4 is honest. There is little in the image that has not been seen many times before, and I gave little effort to the coloring. The slow render time of 46 minutes is mostly due to the high maxiter of most of the elements of the image. But this 3/4 hour wait can be avoided by downloading the finished GIF image from: <http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/FotD/FotD.html> or from: <http://sdboyd.dyndns.org/~sdboyd/fotd/index.html> Sunday was sunny and hot here at Fractal Central, with a temperature of 93F 34C, giving the dynamic cats a lazy afternoon in the yard. But at sunset a severe thunder-storm moved in, cutting both power and phone service. The power was back on within three hours, but the phone was out until 3pm today. I've still got a bit of work to get caught up on, so until next FOTD, take care, and enjoy fractals. Jim Muth jamth(a)mindspring.com jimmuth(a)aol.com START 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE================================ Rings { ; time=0:46:10.66--SF5 on a p200 reset=2002 type=formula formulafile=allinone.frm formulaname=MandelbrotMix4 function=ident passes=1 center-mag=-0.10603072257787430/+0.687760382223484\ 00/3122560/1/107.5/3.88578058618804789e-016 params=1/1.9/-1/2.1/0/0 float=y maxiter=12000 inside=0 logmap=817 periodicity=10 colors=000VOdXPh_QlaRpeRucSsaSq`TpZTnYTlWUkVUiTVhR\ VfQVdOWcNWaLX`KXZIXXGYWFYUDZTCZRAZP9_O7_M6_L7ZN8ZO\ 8YP9YQAXRAXSBXTCWUCWVDVXDVYEUZFU_FU`GTaHTbHScISdJR\ dISeISeHTfHTfGUgGUgFVhFVhFWiEWiEXjDXjDYkCYkCZlCZlB\ _mB_mA`nA`n9ao9ao9ao8bi7bd7c_6cV7eR6cQ6bP6aO6`N6_N\ 6ZM6YL6XK6WK6UJ6TI6SH6RG6QG6PF6OE6ND4LC6MD8ME9NEBN\ FCOFEOGFPGHPHJQIKQIMRJNRJPSKQSKSTLUTMVUMXUNYVN_VO`\ WObWPcWP__SXbVUeYQh`NlcKofGriDul9ypAxnBwmCvkDujEth\ FsgGreHqdIpbJoaKn`LmZMlYNkWOjVPiTQhSRgQSfPTeNUdMUd\ MVdLciFln9zz1ww3rr5sm7qc9pZBo`DmOFlJHkEJk0Oj9LZIIM\ mF8hDAgCCcCEZCGUBIPBKKBM_AO_AQ_AS_9h_9m_9m_8r_8m_A\ haKccUYecXfmWgmVchT_hSYhRUhQPhPKhO9hP8hQ8hQ7hR7hS6\ hS6hT5hA56A45A44A34A33A22A22A11A11AB6AOBAUFAUKCUTE\ UOGUJKUFURIcULcXOc_RcbTceWchZckacnccqfctiGwlGzrEzn\ DzjczfczbczZczVczRczRczNczKCzHFzDIzAJz5Kz7Lz9LzBMz\ DMzFNzHOzJOzLPzNOzUQzYTza } frm:MandelbrotMix4 {; Jim Muth a=real(p1), b=imag(p1), d=real(p2), f=imag(p2), g=1/f, h=1/d, j=1/(f-b), z=(-a*b*g*h)^j, k=real(p3)+1, l=imag(p3)+100, c=fn1(pixel): z=k*((a*(z^b))+(d*(z^f)))+c, |z| < l } END 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE==================================

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