FOTD -- August 22, 2002 (Rating 7) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: Checking the fractal gossip lines, I see that a new version of the fractal generating program preferred by the trendy fractal crowd has just been released. I already have the previous version of the program, though I rarely use it, so I may or may not eventually pick up this newest version, for which the program's author is charging a nominal upgrade fee. In any case, I'll wait until a debugged version appears. I have nothing against the performance of this other program, it's a fine fractal generator, but I remember several years ago, when the Fractint list was receiving queries from the author of the other program, asking questions about the operation of the Fractint code. Shortly thereafter, the other program appeared on the scene as a shareware product, and the 'I'm an artist' crowd left the Fractint list to flock to the other program. So far, so good, but I wonder how much of the original Fractint code now resides in slightly modified form in the other program, which is being sold for profit. Something not quite ethical appears to have happened somewhere along the line, but neither I nor apparently anyone else can pin it down. Well, I guess it's time to move on from ethics to today's fractal, which was generated by the old-fashioned Fractint program aided by the MandelbrotMix4 formula. The expression 6Z^(-0.7)-0.12Z^(2.2)+(1/C) was iterated to create the parent fractal, which consists of a large double-lobed Mandeloid with a smaller satellite Mandeloid just to the east. Today's midget lies deep in the main valley on the east side of the large Mandeloid. I named today's image "Square in Sight". No square features actually exist in the image, but the coloring gives the appearance that the midget lies in the center of a square. This illusory square inspired the name. I feel that the rating of 7 is justified in light of the fact that the pattern around the midget is different enough to warrant notice. The render time in the 4-minute range is short enough to make running the parameter file practical and long enough to make it interesting. As always, those who would rather avoid parameter files may download the completed image from Paul's web site at: <http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/FotD/FotD.html> or from Scott's site at: <http://sdboyd.dyndns.org/~sdboyd/fotd/index.html> The fractal weather was typical mid-summer fare here at Fractal Central on Wednesday. The high temperature of 88F 31C was just about average; the moderately high humidity and stagnant air were also average for mid-summer. The fractal cat duo had an average day -- one hour outdoors lounging in the shade, 22-3/4 hours indoors lounging on the floor, 1/4 hour eating. With another day's work before me, I'd best get busy without delay. Until the next glorious FOTD appears on August 24, take care, and remain steadfast. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com jimmuth@aol.com START 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE================================ Square_in_Sight { ; time=0:04:16.99--SF5 on a P200 reset=2002 type=formula formulafile=allinone.frm formulaname=MandelbrotMix4 function=recip passes=1 center-mag=-0.42420968295669740/-0.001119486396590\ 06/4.82806e+009/1/-70/2.93649964008824149e-006 params=6/-0.7/-0.12/2.2/0/0 float=y maxiter=750 inside=0 logmap=81 periodicity=10 colors=000M0aO0cP0dQ0eS0eT0fV0fX0gY0i_0j`0la1mc3od\ 4pf6rg7jf9cd6Xg4Qj3Lm3Fp19s03vF0yM0zT0rM0jF6cMFVSP\ O`YGif7rp0uy`zz0zz0zz1xy4uv7rsAorDloGilJfiMcfP`d_P\ jiDos1uz0yx0vs3soArjGodOm`TjX_gSffMlcIsaDy_9sYCoiD\ _uFJzAMu7Ol3Qa0ST0YX0cj0_l0Vl0Sm3Om6LmAGoDDoI9oM4p\ P1pT0pX0r`0rc0rf0si0sl0sm0sp0ss3uu4ux7uzAuzCuzDpzD\ mzDizDfzDazD_yFXyFSyFPyFLyFIyFFsIDmJCiLAcO9_P9TQ7P\ S6JV4DX39Y33`10a00c00d00`6AXDMSLXOQgJYrFdzAlz7rzAs\ zDuzGvzJxyLxvOysQzpTzoVzmYyl`xjcuifsgirflofmmdplcs\ iavg`yf_zcYzaYz`0r00m00h30eA0cG0fM0iT0l_0of0rl0ur1\ sm9rjGpgOodVma`l_cgXfcTi_QlVOoQLrMIuKFrPCmUAhZ3cc0\ Zh1Ym4Yr7XvCXvFXvIVuLVuPVuSTsVTsYTsaSudSvgSxjPyiOz\ gLzgJzfGzfFzdCzdAzc7zc6za4zaazmzzxzzpzzjzzczzYzzQz\ zLzzDzz7zz1zz7zzCzzGzzLzzPzzTzz_zzczzgzzlyzpxzuvzy\ xzzxzzyzzyzzzzzzzzzzzzzXzz0zz0vz4lzAczGTzMLzQPzOSz\ LXzI_zFXzDVzCTzCSzAuzszzx } 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==================================