FOTD 22-08-02 (Square in Sight [7])
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==================================
Jim,
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.
The released version is pretty well debugged. There will surely be bugs found, as is the case with any program release. Thus far, problem reports have been minimal.
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.
I haven't seen this exchange. Perhaps it took place somewhere that wasn't archived, or before the archives were created. In any case, what harm is there in asking questions?
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.
This sounds derogatory. Is that what you meant?
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.
I'm curious here. Do you raise the same concerns about all the other programs that have some degree of Fractint compatibility in them, some of which are 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, unless you consider Frederik to be a liar, there is absolutely ZERO code from Fractint used in UF. If you check the Feb 1999 archives at the link Paul posted, you can see an exchange with Frederik and Tim on this very issue. Frederik commented that he had never looked at the Fractint code.
Well, I guess it's time to move on from ethics to today's fractal,
"Ethics"? Now that's an interesting term considering the comments up to this point. :-) Ken...
Ken wrote:
I haven't seen this exchange. Perhaps it took place somewhere that wasn't archived, or before the archives were created.
You won't find it. The discussion with Frederik took place on the old Compuserve forum.
Well, unless you consider Frederik to be a liar, there is absolutely ZERO code from Fractint used in UF.
Ultrafractal is written in another language, so it is unlikely there is any Fractint code in Ultrafractal. On the other hand, the Fractint team (myself in particular) spent a lot of time answering Frederick's detailed questions and giving him help. He certainly never indicated to us that he planned to use our help in a closed source program, and if he ever credited us, I am not aware of it. I
Frederik commented that he had never looked at the Fractint code.
I don't know if he saw it or not. The fractint source was and still is available for anyone to look at. While I don't object to Jim's bringing this up, I am not personally interested worrying about Ultrafractal's origins or spending any of my time on it. Fractint is based on open source and giving credit where it is due. Ultrafractal is based on neither. Frederick has every right to conduct himself as he has, whether you or I like it or not. So it's a dead issue. Tim
Tim,
Fractint is based on open source and giving credit where it is due. Ultrafractal is based on neither. Frederick has every right to conduct himself as he has, whether you or I like it or not. So it's a dead issue.
Judging from Jim's comments, and the couple that followed, it apparently isn't a dead issue for some. I responded because I didn't think a public insinuation, if not accusation, that Frederik stole code for UF was very ethical. In fact, I consider it more unethical than anything anyone else has done by making their programs include some degree of Fractint compatibility. Ken...
I've been a Tweaker, Zoomer and Mapper since 1995-6 when I first picked up Fractint all those years ago. I have still to write my completely original par or frm file. The most I can ever do is to modify or tweak this variable or that parameter or frm file only a couple characters or digits here and there. I am still in utter awe of those pure "codists" who can cresate completely original and unique works of fractal art from a completely new and original frm or par file. For myself, the real miralcle of Fractint is that it only takes a little tweak, or modification to an existing par, map or frm file and even a complete tyro like myslef can create a completely unique an original work of art that never existed before. Now that's really amazing! Even though I probably have the slowest Fractint learning curve of all time, since I'm only now just begining to figure how it works, I'm still able to create original, new, and attactive art with Fractint. In these Copyright Crazed days not as many folk are posting their Par and Frm files as generously as they used to... So the problem for an aging "newbie" like myself is to try to glean "how it was done" from trying to deconstruct, analyse, and reverse engineer Gif files that Fractint produces back into par files. Apparently whether or not it's in complianceof some arcane copyright claim re: the usage & generation of Gif files, or a simple act of protecting one's own personal work from plagerism, many web cruising Fractint artists now convert their work from the "intelligent" venerable *.gif format to a "dumb" format like a jpeg, from which you cannot glean anything or deconstruct to a par file. Here's my question to the still existing Fractint fans out there: Can anyone suggest any other "learning methods", for analysing, deconstructing and reverse engineering existing "finished" fractint *.gif ( and possibly even jpeg) files? Can any of the image files produced by UF be deconstructed & reverse engineeered back into *.upr files? All the best, TG
Hi Tony, - I've been a Tweaker, Zoomer and Mapper since 1995-6 when I first - picked up Fractint all those years ago. I started with FractInt in 1994, I think... I had a lot of fun using it. - In these Copyright Crazed days not as many folk are posting their - Par and Frm files as generously as they used to... So the problem - for an aging "newbie" like myself is to try to glean "how it was - done" from trying to deconstruct, analyse, and reverse engineer - Gif files that Fractint produces back into par files. If it's a FractInt GIF, it should contain the same information as was in the PAR. So if you have the GIF, you should be able to do as much with the image as if you had the PAR. - Apparently whether or not it's in complianceof some arcane - copyright claim re: the usage & generation of Gif files, or a - simple act of protecting one's own personal work from plagerism, - many web cruising Fractint artists now convert their work from - the "intelligent" venerable *.gif format to a "dumb" format like - a jpeg, from which you cannot glean anything or deconstruct to a - par file. While I am sure some people happily consider that a benefit of converting the images to JPEG, the truth is that a straight GIF -> JPEG conversion results in some pretty horrendous compression artifacts. If one is simply asking to strip off the FractInt parameter information it is much easier to load the GIF image with a program that does not understand the FractInt parameter block, and then save it again. This gives you a perfect, lossless image without artifacts but also without parameters. I find that a more compelling reason to use JPEG is when an image has been anti-aliased, to improve the image quality. The result of anti-aliasing is a 24-bit image, which doesn't fit well into the GIF format. It fits very well into the JPEG format, however. I think it should be quite possible to write parameters into a JPEG comment block but fractal software would need to know how to deal with that. - Here's my question to the still existing Fractint fans out there: - Can anyone suggest any other "learning methods", for analysing, - deconstructing and reverse engineering existing "finished" - fractint *.gif ( and possibly even jpeg) files? If you can deconstruct a JPEG or no-PAR GIF back into its fractal parameters, you probably don't *need* to do so, as you're already far beyond the skills of even the most advanced fractal spelunkers. :) When I look at an image for which I don't have parameters, I might try to guess the fractal formula first. Sometimes it's easy to spot Mandelbrot or Julia fractals, but not always, as those types of structures can appear in other fractals, too. But on top of that you have the issue of coloring--you might be able to spot the basic FractInt types, but what do you do when someone has coded a custom coloring type into FractInt? (Or even coded a 24-bit coloring algorithm with multiple layers?) You can try to reverse-engineer, but if someone doesn't want to share the parameters with you, you might end up being better off just starting from scratch and thinking of ways to achieve similar effects. What it really boils down to is being prepared to spend a lot of time experimenting. - Can any of the image files produced by UF be deconstructed & reverse - engineeered back into *.upr files? It's often harder to do this for UF images than for FractInt images because of the larger library of coloring techniques available for UF, which can often make it harder to discern the fractal type used. So basically, no, if someone doesn't want to share a UF UPR with you, it's going to be difficult to reverse-engineer it. Damien M. Jones \\ dmj@fractalus.com \\ Fractalus Galleries & Info: \\ http://www.fractalus.com/ Please do not post my e-mail address on a web site or in a newsgroup. Thank you.
participants (5)
-
Damien M. Jones -
Jim Muth -
Ken Childress -
Tim Wegner -
Tony Parker