Fractal Frenzy 1/WalnutCreekFractalFrenzy-1.iso/pc/readme.txt

Text File | 1994-04-06 | 20KB | 390 lines

Walnut Creek CDROM and Lee H Skinner proudly present Fractal Frenzy, V2.0.
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To use this disc, change drives to your CD-ROM drive and type VIEW in
the root directory of the CD-ROM drive.  The VIEW program will then
display a listing of the subdirectories on the disc.  Use the cursor
keys to move the highlight bar, and press ENTER to change into that
subdirectory.  The VIEW program will then display a list of files
within that subdirectory.

To view a text or a graphics file, simply move the highlight bar to
the file you wish to view and press ENTER.

If you wish to run a slide show of a subdirectory, simply enter the
subdirectory you wish to view, then press the F3 key.  To pause the
slide show, press the SPACE bar.  To exit the slide show, press the
ESC key twice.

To copy files, move the highlight bar to the file you wish to copy
and press the 'C' key on your keyboard.

Have fun!  :-)

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Introduction

  This CDROM represents my explorations of Fractals during the last
three years using the freeware program Fractint.  I started out on an
IBM-286 and worked up through a 386-25 to a 486-25 DX2.  The latest
version of the program which generated these fractals is also
included, but it only runs on a PC, however, other viewers are
included for other platforms such as MacIntoshes, Amigas, NeXT, and
Sun Sparc.  The Fractint program also generates many other fractal
types that are not represented in my explorations, so this is not to
be a demonstration of the capabilities of the Fractint program.

   As a young grade school student, my favorite subject was math.  I
felt a kind of security in a subject which gave exact answers to any
problem - regardless of any opinions the teacher felt - if the rules
were known and followed, the one and only one correct answer was mine to
find.  If I mastered the techniques, then I could be assured of getting
perfect scores.   (I have learned since then that math, as well as life,
can never be that simple!)

   Later, proving Euclid's theorems made geometry fun and exciting.  I
sought out library books on math and geometry, including the
many-dimensional-geometry books of Coxeter and Sommerfield.  I devoured
Abbott's Flatland.  In college, I also independently rediscovered a
mathematical formula known as the Ackerman Generalized Exponential which
unites the arithmetic operations of addition, multiplication,
exponentiation and tetration.

   But there were other sides to me as well.  While growing up, my
parents gave me a deep respect for nature and wildness.  We went on
hikes and visited National Parks across the country.  I studied
everything in nature from Astronomy to coral reefs.  I collected and
grew tropical plants in my Florida garden.  Later I collected many of
the coffee-table books of nature such as those published by the Sierra
Club.

   I started collecting all kinds of maps that showed the physical
world. I massed thousands of topographic maps of interesting areas.
This hobby expanded into collecting USGS orthophotomaps, NASA maps of
the planets, shaded-relief maps, raised plastic maps, and even hundreds
of aerial photographs and landsat photos showing various terrains and
landforms.

   I had also started cave exploring, pursuing the underground darkness
in inticate mazes of various sized passages to discover new rooms where
the beautifully decorated formations that I found were to see photons
for the first time - from my own light.

   All of these seemingly disconnected parts of my background came
clashing together in a way that I could not possibly foresee.

   One day I received in the mail my copy of Scientific American with
what at first glance at the cover appeared to be some aspect of a solar
corona. Instead, it was a fractal image of part of part of the
Mandelbrot set.  When I then read the article and saw that this
beautiful picture (and others in the issue) was calculculated by
iterating with complex arithmetic on an absurdly simple formula (z
squared + c), I felt stunned, dumbfounded, flabbergasted - that such
richly decoritive beauty of such intricate complexity could itself
develop out of such a simple formula and algorithm.  And, this was not
some chemical or physical crystal, some network of biological growth, or
some human's artistic design. No!  This was pure mathematics based on
pure arithmetic.  Using the same calculations, a being in some distant
galaxy could re-create the exact same image down to the finest detail -
chaotic, yet repeatable.

   Though fascinated about the subject, I didn't really begin playing
around with fractals until I discovered Fractint 12.0.   I had already
played around with half a dozen other PC programs such as Fractal Magic
and Fractools, but mostly just to look at images made by others.  Over
the next three years I generated over 2000 images with Fractint.  When I
started, I had no artistic talent (as my earlier images will clearly
demonstrate).  But as I continued, I gradually developed the skills and
techniques to make good pictures.

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Using Fractint

   If you have a PC (386 or greater), create a directory called
Fractint, and copy the program FRAIN18.EXE into it.  This is a
self-extracting zipped file.  Executing FRAINT18 will create all of the
necessary files to run Fractint.  Fractint has a large documentation
file and plenty of on-line help.  Further explanation is available
in the book "Fractal Creations", published by the Waite Group Press.

   Skills must be developed over time - there is no substitute - but
some of the techniques I use can be passed along in the way of helpful
hints.  FRACTINT is a powerful number cruncher.  The more powerful PC
you have, the faster you can generate images.  The higher screen
resolution you have, the more beautiful your images will be.  You will
also need lots of disk storage if you intend to generate and keep at
hand a lot of images.  You will find FRACTINT complex, but easy to use.
Although the on-line help is nice, I strongly recommend that you do the
command FRACTINT MAKEDOC to generate a complete documentation file. Then
print it, read it all the way through to get some understanding about
the capabilities (you won't retain it all of course), and then keep it
by your computer (or on your disk) for a quick reference.  On your
printed copy, make margin notes, highlight items you want to come back
to, then start playing with those features that interest you or peak
your curiosity the most.  Take the time to really dive in and immerse
yourself in the program until you get a good enough handle to do those
things you chose automatically without referring to the documentation.
Learn specifically how to use the zoombox, random color pallettes and
the color pallette editor, parameter files, formula files, batch mode,
saving and restoring the screen during image generation, and how to
configure your preferences in the SSTOOLS.INI initialization file.
Learn how to use the windows accessed by the tab, t, x, y, and z keys
and how they may be used to access or modify parameters.  These are
basics - FRACTINT has many other features.  When you can comfortably use
these basics, it is time to develop your own capabilities and artistic
talents to make your own spectacular images.  They will reflect yourself
and will have a unique style - no two fractal artist think alike.  You
can do it!

   Ask ten different people what they see when they look at a fractal
image, and you'll probably get ten different answers.  Our perceptions
of pictures (if any) within an image are shaped by a multitude of
factors: our imagination, our outlook on life, previous experiences in
life, what shapes we most easily identify with, which colors are
background, which colors are foreground, scale, perceived textures,
shading and contrasts in different regions and what they may evoke in
our imaginations, whole image verses a colage of multiple ones, where
the boundaries are between our perceived regions, and so on and so
forth. Often a 2-dimensional image will look 3-dimensional.  It may have
what appear to be rolling or bending surfaces with textures that may
look smooth, velvety, or even very rough and scaly.

   What your mind first sees in an image may determine a scale and/or an
environment where your mind interprets nearby objects or designs to fit
together or conform to some plausible reality.  We try to "make sense"
of what we see, and by the time our mind has tied it all together, so to
speak, we see our own interpretation of reality in something abstract.
Even seeing the same image months later may invoke entirely different
interpretations. Even the brightness control on the PC, lighting in the
room, or distance from the screen (close detail verses overall view) can
modify what you perceive in a fractal image.

   Is it any wonder that no two people see the same thing in a fractal
image? I see an indian village complete with wigwams across a stream,
while you perceive a beautifully banded and tuffed caterpiller.  In
fact, once we have imprinted what we see upon our minds, it is often
difficult to see what someone else sees no matter how hard they try to
point it out or explain it.

   Earlier, I explained part of my personal life because all of these
things influence what I see in an image.  They influence what I zoom in
on, how I add color, and how I have named things.  (Later I began using
numbering methods to name my .GIF files when I discovered the names
often didn't have the same meaning to others.)

   When you develop your own skills in zooming and coloring, your images
will also reflect your own personal style - a uniqueness based own your
own perceptions of what you see.  This is why fractal generation
(although deterministic) is art as well as a science of discovery.  As
in nature photography, you determine the picture composition.  And you
choose the colors that will enhance those features your mind sees in the
chaos.

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This CDROM contains many programs, images and text files.
To make navigating around this CDROM easier, there are several files
located within the root directory.

1024\        - 1024x768 images
640\         - 640x480 images
utils\       - Executable files used by batch files
programs\    - Fractint for MSDOS/Windows/X and map/par files for Fractint
viewers\     - GIF viewers for various platforms
vpic\        - VPIC (GIF Viewer for MSDOS)
v_inst.bat   - Hard Drive Installation script for VPIC
v_uninst.bat - Hard Drive UN-Installation script for VPIC
00_index.txt - Descriptions of all the files.
dirs.lst     - Listing of directories with descriptions.
go.bat       - Will Automatically Display the READ.ME file.
readme.txt   - The file you are reading now.
view.exe     - A text file viewing program that can be used to display any
               text file.  To view the DIRS.LST in the root directory of the
               CDROM drive and typing VIEW DIRS.LST.  When run without any
               parameters this program automatically walks you through all
               the directories on the CDROM disc.  It has options for viewing
               text files, unzipping program files, and viewing image files.

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Viewers are included for several different systems.  They are located
in the directory ``viewers''.  If you have an MSDOS system with a
graphics display, you can run the program ``view.exe'' and use your
cursor to select images to view.

Due to the large number of incompatible video cards, most viewers
will not work on all systems.  So if a particular viewer doesn't work
with your system, try another.  Viewers will work better and offer
more colors if you install them for your video card.  You'll need to
copy the files to your hard disk and select the correct
initialization file for your video card.  See the VPIC documentation.

For your convenience, a batch file called "v_inst.bat" has been
included in the root directory of the disc.  If you execute it, the
batch file will automatically copy the contents of the VPIC directory
from the CD-ROM onto your C:\VPIC directory.  After copying, the
batch file will display the configuration document for VPIC.  If for
any reason you wish to wipe out the entire C:\VPIC directory from
your hard drive, run the "v_uninst.bat" from the CD-ROM.

We can not be held responsible for video cards which may not work
properly with VPIC.  If you require assistance in configuring VPIC,
please consult the documentation file within the VPIC directory, or
contact Bob Montgomerry at 543 Via Fontana #203; Altamonte Springs,
FL 32714-3172, or 73357,3140 on Compuserve.  As an alternative to
using VPIC, we suggest trying GDS which is also on the CD-ROM in the
\viewers\msdos directory.

Also, if you have a favorite viewer with which you wish to use the
View program, simply rename it to be "VPIC.EXE," then copy it and any
auxiliary files it may use to C:\VPIC.

Mac users can use the installed viewers in viewer\mac\...

The source code and documentation for unzip.exe is in
\viewers\msdos\unz51p1.exe.

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Directory Structure

The images on this CDROM are categorized mainly by fractal type, as
described in the file DIRDESCR.LIS.

   The fractal types are either
    (1)  From the Fractint internal type menu
    (2)  Described in the file Fractint.frm (which comes with Fractint) or
    (3)  Described in the file Skinner.frm (my formula collection)

492 images are included that were generated with the ZEXPE formula,
which is based on Z^e, as opposed to Mandelbrot which is based on
Z^2.  To keep from having so many images in one directory, they were
split into 3 directories: ZEXPE-F, ZEXPG-H, and ZEXPI.

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Special Files

   The text files 640x480.LIS and 1024x768.LIS list the image files
for each resolution.  The 1024x768.LIS file includes a column labeled
ANCESTER.  This refers to another image from which this image was
generated through either a transform or a zoom.  In most directories,
you can use this feature to trace yourself all the way out, sometimes
zooming outward up to 14 times.

   Only two image files were not created directly with Fractint:

 (1) 15COMB16.GIF was created using PICLAB.  It illustrates a technique
     used to overlay the color black (inside=0) of one image
     (116K5L16.GIF) with corresponding pixels of another image
     (1M1K0L16.GIF).

 (2) The only file which is not mine on this CDROM:
     ANIMATE.GIF  (in the \special directory) is actually 544x476/256.
     This image was created by Craig Ginn with the Dr. Halo program.
     It is not a true fractal and is included only because it is so
     beautiful when it is color cycled with Fractint.  Craig gladly
     contributed this little jewel for the CDROM.  (It would make a
     good screen saver!)

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With Microsoft EXCEL today, I added up the computation time of the
1024x768 images.  It comes to 19049.97 hrs or 19049 hrs + 58 mins,
rounded to 19,050 hrs!  Thats 793.7 days of number crunching the
fractals, (2.17 yrs!).  That does not include the time to look for
the images by zooming, or the time to color them appropriately, etc.

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Acknowledgements

   I would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their parts
in steering my course in the direction it took:

Joe Germann for getting me interested in personal computers.
Roger Stevens for telling me about FRACTINT.
Tim Wegner, Bert Tyler, Mark Peterson, Pieter Branderhorst, Ethan Nagel,
  Jonothan Osuch, Marc Reinig, Scott Taylor, Dan Farmer and all the
  other FRACTINT programmers.
Neal Maser and Louis Abeyta for helping me organize my fractals into a
  data base.
Duke McMullan and Jim Evatt for various support in my fractal projects,
  including the use of their computers.
Charlie Dodge for having faith enough in my art to help me get my first
  true quality slides and prints.
Bob Bruce and Susan Weeks of Walnut Creek CDROM.

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Prints and Slides

   Professional quality photographically reproduced prints and slide
sets are available from the artist.  16" x 20" prints are $50.00
each, $60.00 if signed by the artist.  Three sets (A, B and C) of 20
slides each are currently available at $25.00 each.  Prints of any
image on the CDROM may be ordered, but higher resolution images will
look better close-up.  For prints at other sizes, please contact the
artist for quotes.  Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.  No credit card
orders.  Add $5.00 per order for shipping and handling.  New Mexico
orders add 5.831% sales tax.

Lee H. Skinner
P. O. Box 14944
Albuquerque  NM  87191
USA

Walnut Creek CDROM
Suite 260
1547 Palos Verdes Mall
Walnut Creek  CA  94596
USA

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The GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) specification is owned and
copyrighted by CompuServe, Inc.

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Many of the programs on this disc are shareware, and require separate
payment to the author of the program for continued use.  You are free
to try shareware programs for a limited amount of time.  If you
continue to use the program, you are expected to register the program
by sending a specified amount of money directly to the author of the
program.  In many cases the author will send you the most up to date
version of the program and a printed manual.  Please check individual
files for conditions.

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Disclaimer:

This CDROM comes with a full money back guarantee.  If you are
dissatisfied for any reason, you can return it for a full refund.
Walnut Creek CDROM make no warranty about any program on this CDROM,
including any written by Walnut Creek.  You, not Walnut Creek CDROM,
assume all risk of using any program on this CDROM.  We reserve the
right to limit any effort on our part to rectify problems with any
software on this CDROM.

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Walnut Creek CDROM is an approved vendor and associate member of the
Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure
that the shareware principle works for you.  If you are unable to
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Walnut Creek CDROM            [phone]
1547 Palos Verdes, Ste 260     1 800 786 9907
Walnut Creek  CA  94596       [phone] (fax)
USA                           [e-mail] (internet)
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