=Fractal-Resources is a place for all fractalist to find resources for every fractal generating program. We do not use the submission system for resources on DA, instead we collect and organize these resources in our favorites gallery then we provide regular updates on our journal for the newest resources. Everyone is invited to browse our Collections and find the resources they need to help them create fractal art. Fractal-Resources also publishes links to resources off of the DA website. Our goal is to be the one stop place to find what you need. Membership is open to anyone and we welcome both new and experienced fractal artists to join.



Using Resources

All the resources available on =Fractal-Resources (and on DA) have been provided by people who have generously shared their skills, knowledge and time helping us all make better Art. In order to encourage these individuals to continue to provide these valuable tools, there are several guidelines that should be followed.

Be sure and read any rules for use. Give proper credit to the author/s in your comments. [remember some resources are Licenced by law].

It is important to remember that Scripts, Flames and Tutorials are meant to be a starting point. Use the resources in the spirit they were made, DO NOT simply recolor or make small changes to the work and claim it as your own.

Scripts, Flamepacks, and Tutorials are meant to help you learn how to use the tools of the programs, not as a means to make unaltered fractal art.

FLAMEPACKS are a group of flame parameters to be used as starting points in Fractal Programs, not the renders/images themselves and should be in this Gallery> Resources & Stock Images > Fractal Resources > Flamepacks

If it is not clearly labeled "STOCK" it is not for use in your art.

STOCK packs are packaged images that you can use in your Art and should be in Resources & Stock Images > Stock Images > Fractals.

If you download or use resources, a and comments are appreciated.

For more information on DA Rules for use see> FAQ #257: What sort of permission do I need to use someone else's work?

Resources available on

Collections on =Fractal-Resources
Off-Site Resources
UF Tutorials
Apo Tutorials
Apo Scripts
Misc. UF
Apo Flame Packs
Gradient Packs
Apo Plugins
Incendia
Other Res.
Fractal Fun
Fractal Stock

More Essential Resources:

Using Resources Tutorial by
An Apophysis Resource Users Guide
[link]


Grad. Installation Directions by
A Tutorial on using Gradients in Apophysis.
[link]


Apo Plugins WIP 1-6-09 Upd. by
An html spreadsheet with a complete list of Apophysis plugins.
[link]


Apophysis Help File v1.02 by
A downloadable Apophysis Help File
[link]


Apophysis: Updated Tips and Information
Find the original News here: [link]

Apophysis is a freestanding and freeware flame fractal generator originally created by Mark Townsend. Whatever your reasons for wanting to create fractal art, using Apophysis will get you started. It may look intimidating when you first open it, but once you jump in and start using Apophysis, you will find that you can create beautiful fractal art almost right way.

Here are a few tips and tricks we have compiled to help every fractal artist from beginner to advanced users. A very big thank you to everyone who contributed to this article.

~ Plugins are simply variations that people other than the developers have created. Adding variation plugins is a simple matter of creating a folder called plugins and placing the .dll files in there. This folder is right below the .exe file (program files> apophysis folder> plugins).

~If your fractals are coming out in a single color and you want to change them, one way is to go to the FLAME menu option and when the pull down shows up choose calculate color values or randomize color values to help spread the color through the flame.

~When working with flames try using negative numbers (i.e.: -1), and/or very small numbers (.005 or smaller). The – (negative) only works to post a negative number if you use the key above the letters. The – (negative) on the numpad only works to select the transform.

~Very large or very small values for variables associated with variations can have interesting results. Also transform weights that are very large (you can go as high as 1000) or small can change certain fractals significantly.

~When using Apophysis 2.08 “3D Hack” don't forget to use pitch and perspective to enhance your fractal.

~By default Apophysis generates 100 random flames when opened. That is a lot of flames! If you go to Options, Under the General tab (which is always where Options opens to) in the center you will see a place called Batch Size. This is where you set the number of flames generated in a random batch, 25 is a more manageable number. Once you change this number when you select Ctrl B (generates new random batch) or close and open Apo that is the number of random flames that will be generated. You can always go back and change it any time you want.

~If you have a "hole" in the middle of a flame you can sometimes close it by adding another transform with a high linear variation.

~If you are trying to clean up a fractal try duplicating your triangle in the editor window.

~ Zooming (3 or 4 sets of hash lines) in on X or Y corners of triangles and dragging the point around can produce interesting results and sometimes significant changes.

~Often you will see Apophysis users post their parameter files for others to share or tweak. These parameters look like a bunch of code. They always start with <flame name=...> and end with </flame>. Some of these parameters can be quite long. To view the flames these parameter files represent you must block (highlight) all the text starting from and including <flame name=...>

BLOCK Start Here<flame name="Springs" version="Apophysis 2.06c 3D hack" size="1440 960" center="0.0126163126243106 0.200616516739784" scale="288" zoom="0.408" cam_pitch="1.17286125734019" cam_yaw="-0.0122173047639603" oversample="2" filter="1" quality="4000" background="0 0 0" brightness="1.93913043478261" gamma="2.2" >
more code
more code
more code
</flame>BLOCK End Here

and ending with and including </flame>. Once you have it blocked/highlighted you can use Ctrl C or right click select Copy.

Next, open Apophysis if not already open and hit Ctrl V or from the menu select Edit, Paste and you will see Lapsed/Remaining indicators start counting. If nothing happens and the flame does not generate you most likely did not copy the parameters correctly. Try that again, be sure to leave no extra spaces before and after <flame name=> and </flame>. (**Artists who share parameters do so with the expectations that you will not claim the work as your own unless you significantly change it.)

~For Apophysis 2.08b2 name your plugins folder "plugins" and for Apophysis 2.08 "3D Hack" name your plugins folder "plugins3D" this way you can have both programs in the same folder.

~For Apophysis 2.08b2 and Apophysis 2.08 "3D Hack", there is no limit on the number of plugins you can have installed, however each computer will be different as the limit is now a function of the computer memory. Some plugins still have compatibility issues and trial and error is the only way to find the culprits.

~Another important consideration is that some plugins don’t play nice with each other, for whatever the reason, some variations simply conflict and cause some unusual errors (the only fix for this issue is a 'one at a time' approach to adding your plugins).

~There are multiple means by which you may manage your plugins. You can store extra plugins in a separate file and title it “~Plugins”, then when you want to use one or more simply drag them into your “ plugins” folder and reverse that to remove plugins not in use. Some people create folders with different sets of plugins and simply change the file names before starting Apophysis. Others create folder trees named for the plugins in them each with its own copy of Apophysis.

~If you have already loaded Apophysis and you want to use a plugin variation that you don't have in the plugin folder you will have to close Apo, copy the plugin to the plugin folder, then restart Apo.

~To save many flames in just one file open the 'Save Parameters' dialogue with Ctrl-S, click on the folder icon to open the 'Select Parameter File' dialogue then select an existing file or type in a new name. Click 'Save'. Back in the 'Save Parameters' dialogue, enter a suitable name in the 'Title' field. You have now created a .flame file with a single flame. Further instances of saving will default to this file, until you change it.

~If you ever get the error message “Unknown identifier or variable is not declared \'Calculate Colors\” when using...or rather trying to use some scripts, go to the Apophysis Wikispace: [link] and download the Functions.asc file. This is the most up-to-date functions.asc script. To use, copy the code, and paste it into the script editor window in Apo, after you've made sure to select a blank script. (The blank script option looks like a page on the right hand side of the editor window). Save the code as functions.asc. If the file already exists you may overwrite it. Next, open your options window, click the paths tab, and make sure your functions library is set to point to this functions.asc script.

~When using the post transform on a flame, use the arrows and controls in the Editor window under the triangle tab instead of moving it with your mouse, this will give you greater control over the transform and allow you to easily reverse changes that you don’t want.

~Blur = x.xx is the same as bubble = x.xx and pre_blur = 1 giving you more than one-way to create a sphere.

~To build density of a transform effect like a blur you can double it, but to not have that diminish the effects of the other transforms divide the weights by the number doubled. So 1 transform at 0.5 would be 2 transforms at 0.25 or 20 at 0.5/20 etc. Also, giving a transform even a rotation of 0.001 can skew the pixels enough to smooth a fill (same with the color or symmetry values).

~ You can make colorful stripes in something like Paint or Gimp and use the smooth palatte option to create a gradient for use in Apo. It is also worthwhile to take photos of colourful scenes and plants on sunny days for Apophysis. You can use these gradients to make a fractal accompanying the photo presented on a larger background.

~By default, the colour symmetry is 0 for all transforms. It may take any value between -1 and 1. -1 corresponds to "this transform's colour does not contribute". Increasing the value towards 1 has the effect of distributing the entire gradient from around the transform. For high-weight transforms, values closer to 1 give best results.

Rendering

There seems to be quite a diversity of information about rendering, experimenting seems to be the best way to find what is best for your art.

~Setting the Quality of a render is really something you have to learn for yourself because there are a lot of factors to consider. The more grain you see in the preview window at a higher preview setting, the higher Quality you should use to render. (For normal use, a lower quality such as 15 in the preview window allows you to see your changes quicker.)

~ When rendering, leave zoom set to zero and change the scale. I adjust the quality as needed for each fractal. Some fractals are more efficient to render so you don't need a quality as high. It takes some trial, error and sometimes experimentation to get a good feel for it. If your render times have decreased, then you haven't compensated the quality enough. When the render times are the same, then the quality will be equivalent.

Here's why:
Scale: Magnifies the fractal. Because of the way flame fractals are rendered (the "chaos game") you see more graininess (lower quality) when you increase the scale and see less graininess when you decrease the scale.

Zoom: Magnifies the fractal but automatically adjusts the number of iterations and therefore changing the rendering time (and the visible quality).

Finally, no matter what level of Apophysis user you are, Fractal Art continues to amaze people. There is always one more thing to learn, one more way to create a fractal, or one more resource to use. Here on DA, clearly we have an abundance of resources and people available to help at any time. Happy Fractalling!

Contributors:
=Colliemom *Keeps *Fraxa ^cmptrwhz ~FracFx =one-tough-one =pantherwitch4982 *BrainSplatter `1arcticfox =n8iveattitude1 =IDeviant *LadyLyonnesse *Zueuk =LadyBlacksword ~2B2H `JoelFaber

Please this article so more people will see it!
Thanks! posted by =Colliemom