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I am more into animation than still images these days, eg the electric sheep screen saver is my current top priority. It is a child of my original fractal flame algorithm.

Welcome Scott! What a real treat to have you here! I've been a fan of your program, and the programs derived from your excellent work, for quite a while. Thanks for the flames!

Welcome, Scott! I agree with Panny, it's a real treat to have you here. I, too, am a fan. Flame fractals are so fascinating to look at and to work with. We look forward to any improvements you can offer! Vivian (tresamie)

A real treat it is! Too cool! Welcome Scott! I am also a flame fractal addict. Hope we can all be of help here! Nick

thank you. one thing i can tell you is that the flame algorithm has expanded not so long ago. it now has more shapes, better color, and symmetries. this is just in the command line version though. it runs on windows and linux & OSX and you can get it from http://flam3.com. i'd like to get this updated version into the gimp at some point.

i'm curious, which versions of the flame algorithm are popular here? gimp? KPT? apophysis? QS-Flame? AEFlame (in After Effects)?

Hi Scott.. This is my first post here, just a browser :o) I had been using KPT exclusively until recently. I am now exploring flames through Gimp and Apophysis...though there is quite a bit I don't know about the latter yet. I haven't uploaded any images here myself, but there is a lot of talent here that I can see. Nice of you to stop by here, and nice to meet you! :o)

What a priveledge to have you here! I enjoyed your paper on mathematics and understood far more than I thought I would (NOT my best subject). I have used mostly Apophysis so far and have become thoroughly addicted. Welcome! Donna

Greetings Scott, Happy to meet you :-). Most of the people here use Apophysis. I mean in the Fractal Gallery. In the other galleries, I don't really know. Miche

The only fractal program i've used for the last year is Apophysis and i'm still addicted to it. Matt.

I have mostly used Apophysis and then imported to UltraFractal for layering and background combinations. I have, on occasion, then taken the results into Bryce as textures.

I use Apophysis, with post-work in Gimp. I've played with the flame utility in Gimp, but wish for more control in it (like Apo). Nick

Hi Scott, first off, thanks for creating the flames we all know and love. As far as programs, we use Apophysis and Dust Fractals for flames. I tried the QS-Flame, but it just didn't suit me as well as these two programs. William

what the heck is "dust fractals"?? looks like apophysis is the winner.... i'll have to get a copy of the 2.0 beta. ps. merry xmas!!

Attached Link: http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/Fractal_Software.html

Hi Scott Welcome!! I am a big fan of your flames!!! Yep I like apophysis also, and check out the mailing list while you're at it! Hey Viv..thanks for the link I lost my dust..LOL Skye

Wow! Hi Scott - its truly an honor to have you here. I use only Mark Townsend's Apophysis in my fractals - almost always in conjunction with fractal layers generated by Ultrafractal. Flames are extremely beautiful in the luminence of their colors as stand alone images and I find them to be invaluable when used with UF fractals as texturing tools as well. A neat thing to be able to do with them would be to have the ability to zoom in on sections without losing density - though that is probably an Apophysis specific thing and not something inherent in the flames themselves(?). Rick

glad you like it. actually the inability to zoom is inherent to the fractal flame algorithm. they are quite unlike mandelbrot and julia set fractals in that way. it's the same difference that causes the noisy/dotty edges. i recently tried apophysis 2.0 for the first time and now i know why you all use it. ;)

Hi Scott, and welcome. You may also see some XenoDream images done in "flame style", though it doesn't use the flame algorithm. XenoDream is 3D IFS plus primitives and nonlinear transformations, with optional lighting based on a zbuffer depth map. It also does optional low opacity rendering with a conventional alpha channel, blending RGB colors of each point as it is calculated. The XD coloring methods are different (one being based on exact transform sequences, the other generating mapping coordinates based on the nonlinear transformation formulas and indexing into gradients or pictures). However, a few months ago I thought about the flame algorithm again and realized that since most of it is a way of accumulating and adjusting an alpha channel, the coloring itself can be separated, and I have implemented a similar option under current beta development. Ironically, I first used a similar running average scheme in my IFS experiments starting in 1988 on an Amiga, before abandoning it in favor of tracking exact sequence history, which can provide fine detail for pure IFS, but turned out to be much less successful with strong nonlinear transformation. KPT flame fractals were my inspiration for trying out 3D nonlinear variations, so thank you for that! I opted for serial transformations rather than parallel combinations, because it was better suited for 3D modelling. I'll be happy to discuss differences and issues for potential conversion in more detail if anyone is interested. Regards, Garth Thornton (head xenodreamer)

Hi scott and Welcome, Most of the time I just the great apophysis in combination with Photoshop and sometimes Poser and Bryce.

has anyone come up with any good variations beyond the ones already in Apophysis?

well hello garth :) i just looked at the xenodream gallery and i really like the last three images, especially "fairygoround". very 3d, very transparent, very smooth, very nice. i'm curious how you handle lighting, occlusion, and transparency in 3D. and can you explain what you mean about "tracking exact histoy"? perhaps we should send me email....

Thanks Scott! Fairygoround does use the flame coloring. I'll take the tech stuff to email.