which fractale software would you guys recommend?? there seems to be about a thousand of downloadable versions! which is easiest to learn? - i want to learn first and then move on to tougher fights! which is cheapest to register/buy? any help would be great!! Ddd

My 2 personal favorites are Apophysis and Fractal Explorer. Both are free programs and easy enough for a beginner to use. I am looking forward to learning Ultra fractal one of these days though. Good luck with your fractals!

All of the fractal generators have different - sometimes VERY different - user interfaces and I don't believe that choosing one or the other will help much when you decide to move to a more complex or different program. I would suggest that, if UF is your ultimate goal, that you go straight to it without "passing go" and get started asap up the learning curve. I'm not sure that starting with FE or something will give you much experience that crosses over to UF other than you'll know what a Mandelbrot or Julia formula is. For example, I'm somewhat knowlegable in UF and hope to get to the point where I use it well enough to actually convey my emotional state at the moment when I make somthing but when I open Xenodream, I can't even make a shape and I'm sure when I try Fractal Explorer I will be just as baffled. Apophysis is a very easy program to get started with but the controls for it are unlike anything in any other fractal program. It is useful for UF in that it was originally meant as a plug-in for Ultrafractal and you can layer multiple Apo flames in compositions with straight fractal layers by exporting them to UF. Experience with the graphic editing capabilities in UF will then transfer over and enhance your skills in professional graphic software like Photoshop and you will understand the basic principles of layering/merging/masking. It will help with Paintshop Pro, too. And UF has some capabilities that even PS doesn't have. A steal at only like $40, IMO - PS is around $1,000. Rick

Attached Link: http://www.ultrafractal.com

I agree with Rykk, except that UF is $59, not $40, but as far as I am concerned, it is priceless! I have played with many of the free programs, and I know that people do wonderful work with them, but I am just baffled by the user interfaces...I can't seem to grasp the 'rules' and the help files are often sadly lacking. If you do bryce, and work well with the DTE, you will recognize the 'merge modes' for the UltraFractal layering. If you want to find out more about a whole lot of fractal software, you might want to check out Paul N. Lee's page: http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/Fractal_Software.html He has links to most all the Fractal software that exists. Good luck! I look forward to seeing your work here in the Fractal Gallery. :)

Hi there doneydonydone! I'm a new "fractalist" too - and I'm having an absolute ball playing with Apophysis (www.apophysis.org) There is a nice, easy to read and digest, tutorial written by Lance from the Apophysis mailing list... http://www.thefractalfarm.net/apotutorial/main/main.htm Check the tutorial out and see if Apophysis might be a place to start for you... T.

nice one guys and galz - hope to share some images/tips and tricks in the future i think i'll have a bash at explorer first - to check out exactly what i'm letting myself in for! see ya later lee (Ddd)