From Frederik this morning "Dear Ultra Fractal users, I am very pleased to announce the release of Ultra Fractal 4! It is available right now at www.ultrafractal.com. New features include full animation support, a new Explore feature that makes it much easier to find new parameter values, the ability to render flame fractals, improved formula compiler and calculation engine, a new syntax-highlighting formula editor, and more. To see a complete list of the new features, download a copy and open the What's New chapter in the help file. Ultra Fractal 4 is available in two editions: the Animation Edition and the Standard Edition. The difference is that the Standard Edition does not support animations and network calculations. Ultra Fractal 4 Animation Edition costs US $129, and US $69 for an upgrade from any earlier version of Ultra Fractal. The Standard Edition costs US$59, and US $39 for an upgrade. You can upgrade from the Standard Edition to the Animation Edition for US $79. See www.ultrafractal.com/editions.html for more information. Sincerely, Frederik Slijkerman. www.ultrafractal.com info@ultrafractal.com"

Woohoo!! Flame rendering!!! Rick

Attached Link: http://home.comcast.net/~fractalsbykeith1/pgs/frac112.htm

Yep, that's pretty cool. If it works well it removes the only advantage that Apo had as a standalone. I have been lurking in the Apo world and it amazes me what people are going through to try to mimic what UF can do. What a miserable way to work. Apo and UF should be used together. The best thing to do is to find the flame shapes in Apo and then move them into UF to adjust the colors, transparency, merge mode, masking, size, location and orientation, in context with the whole image.

On the other hand, who would be crazy enough to build a bird out of flames in a fractal program? That stuff should be done in Photoshop with an airbrush. ;~)

Keith

Message edited on: 07/27/2005 23:16

On the other hand, who would be crazy enough to build a bird out of flames in a fractal program? That stuff should be done in Photoshop with an airbrush. Well, I might be for one! Didn't know there were rules as to which programme you have to use to create certain things.

That's gorgeous Keith! How long did that take?

Maqs61, take a quick look at the link in Deagol's message.

Ooops - sorry!

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=864895&Start=55&Artist=Deagol&ByArtist=Yes

Thanks. I don't remember how long it took. "coral reef" was also born in Apo and assembled in UF

Although I would never attempt to make an image like these, I admire them greatly! You have the patience of a saint, Keith :)

Keith there are more way ,s then only your way i see each time critcal note ,s from you for anybody that follow a another way Creating a mask layer so as you do is that the way ? its of form a painting and has nothing to do with the real fractal lucky shot You folks create what you need and hidden the bad pieces or flying pixels !! I have much respect for your talent and that from Rykk and a lot more UF folks and have visit many times your flame .s and they are super But always that critical notes for anybody that follow another way then you is not fair You are not the fractallord him self ! only one of the better fractal artist,s ! Cheers Arend

Arend, calm down. I don't care what anyone does or how they build images. I am only suggesting that assembling flames is very easy to do in UF and I have provided some examples of what can be done. If you or anyone else does not want to take advantage of the convenience of UF, you don't have to.

I am complete calm Keith Have some UF par files for learning from the great ones in UF and i see how that works See there complete vase,s and birds and butterfly ,s create with the mask tool Most be a hell of a job but has in my opinion not much to do with real fracteling is more a form of art from and a clever artist :-)?? Okay you use UF for that but you can use any good graphic tool for that and import the layer However its not important how you create it, as the end result is good Peace Arend :-)

That's a good point, Arend. That's why I made the joke about building a bird out of a flame. There are certainly many better ways to do it, mostly with an airbrush, and it would look a lot better than piecing together a Frankenstein monster image. I do it for the challenge and fun of it.

Look to my" Mushroom in the Nature" :-) See under the name Kokosnoot :-) Sometime you can have really luck For the rest its simple lete anybody create on hos own manner and let we respect that Hope this understandble :-) and Keith you are a real fractal wizard in UF and Apo no doubt about that Cheers Arend

Look to my" Mushroom in the Nature" :-) See under the name Kokosnoot :-) Sometime you can have really luck For the rest its simple let anybody create on his own manner and let we respect that Hope this understandble :-) and Keith you are a real fractal wizard in UF and Apo no doubt about that Cheers Arend

I love my apo, I guess it's because I have a really super imagination and can see images or fractals in just about everything I see! I would love to learn the new or even the old UFs, but I would have to pass a collection plate to pay for the software!!! So I do the best with what I have and try to make the best out of it. Most of my fractals are basically unaltered, except maybe with a little adjustment here and there with the hue, saturation, sharpening, etc. to help bring out what is hiding in the dark areas. There is nothing that I like better than finding one that needs no work at all. Maybe Santa will bring me the new UF4!!!! Until then I will still be making apos and being jealous of all you artist who make those wonderful images with UF!!! Have a wonderful weekend!!! ;) Patti

Maybe I should give it a shot. I seriously didn't like UF 3, I don't know what about it exactly... I find Apo much nicer to use. And I doubt that Photoshop has slightly better masking and layering properties than UF ;)

Go on - give it a go - I love Apo too - find it much easier to use than UF3 but I keep persevering with UF3 and sometimes the results are well worth the effort. There's loads of stuff I still don't understand in UF3 but it is possible, I think, to produce some pleasing images without knowing everything about it.

I'm not really looking at this as Apo verses UF. You can't find flames UF. You must use Apo to find them. It's more UF verses layering programs like Gimp, PSP or PS. The advantage of using UF (once you have found a flame in Apo) is that you still have complete control of the flame gradient and iteration density. When you plug a flame into a photo layering program you have lost that complete control.