Originally I had thought to put my images that do not show self-similarity or other fractal characteristics into the 2D gallery. They feel 2D, they just have a generator that can create fractals too.
But many of you put images into this gallery despite their non-fractal characteristics. I always wanted to be among other art styles, but in the meantime I'm not too sure about it and would like to hear your opinions.
Thank you!!

i LOVE fractals... so whenever possible i post in the fractal forum (am very 'proud' of fractals for some reason chuckle)... i think posting them elsewhere is fine too and sometimes appropriate if your perspective is one of 'pure art merit' rather than technique/software.... however, the way i see it is that this entire website differs from most other websites in that we separate our images not so much by subject as we do technique and software. this is a website of CG artists, for CG artists so putting fractals in a 'fractal' gallery is just fine here. did that make sense??

hehehe,yes, Audre, you made sense! I haven't uploaded very many fractals yet but the ones I have uploaded have gone to the following galleries for the following reasons: Fractal Gallery: No other app was used in conjunction with the fractal generator. 2D Gallery: Photoshop was used to alter the fractal in some way or other from it's original state. Bryce: I've learned how to incorporate fractals into my bryce rendering :) So, looks like I am spreading Fractals all over the place! And I think that's as it should be. Like 3D or 2D, fractals are one component of a whole :)

I love it when we have these little talks.Well I'm going to go have some fractal soup.

A fractal is a fractal, whether post-processed or not, so mine always go into the fractal gallery. I'm a firm believer that using Photoshop, etc., to enhance an image only changes it from a fractal to fractal ART. Besides, everyone gets a chance to see what's posted, as they are available in the new posts gallery.

Using a fractal in Bryce, etc. as a texture map may be a different story, as the fractal is a component of a larger work and not the focus of it. But to my mind, that's not 'post-processing'.

Steven, some of your images are no fractals, they just come out of UF. But they can be found in the Fractal gallery too...

I rarely use UF anymore-- I switch regularly to different programs just to keep my fractals from getting that 'manufactured' look. Most UF images I've posted here are several years old, and were probably made while I was learning the program, so your statement might be basically correct in some instances. I've tried not to use other's work as my own. Still, I defy anyone here to say they've not done the same at some point in the learning process. And if you send me a specific list of fractals I've posted that offends you, I'll gladly delete them from the Renderosity gallery.

Eh, well, I'm new here, but I detect a longstanding issue. Nevertheless, it it my opinion that while one may LEARN while playing with the work of another person, or trying to duplicate it, one should never post it as if it were their own. That is theft and copyright infringement. And all my fracs go in the fractal gallery, post-processed or not. Just tonight I posted some fractal-based art, in the fractal gallery. Unless I use elements that are non-fractal-based, even if it's been through photoshop, which it usually is to give it the sig and to 'frame' it, it's just as much a frac as it was before, IMO. A post-processed frac, but still a frac. After all, if one can use layers in UF, how is that really different from using layers in Photoshop? It's a technicality.

To SAH: Why should you delete any images here? There is nothing that offends me in your images. You have some wonderful Gnarly spirals that are finite and no fractals. But I assumed that you made them with UF. If I am wrong with this, you surely used another Fractal generator - that really does not matter to me. I just wanted to get some opinions about where to post the images - decide by the program or decide by the image. That's all.

No, it's not an issue of duration-- I've never discussed it here (or anywhere I can recall). With me, it's a MEMORY issue-- over six years worth of fractals all in one directory, and no memory of having created them other than which program was used. I'm a lousy record-keeper, and the reason I carry a driver's license is not to identify myself to others, but so I can look at it to remember my own name. Ain't middle age grand! ;-)

SAH, I wanted to tell you that I've been admiring your fractals since I've been here (only a couple of days). You have some gorgeous images in your gallery.

Hmmm. Well I think that we all should pitch in and post some by the type of software that aided in the production of the art...since "WE" are the veterans of this specific field of expertise...Along...Along with a helpful,colorful,well explained report..I know that my work I have posted could have far better quality and craftsmanship...But,,,,Well just call me Mr.Potato Headed Lazy Butt??? I feel we should plan these Technical Events & call them something like..."The Fractal Artist's Knowledge Base of Software Composition Tool's in Fractal Art Productions" or something like that...& the generated selected renderings from this software could be... "The Fractal Artist's Knowledge Base of Processed digital art Images database". or something like that??? We could Examine a new computer program every week to begin composing the inventory volume for tha library...Remember if "New Subscribers" needed information they could go to the product showcase...I wouldn't mind opening a web site for document & program's storage...I personally don't think that the wave length/band width consumption would be very high...But,if so then another site for storage can always be added. I can generate a fully functional web site in 30.min....& have it loaded in a few hours...

& in closing I also think that we should all take a refreshing look at ourselves here on Renderosity.Why???"it's ain't gona hurt".."Think of clipping nose hairs err something"... Well I know when I work with music I tend to make it to complex.What this means is that I add so many different qualities & information's/40 to 50 tracks.???most songs only use 10 or 12 tracks...??? into one song that I must stop half way through the composition.take a breather-have a desert-or refreshment.Think of girls/football..then listen to the song.aha my song????wow it's perfect!! But I end up changing some tracks/information's in it before I move on to finishing the song.Well what I am trying to say is that corporations create divisions that work on time scheduling and work flow productions...What does this mean???well when we sit at a desk for so many hours some of us need to take breaks to go for walks,stretch,go visit other people...ect... I feel that sometimes we can get in a primitive spiral trap that may cause us to get to wrapped up in a work of art or in a computer program.I know from experience that this isn't a fun thing to do & unfortunately can cause us to have strange tensions in our body that can make us feel uncomfortable & irritable...This is one reason that corporations work on issues like this...To do something is to piddle.But, to create art is to create perfection of knowledge.."The more we do-it tha better we get".yea...something like that... Well if we have these Knowledge Bases of fractal software & postproduction tools for the Fractal Artist & New fractal artist, We will be able to do our own thing and grow in knowledge and information here at Renderosity...But let us not forget that we will also advance faster as well as have a self-sufficient edge in the artist world. However my key topic was not the accelerated learning trend.But,rather the knowledge for our imaginations. & our edges & our ninja like qualities & stuffs...Hey... did I mention our qualities???

I have deliberately posted all my fractal based work in the fractal gallery, even when they have involved major work in other programs. My UF/Poser/Photoshop pieces are there and not in the Multimedia gallery for several specific reasons.

1. I want fractal artists to see them and evaluate them. Yes there are artists who work with multiple programs, or with the specific individual programs involved, but my 'audience' is the fractal community.
2. I try to post the original fractal piece with the final piece to demonstrate 'where I'm coming from' and 'where I went with the idea'. Art is a process, and an expression. By showing at least some of the process, perhaps the expression is better understood.
3. I'm not in need of constant applause. My art is my own. If I desired the attention, I'm sure that by posting in the other galleries, I would get hundreds of viewings, and tons of comments, compared to the relatively few that result from posting in the fractal gallery. It's just not what I'm after. I just want to share that part of me that is my art, not garner praise.

Well, that's about all. I could rant on longer, but won't.

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

FYI-- For fractal newcomers, here is a link to a database listing of most of the available-for-download fractal generators. This will give everyone a chance to truly explore fractals in all their glory, and keep the artform fresh. An aside-- I was somewhat under the influence of pain pills last night (I recently had a total knee replacement) and I admit I misinterpreted a comment directed to me. I apologize if I sounded harsh, as it was not my intention.

That's right SAH, I had forgotten you had that knee surgery. I remember when you posted about it. I hope you are now mending quickly and experiencing at least brief periods of respite from pain.

Thank you. Yes, I'm healed, but since this was the second one on the same leg in 5 years, there's residual pain to deal with that will be there for quite a while. Otherwise, I'm fine!

I'm glad to hear youre mended then SAH. I fully understand the residual pain factor. My ex had several surgeries on his ankle and wrist. Will still need them every so many years too I expect. He too has good days and bad days.

I have a tendency to join these conversations late. Generally I post anything created in UF in the Fractals gallery, even those images which aren't fractal in nature. I tend to look at Renderosity as geared more toward artists than toward the general public (simply my own perception) and, like audre, post my work most often based on the tools used to create it, rather than on any other criteria. The audience is other fractal artists, mostly. Why attract folks who use Lightwave into the fractal scene? I've got enough trouble keeping up with most of you without adding more people into the mix! :) Before the Fractal gallery opened up, I posted in the "Other" category. Of course if you were to ask me, I'd say that everything here at Renderosity looks 2-D on my monitor. So it makes sense to categorize based on software and technique.

This is the first time I've been to this forum and coincidently this evening I uploaded the first fractal image to which I have done any major post processing. Feels kinda strange coming in on this discussion after trying to make a decision as to where to put that image. I put it in the fractal gallery I guess because the original image is a fractal, which I also uploaded. So you can see the difference between the two.

geeez... y'all think YOU'RE late in posting laughing I should remember to check this forum more often.... as for posting images... pretty much if I make something with UF, it's going in the fractal gallery... where I have a problem is XD... sometimes I look at those and there's just no way I can justify putting them in with fractals, so, off to 2Dland they go...