I'm not a flamer but here's my two cents: I find Apo boring. I mean isn't it about random clicking and then moving some triangles around? Where is the joy of exploring formulae and colorings, the fascination of understanding how parameters and functions affect the mathematical realities in them? Some flames are very impressive indeed, but it more like autopilot, as far as I can see...

Toby

Thanks Panny, that works. I wonder why Arthur released the new one without that dll... Hi Marion. I downloaded the release 2.00 and it also is lacking the Sterling library for some reason. My older versions have it luckily. Toby

Do what I do--ignore it. There is always going to be this grading and judging with us, it is deeply embedded in our society. Get rid of the Hot 20 and the same probelm with appear somewhere else in your life. You have the choice--just opt out. Toby

I mostly work with UF because of its capabilities for layering and because the compiler allows really decent formula and coloring coding and I've written a bunch of stuff to run on it.

I still have a soft spot in my heart for FE, and like others here I like to "sketch" on it sometimes, although I find that I haven't the patience anymore to explore it like I once did (pre-UF).

I used to have a lot of fun with MBF, but I find it quite limited these days, especially with most of the Carlson stuff transcribed to UF with far more capability by Ken Childress.

Apophysis is my nemesis. I like some fo the flames I see in the galleries, but I find using it mostly numbing button-pushing. I don't have the knack of it at all and have never come up with anything approaching what others seem to be able to do with it.

I have never found Xeno Dream images particularly attractive, so even though I have the program I have never used it. Maybe someday I will try my hand at it again, as some of the work lately that has been posted has been quite impressive.

Toby

FE is a wonderful program. Absolutely worth all the time you will waste using it ;-) Toby