The Amazing World Of Flame Fractals

Hi, I was feeling inspired after reading the recent thread by "Evasius" titled Mandelbrot To Mandelbulb and thought I'd introduce you to APOPHYSIS and the wonderful world of "Flame" Fractals.

Apophysis is a fractal flame editor and renderer for Microsoft Windows. It was created by Mark Townsend by translating Scott Draves' original C code into Delphi and adding a graphical user interface. It has since been improved and updated by Peter Sdobnov, Piotr Borys, and Ronald Hordijk (the SourceForge project developers). It is open source, licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).
Apophysis has many features for creating and editing fractal flames, including an editor which allows one to directly edit the transforms that comprise the fractal flame, a mutations window, which applies random edits to the triangles, an adjust window, which allows the adjustment of coloring and location of the image, and even a scripting language with direct access to most of the components of the fractal, which allows for effects such as the animations seen in Electric Sheep, which are also fractal flames. Users can export fractal flames to other fractal flame rendering programs, such as FLAM3.
Apophysis has also recently been modified to create fractals that looks like 3D, although all computations are done in 2D space.

Wikipedia Source

The Main Apophysis Site is HERE

Although this method of creating fractals is less scientific in purpose and may not reveal as much of a 3 dimensional appearance as the ones in "Evasius's" thread, it is created within a 3D virtual space and "rendered" as a 2D image just the same.

Amazing pictures can be created with a few mouse clicks and some numerical imput.

Obviously there is SO much more to this if one takes the time to delve deeper, but even a novice with little creative talent can achieve results in a short time.

The web is full of tutorials and extra resources in the form of addons and "flame packs" and the DeviantArt website is a good place to begin searching.

The following examples were created by myself and I have uploaded small copies to my ATS Media space for you to see here. Each picture below has a link to the full size version in my Deviant Art Profile suitable for download as 1280 X 1024 pixel desktop wallpapers or just to view in full glory.

Enjoy.

"Pimp My UFO"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0f012e02aa14.jpg[/atsimg]
Pimp My UFO - Full Size Link

"Pocket Universe"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4454845d793d.jpg[/atsimg]
Pocket Universe - Full Size Link

"Happy Easter"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5c4e7f34bb03.jpg[/atsimg]
Happy Easter - Full Size Link

"Cosmic Waterfall"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ac18dd263824.jpg[/atsimg]
Cosmic Waterfall - Full Size Link

"Sing"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/985a7930f3ca.jpg[/atsimg]
Sing - Full Size Link

"Nikola's Dream"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/de0478d3940c.jpg[/atsimg]
Nikola's Dream - Full Size Link

"Hammerhead"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bcfe2434814c.jpg[/atsimg]
Hammerhead - Full Size Link

"Belly Of The Beast"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/916fdf14fb4d.jpg[/atsimg]
Belly Of The Beast - Full Size Link

"Worship"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/38fa84029b1b.jpg[/atsimg]
Worship - Full Size Link

"Les Plumes"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0381e1117a04.jpg[/atsimg]
Les Plumes - Full Size Link

"Golden Portal"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bbfacc3452a5.jpg[/atsimg]
Golden Portal - Full Size Link

"Atomic Flea"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4719c0ae03bc.jpg[/atsimg]
Atomic Flea - Full Size Link

"Smorg"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ddfad28e26fe.jpg[/atsimg]
Smorg - Full Size Link

"King's Badge"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0d688e586f8e.jpg[/atsimg]
King's Badge - Full Size Link

"Dashboard 3001"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/98a8e069396a.jpg[/atsimg]
Dashboard 3001 - Full Size Link

"Arrival"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3d8f188a0819.jpg[/atsimg]
Arrival - Full Size Link

"Silk"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6d7e7050d0e0.jpg[/atsimg]
Silk - Full Size Link

"Ignition"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/482e4a7c1498.jpg[/atsimg]
Ignition - Full Size Link

"Deep Dancer"
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c5c083491db8.jpg[/atsimg]
Deep Dancer - Full Size Link
--------------------------------------------

Phwew! my head hurts from all this clicking and typing. :bash:

Enjoy....nerb

Those are great!

I grabbed the ones I liked to display on my screensaver but The Golden Portal (large version) seems to be missing on the deviant art site...
.

reply to post by Gools


I just checked and "Golden Portal" is there when I click on the link above to the DeviantArt web site.

If you would still like it and still can't get the link to work, give me a shout and I'll sort it out.

Cheers, glad you like them, they were fun to do.

"Nikola's Dream" just got favorited.

Also like Deep Dancer.

Supernatural fractals are cool.

They are absolutely amazing....I could happily get lost in each and every one of them. Thank you so much for sharing.

Cait x

reply to post by caitlinfae


Thanks, glad you like them.

I must reload the program onto my PC sometime and do some more.

I have a bigger monitor with a higher resolution now so any new ones will probably be 1600 x 1200 pixels. Takes a while to render sometimes depending on the content and compexity but well worth the end results.

Don't forget to download the wallpapers from the links above folks.

Joie amusante. Thank you for creating these beautiful images. I cannot help but think that the ancients who saw the artist's work in the cave in Lascaux felt the same as I did viewing your work on my screen. Separated by thousands of years, yet the power, mystery, beauty and joy of creation is shared!

reply to post by nerbot


When I first read your post about Apophisis, I'd never heard about it. I saw fractal art before but had no idea how it was made.
So after your post I downloaded the program and went to experiment with it. It's been a week and I'm already addicted! lol
So thanks for introducing me to 'the amazing world of flame fractals'

Some of it is on my deviant page
GypsK deviant

It's nothing much yet, but I'll keep practicing.

I have one question though:
A lot of my fractals have a grainy texture behind them that I can't seem to fix which makes it seem like an image of low quality.
Also, I saw fractal art with great lightening on it. How is that done? Is it just a matter of finding the right gradient?

thanks

reply to post by GypsK


I know what you mean about some images coming out "grainy".

Somewhere in the program there is the option to adjust contrast and brightness which helps with clarifying pictures....picking out the details etc.
There is a window with a set of scrollbars and I think it's in the same place as that.

Scale, viewpoint, contrast, brightness and I seem to remember something about saturation too but I could be wrong.

If you still get stuck and can't find the place to do the adjustments, U2U me and I'll see if I can help more.

reply to post by nerbot


Thanks for the info

I found those options and they are very usefull in enhancing the image.

I also downloaded the version 208-3dhack, with several plugins that are available for it (In the 2.09 version I can't get the plugins to load). This 3D version seems to give less grainy results then the other ones.

omg wow that is some cool stuff man!

reply to post by GypsK


Glad you found the tweaks.

Addicting isn't it?

I love the stuff in your deviantart gallery, cool, keep em coming.

Golden wings is nice....very warm.

Here's my deviant gallery if you want to have a look: nerb

really cool stuff nerbot, those images are awesome.... I've been addicted to Apophysis ever since I saw this thread. I enjoy looking for random images in it so far, and it's fun learning the program.

Here is some stuff I have come up with so far.... I used a little photoshop in some of them, but not much

Boobees
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0fb2372dec5b.jpg[/atsimg]

cross
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ded5b0aa975f.jpg[/atsimg]

LHC
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bf39a8fedc1a.jpg[/atsimg]

Grubworm
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0c7e6843540f.jpg[/atsimg]

Eye
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/964f26e2f5b3.jpg[/atsimg]

Mother Alien
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ea9d5d7f00e2.jpg[/atsimg]

Face
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bf98c95b0c90.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 22-3-2010 by imitator]

reply to post by imitator


Imitator, that last one of the green face is killing my brain. How exactly did you do that one? Was it more 'natural' to the program and the algorithm of mandelbrot, or was there lots of photoshop work?

All great pics by the way. Fractals really entice me, I can easily believe that the foundations of all that can be exist within/around a mandelbrot type expression.

reply to post by imitator


Great stuff, keep 'em coming.

I particularly like the "eye"....got the highlight just right.

Amazing what maths can do isn't it?

Well done.

The face came out by accident, randomly experimenting. It was one of my first images, may have used handkercheif and julian etc... not sure, Wish I had saved the parameter, it was more natural to the program I think.... Then later photoshop the color and some of the facial features, but not by much.

Here is the original image, maybe you can tell which algorithms where used. I'm not experienced enough to know.
files.abovetopsecret.com...

This is a really cool program, it will keep me busy for awhile. Yes it is amazing what math can do, I'm some what familiar to sine waves or the sinusoid from electronic courses, however most of the math in this program is way beyond my calculator lol.

I'm starting to get some interesting results from the lissajous curve, I have one result that looks like butterflies on flowers...

still in progress
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0103ec400187.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 22-3-2010 by imitator]

Originally posted by imitator
The face came out by accident, randomly experimenting. It was one of my first images, .....

I know EXACTLY what you mean.

When I first got my hands on Apophysis, I was just playing and experimenting. Subtle tweaks in an unfamiliar medium with no knowing where it might lead.

It led to "Smorg", my 1st apophysis image (see initial post).

With that fearful demon under my belt I was hooked, and actually enjoyed the randomness of each new creation, not knowing what the mystical numbers that I imput to begin with and the selection of flames would bring me.

As an artist who is cr*p with a pencil but good with a computer, this was a fantastic world that opened in front of me.

I haven't done any work with this program for a while, but I know I will soon. I have to reload the software, addons etc and dust off the cobwebs.

I'm so glad this little thread has inspired others as I was inspired myself some time ago.

Cheers, and happy apophysissing!

Originally posted by nerbot

As an artist who is cr*p with a pencil but good with a computer, this was a fantastic world that opened in front of me.

That is it, same for me, though I'm more of a amateur painter, still learning that process as well.

ok one more....

Cosmic Alien Portrait
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a5a6f175850b.jpg[/atsimg]

Here is the original, I was seeing the alien in it, couldn't resist finishing it in photoshop.
files.abovetopsecret.com...


Cheers, hope to see more great images from you guys.

soo....here is my bit to the topic....so far i really only did this single pic

fav.me...

then i gave up on apo for a long time, but now starting again and i am finding it even more interesting and complicated program then before. one of the issues i found was that there are sooo many versions of it and each version is different (i have versions 2,02 a 2.09 and there is huuuuuge difference....also, finding tutorials for a certain version is a biatch, found a great tutorial for version 2.05, which is more similar to 2.09, but actually has MORE options....wish somebody would sort it out finally).

reply to post by White Haven


I love it, really simple and evective.

It doesn't have to be a hard program to use. Once some of the basics are understood, a few treaks here and there are all that's needed to create some amazing pictures.

Show us more.