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Thankfully, in the age of computers, we don't have to do this
by hand. Of course, this means you'll need software
for creating fractals. Most of the images you will see on
the Infinite Fractal Loop were created with one of the following
programs:
Ultra Fractal
This new fractal program is one of the most flexible and capable
fractal programs available for Windows. It is easy to use,
produces true color images, and supports layering, a fast formula
compiler, importing of FractInt parameters and formulas, and
many other features. It is shareware ($35).
FractInt
FractInt is "the" program for making fractals for a lot of
artists. It's fairly fast, it has lots of different fractal types,
and if you run out of fractal types, it has a good formula
parser that lets you write your own. However, FractInt is
not easy for the novice user to learn, and it is limited to
256-color images. The DOS version is most current, but
Windows and UNIX versions are also available. FractInt is
free.
Fractal eXtreme
Fractal eXtreme (FX) is a very easy-to-use program for
Windows. Learning to use the program is a snap. It's also
very fast, but it doesn't have nearly as many features as
FractInt, is also restricted to 256-color images, and it's
shareware ($34.95).
Tiera-Zon,
GrafZViZion, and SterlingWare
These are a collection of free DOS and Windows programs
that have a lot of options not found in other fractal
programs. The programmer (Stephen Ferguson) releases new
software frequently. Several of these programs produce
images in 24-bit color.
XaoS
This program's most interesting feature is its real-time
zooming. XaoS is excellent
for getting a feel for the exploration of fractals—and
it's just cool (and fun!) to zoom smoothly. It also contains a
lengthy, animated introduction to fractals. XaoS is
available for many different computer platforms, and is
free.
Dofo-Zon
This is the latest software from Terry Gintz. It runs in
Windows, and generates fractals in 24-bit color with
a wide range of options and a formula parser. It is
notable for its extensive support of hypercomplex and
quaternion fractals, its smooth shading, and its support
of FractInt parameter and formula files.
Fractal Domains
This program (formerly called FracPPC) for Power
Macintosh systems is fast and friendly. It will
automatically anti-alias fractal images, too. It's
shareware ($20).
This list is by no means exhaustive—a more complete list is
kept in the sci.fractals FAQ.
There are a lot of other programs out there.
Once you've selected some software, you'll need to learn how to
use it, and start exploring. There's plenty of
territory yet to explore, places that people have never been,
images that people have never seen. Most people start out with
the Mandelbrot set, the most common fractal type.
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