Wow, how did you do this?

Very nice.

Thanks,

I had been enjoying Apophysis so much, I was curious what would happen if the same math and method were done in 3D.

It's really not as complicated as it's going to sound, but here goes.....

I've written a crude Java3D program to generate the fractal in a 3D matrix, 240x240x240 pixels and output each layer of xy pixels as a PNG image. I end up with 240 images at 240x240 resolution.

These images are then read into a VTK/Tcl program which evaluates the volume to create a polygonal surface mesh which is output as a .obj file.

The .obj mesh can then be imported by many 3D rendering programs, I'm using Maya, but POV, Lightwave, 3DMax etc... would work too. In Maya I apply the materials and lighting for the final rendering.

I know it sounds daunting, but even the math is not complicated, it's more a mater of working out the algorithmic method and having the tenacity to stay after it and make it work.

--
*Apophysis

Thanks

--
*Apophysis

Hmmm, really interesting but a little bit complicated... Do you think your Java3D + VTK/Tcl codes could be transposed to the native POV-Ray scene langage?
Be that as it may, the result on this image is astonishing. Bravo!

It's bee many years since I last used POV or Polyray.

I know POV supports itterated functions like quaternions, but I was never able to figure out how do do anything other than the canned functions. Never could perform itterations with a script, but again, it's been several years since I worked with it.

If you can script itterations in a POV file you should be able to do it. Like I said, the math is easy.

I'd be happy to work with you on it if you can figure out how to script itterated functions.

Don

--
*Apophysis

Well, that sounds a great challenge! I used to use the macros in POV ([link]) but as scripting itterated functions... I think I should learn more of the langage before that . I'll get a look farther. Mail U soon

Keep me posted on how you're doing.
Maybe if we can figure this the POV dev team might be interested in including it in the next release.

--
*Apophysis

OK.
BTW, I saw that POV included now the julia_fractal statement with some interesting features (quaternions and hypercomplex functions...). It may be a good start to look at.