PC World Komputer 1997 February/PCWK0297.iso/grafika/fractrip/readme.txt

Text File | 1996-09-10 | 13.9 KB | 345 lines

                   ***  FracTrip Version 2.2 for Windows  ***



    1.1 Overview
    1.2 The Author
    1.3 What's New

    2.1 How to Install

    3.1 About the Mandelbrot Set
    3.2 Complex numbers
    3.3 Fractal images

    4.1 Disclaimer
    4.2 Terms of Use
    4.3 Registration

    5.1 Suggestions and Bug Report
    5.2 Next Releases
    5.3 Other Products From the Same Author




1.1 Overview

FracTrip allows you to generate images of the Mandelbrot Set. It lets
you explore this fascinating Set and enter the wonderful world of fractal
geometry in a simple and intuitive way, allowing you to save the
generated images, and to create "film sequences" that can demonstrate
one of the main features of the fractals: the recursivity. You can also
save, load and review the film sequences.

The film sequences are created zooming in or out an image leaving
unchanged the center. With FracTrip you can also zoom inside any
region of a displayed image by just selecting an area to zoom into and
issuing the command Zoom in, or even automatically, if the Autostart
and the Autozoom option are set.

You can easily modify the pre-set color palette by mixing together 8
main colors, set the background color, which corresponds to the
Mandelbrot Set, change the color intensity and swap to a B/W palette.

All the parameters that FracTrip uses to generate the images are pre-set
in the best way, however you can change any of them in order to alter
the normal proceeding of generation of an image (E.G. the more you
zoom in, the higher the number of iterations must be, if you want to
leave unchanged the detail of the new image).

At start-up, the program draws the first image automatically, since
the "Autostart" option is set by default. The image generated by
default is the whole Mandelbrot Set.



1.2 The Author

If you want to contact the Author you can write to:

                Letizia Di Nunno
                Viale D. Pietri, 22
                00122 ROMA - ITALY

or send an e-mail message to

                [e-mail]

on the Internet. All your messages are welcome.



1.3 What's New

This version of FracTrip contains some bug fixes and a few more features,
some of which are reserved to the registered users (R-marked features).
This list is related to the version 2.0, since the 2.1 was never released to
the public and considered as transitional.
Some other minor changes have not been included in this list.
-    The management of color palettes has been completely revised and
     corrected.
(R)- Redrawing the picture when FracTrip's window is brought back to the
     foreground has been improved.
(R)- Once drawing has terminated, for a single picture or for a film frame,
     FracTrip's window is no longer brought to the foreground, if it wasn't.
(R)- Resizing, maximizing or minimizing the window doesn't interrupt drawing.
     This feature is extremely useful for generating film sequences in
     the background.
-    The color palette can be changed also after a picture or a film have
     been generated. The colors of formerly saved films can be changed too.
-    The formula for converting the palette to a grey scale has been improved:
     from an average of the Red, Green and Blue components to a "distance", that
     is the square root of the sum of the squares of these three values.
(R)- A new feature to defer displaying has been added: this feature can
     improve speed by 30%, if related to the pixel-by-pixel mode.
(R)- A new feature has been added to choose whether to display zooms into
     a new window (default for all users) or into the same window.
-    When a film is loaded, the first frame is displayed on the screen, and
     the previously defined palette changes to the film's.
-    When a palette is modified, the background remains unchanged, if the
     new palette contains the old background color. Therefore it is no longer
     necessary to redefine the background after changing the palette.
-    A bug in the film loading has been fixed: with some films it caused the
     program to exit; some other films were displayed with a horizontal shift.
-    All 1-frame films caused the program to enter an infinite loop; all
     films must be composed of at least 2 frames now.




2.1 How to Install

a) Unpack the zipped file; you will find the following files in your
   directory:

       1) FRACTRIP.EX_  (FracTrip program)
       2) FRACTRIP.HL_  (FracTrip's Help file)
       3) README.TXT    (An ASCII documentation file - the file you are reading)
       4) INSTALL.EXE   (Installation program)
       5) WINSTALL.INF  (Installation program's information file)
       6) WINSTALL.HLP  (Installation program's help file)

b) Run Windows, or return to Windows if you are in a DOS shell.

c) Run the installation program INSTALL.EXE through the Program Manager's
   FILE menu or through the File Manager.
   When the installer's window appears, choose the directory you want the
   program to be installed to. Change the default directory if you want,
   then start installation.
   No changes will be done to your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS files.
   The installation program will automatically create the FracTrip Group
   into your Program Manager.

d) Run FracTrip. If you have not a registration code, select the
   "Continue Unregistered" button to enter FracTrip. The first image
   will automatically be generated.

e) Take a look at the help file to discover all the advanced features and
   settings of FracTrip.




3.1 About the Mandelbrot Set

"Yes, beautiful, but ...  what is it?"

The Mandelbrot set is without doubt the most famous of the fractals. It
is the graphical representation of a function of a variable defined in the
complex plane. The Mandelbrot set consists of all the complex numbers
for which the sequence
Zn+1 = Zn^2 + C    (Z0 = C)
does not approach infinity. This sequence has the property that when
the magnitude of Zn exceeds the value 2, the magnitude of  Zn+1 will
also exceed this value and become larger and larger within a few
iterations.

Every pixel on the window corresponds to a complex number. FracTrip
calculates the sequence for each of these pixels, for at most a certain
number of iterations (iteration = the value of n). If the magnitude of Zn
does not exceed 2, the point probably belongs to the Mandelbrot set,
otherwise, if the magnitude exceeds 2 before the n iterations are
calculated, the complex number surely lies outside the set (see
menu Options -  Iterations).
The dot on the screen is plotted in a color that depends on the number
of iterations FracTrip has to calculate before the sequence diverges. So,
the colored area represents the set of complex numbers for which the
sequence diverges after a certain number of steps.
The beauty of the Mandelbrot set is at its boundary. The sequence
calculated for points with almost identical coordinates may have a totally
different behaviour: in one case it may diverge, in the other not.
Exploring this area may produce magnificent, unexpected images.




3.2 Complex numbers

A complex number is a number in the form
                            C = X + i * Y,
where X and Y are real numbers, and i is the imaginary unit, defined as
the square root of -1. The algebra of complex numbers follows that of
real numbers, with the particularity of i, so, for instance, the square of a
complex number is
C^2 = (X+iY)^2 = X^2 - Y^2 + 2XY.
A complex number is usually represented as a point on a plane where
the real numbers are represented on the X axis and the imaginary
numbers on the Y axis. It is called the complex plane.

The magnitude of a complex number is defined as the square root
of the sum of the squares of its components:
|C| = sqrt (X^2 + Y^2).




3.3 Fractal images

A fractal image is generally a geometrical shape that can be
subdivided in parts similar to each other, each of which is a lower-scale
copy of the whole. A fractal image reveals more and more details the
"deeper" one goes, and every detail in a smaller scale looks like the
detail itself in a larger scale.
The boundary of the Mandelbrot Set is a fractal curve. It consists of
innumerable parts composed of miniatures of themselves.





4.1 Disclaimer

THE PROGRAM AND ALL THE RELATED FILES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS".
THE AUTHOR DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES RELATING TO THIS SOFTWARE,
EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE PROGRAM OR ITS PERFORMANCE
OR QUALITY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN
NO EVENT WILL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOST PROFITS OR LOST
DATA, RESULTING FROM THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE
PROGRAM.

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT, UNDERSTAND IT,
AND THAT BY USING THIS SOFTWARE YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

IF THESE TERMS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU, THEN PLEASE
DELETE THE PROGRAM AND ALL RELATED FILES FROM YOUR DISKS
IMMEDIATELY.



4.2 Terms of Use

FracTrip is distributed as a shareware program. It is NOT a public
domain program. However, you are encouraged to copy it for trial
purposes.  The program and all associated files can be freely copied and
shared to allow others to try it. You may upload this program and
all associated files to any bulletin board system (BBS) or on-line computer
service. The program and all its related files must be distributed in
unmodified form. You may not remove any files from the distribution archives
or diskettes. You may not add any files unless the added files are clearly
marked as being an addition to the original archives or diskettes.
If this program and its related files are included in a collection of
shareware and/or public domain programs, it must be clear to the purchaser of
the collection that no license to use this program is granted by the purchase
of the collection.

This program and all its related files may not be given away with commercial
products without an explicit authorization from the Author.

You agree not to:
a) modify, disassemble, reverse engineer or decompile the program,
b) use this program on more than one terminal of a network, on a multi-
user computer, on a time-sharing system, on a service bureau, on any
system on which the program could be used (other than for trial
purposes) by more than one person at a time.



4.3 Registration

If you try FracTtrip and decide to use it, you must register your copy.
If you do not register your copy, you are not authorized to use the
program beyond an initial evaluation period of thirty (30) days.

By registering, the Author grant you a permanent license to use this
copyrighted computer program, in the current version, on a single computer
at a time, subject to the terms and conditions of this license.

The registration fee for FracTrip is US$30.00 (thirty). When you register,
you will receive your personal registration code and any information on future
upgrades to the program.
The registration code is strictly personal; it cannot be given away or sold.

To register FracTrip, send the registration fee to:

                Letizia Di Nunno
                Viale D. Pietri, 22
                00122 ROMA - ITALY

Requests for "group" or "unlimited" licenses will be accepted and examinated.
Ask for more details.

REGISTER NOW.
If you register now, you will have all future upgrades to this version for
FREE, should even the registration fee grow.




5.1 Suggestions and Bug Report

If you spot bugs or have comments or suggestions about the program,
please write to the he Author.
All your suggestions will be accepted and, if possible, included in the
subsequent release. In any case you will be noticed (e-mail only) on the
acceptance of your suggestion.



5.2 Next Releases

It all depends on you to decide how long it will take to produce a new
release. If you appreciate this work and the hard efforts to produce this
program, please register. This will help the Author produce new releases
faster and better.
There are many things to be done, some of which are more exciting, some others
more useful. The exciting features will surely be reserved to the registered
users, while the useful ones will probably be available to all. If users won't
ask for something useful in particular, the exciting features will be realized
first. The main new features in the to-do list are:

More fractals (Julia, Plasma Clouds, ...),
Printing,
3D projection,
Cooperative processing on a network for speed improvement,
Saving user-defined options to a configuration file.
Compression of .flm files



5.3 Other Products From the Same Author

Plasma Clouds screen saver for Windows.
If you like fractals, you'll surely like Plasma Clouds screen saver.
Plasma Clouds draws fractal clouds on the screen in an endless variety of forms
and colors. You can never know what the next image will be. This screen saver
doesn't show you the pictures you provide, it CREATES them.
You have the freedom to choose what kind of clouds you want to see, and have
the freedom to let the computer make this choice for you.
You can change colors, define how "stormy" your clouds must be, and set up
special effects, such as moving clouds and psychedelic colors.
Coming back to your computer and seeing the screen saver in action, you will
hesitate before touching your mouse or keyboard!
Plasma Clouds is FAST. It doesn't take minutes to produce an image, it
takes SECONDS: about 3 seconds(!) on a Pentium 70 Mhz, 640x480; 42 seconds
on a 386 20 Mhz without math co-processor.
Plasma Clouds is CHEAP. Just US$5.00 to get registered is really VERY cheap,
especially if you consider what you have in change.

This list may have been changed since it was produced, so ask the Author for
the updated list.