Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts:

Because of its almost lifelike appearance, today's image rates a whopping 9.5.  I did not want to give it a perfect 10 because I could see a few areas that needed a bit more work.  But regardless of whether the rating is a 10 or a 9.5, the image is still (IMO) the best in quite a while.

The scene lies on the X-axis of the ridiculous fractal that results when some Z^(-100) gets mixed into an everyday Mandelbrot set.  Well, that's not exactly what the formula does, but regardless, the result is a fractal with Z^(-100) features and Z^2 features mixed together in a strange but pleasing way.

The parent fractal resembles nothing as much as a Mandelbrot set squeezed inside a nest of cogwheels, with its main stem missing and its large bud flattened.  Today's scene lies in the East Valley of the shattered M-set.

I have just started to explore the minus-minus fractals created by the FinDivBrot-2 formula, and have found that the fractals in this range are very sensitive to the bailout radius.  Today's bailout is actually a rather critical 1.25 -- (the negative 14.75 entered as real[p2] plus the 16 automatically added to this parameter by the formula).  If this value is changed even a little, the image totally changes, and not for the better.

The name "Sparkling Minibrot" came about when the image reminded me of sparkling water.  Most of the effect of sparkling water was created by rendering the scene with the outside set to 'fmod' and a proximity factor of 0.08.  The rest of the effect is a result of the coloring.

The calculation time of only one minute is a real bargain price for an image with a rating of 9-1/2.

Once the morning fog cleared away, the near-perfect autumn weather continued here at Fractal Central today, with almost totally clear skies and a temperature of 57F 14C.  The fractal cats were pleased with the weather, but not so pleased with a lop-eared orange tomcat that is prowling and spraying in the neighborhood.  When the intruder passed through the yard and sprayed the decorative cat garden ornament, Cassie gave him a good growl, (from the safety of the indoors).

The day of the humans (that's what they tell us we are) was uneventful.  The next FOTD will be posted in 24 hours.  Until then, take care, and there is a corollary that follows from yesterday's closing comment about disbelief of truth . . . The stronger the evidence that a thing is untrue, the greater the number of people who will believe it.

Jim (Has anyone seen any space aliens lately?) Muth
jamth@mindspring.com


START PARAMETER FILE=======================================

Sparkling_Minibrot { ; time=0:01:00.00 SF5 at 2000MHZ
  reset=2004 type=formula formulafile=basicer.frm
  formulaname=FinDivBrot-2 function=recip passes=1
  center-mag=+0.27749834198/0/772137 params=-100/\
  -100/-14.75/0 float=y maxiter=3600 inside=255
  proximity=0.08 outside=fmod
  symmetry=xaxis periodicity=6
  colors=000HOPHOPHPPHPOHQOHROHROHSNHSNHTNMLSMLSLMRL\
  MRLMRKMQKNQKNQKNPJNPJOOJOOJOOIONIONIPNIPMHPMHPLHPL\
  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzyzzwzzuzzszvrzrqzmpzhozcmyZkxViwRgv\
  RfvReuSduSctSbtTasT`sT_rUZrUYqUXqVWpVVpVUoVUoWUnWU\
  mWUmXUlXUlXUkYVkYVjYVjZViZViZVhZVh_Vg_Wg_Wf`Wf`We`\
  WeaWdaWcaWcbXbbXbbXabXacX`cX`cX_cX_cYZcYZcYYcYYcYX\
  cYXcYXcYWcYXcXXbXX_WXZWXYVXXVWWUWVUWUTWTTWSSWRSWQR\
  VPRVOQVNQVMQVLRVKSUKTUKUUKUUKUUKUUKUUKVUKVUKUUKUUK\
  UUKUUKUUKTUKTULTUMTVNTVOSWPSWPSXQSYRSYSRZTRZUR_VR_\
  VR`WQ`XQaYQbZQb_Qc`PcaPdaPdbPecPedOfeOgfOggOhgOhhN\
  iiNijNjkNjlNkmMlnLjmKglJdkIbjH_iGXgFVfESeCPdBMcAKb\
  9H`8E_7DZ6CY5BX3AW59V58U57U66T66S66R66Q76O76N76M76\
  L86K86J86I96H96G96F96EA5DA5CA5B95A95A85A75A75A75A7\
  5A75A85A85A85A85A95A95A95AA4A95A95A94A94AA3A93A94A\
  94A95A95AA5AA5AA5AA5AA5AA5AA5AA5AA5AA5AA5AB5AB5AB5\
  AB5AB5AB5AB5AB5AB5AB5Azzz }

frm:FinDivBrot-2   { ; Jim Muth
z=(0,0), c=pixel, a=-(real(p1)-2),
esc=(real(p2)+16), b=imag(p1):
z=(b)*(z*z*fn1(z^(a)+b))+c
|z| < esc }

END PARAMETER FILE=========================================