			Fractal3D 3.1, August, 2001
	       Copyright (C) 1991-2001 Ivan Lee Herring
                        All Rights Reserved
 

Description
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Fractal3d generates fractals, fractal/random/DEM landscapes, and various graphic images that can be combined together.  Requires a SVGA, 24 or 32 bit color, computer using Microsoft Windows (R) 95/98 OS. After 30 days requires registration : $20.

The main new feature in Fractal 3.1 is the fractal/random/DEM landscape generation feature. The main new feature in Fractal 3.0 was the inclusion of the image combining feature.  Continued enhancements of parameter choices: Colors, size, location, range.

Installation
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Create a directory (temp) and move the zip file into it.  Unzip the zip file into the directory.  Run the Setup program. Delete the directory.
Some unzippers run the setup program as a function of unzipping, if so then do it.  Else: Create a directory, copy the zip file into the directory and Unzip the zip file.  Double click the Setup program for installation and placement of the files (some html files are also placed in the program directory for further information).  An Icon for the program is placed in the selected Desktop/Menu.   Uninstall is a portion of the program and operates from the Windows control panel. 

On the programs top portion is the 'menu'  clicking the Fractals... , 3D..., or the Math... words will activate the respective forms. On these forms are 'folders' of possible types of graphics.  Mousing a round hole - button (Radio button) should fill the radio-button with a black or dark color to represent it being the selected item.  Once a radio-button is selected, there may be possible inputs required- though usually they have an adequate response already - seeing something different would require a different response.  Pressing the [Display] will activate graphic production according to the selected inputs.
    For the most part simply clicking a selection button and then pressing the [Display] will produce a graphic display. On the Math graphics form, buttons requiring input have a [?] such as [i], [X] [h] [i]... and there is usually an example input with the graphic name next to the button, else press the Help button on the form and select the desired topic for possible example inputs and the effect of various possible inputs (though the help is usually lacking any help, there is usually some words). {some Math forms also have examples on files... if that form has a folder button, a data area, and a disk button}  On the Fractal form press the help button, look for "common Fractal Operational Descriptions "  and read the  Description-instructions.  Generally, once there is a Fractal on the screen clicking the Expand File Selection button, Mousing an area of interest on the image, and pressing the [Display] button will produce the desired graphic. There are several color options in the fractal form, changing the selected colors choice will produce a graphic that looks different, also changing the color set can lead to an interesting consumption of time. THIS PROGRAM PRODUCES FILES ON THE COMPUTER THAT CAN BECOME (CONSUME) A LARGE AMOUNT OF FILE SPACE.  It was designed this way to automatically save the Fractal files for creating a historical pathway of zooming (and making avi movies in a later version). After an area is selected the highlighted selected area is ALSO saved as a temp.bmp file... you must rename the temp file to keep it from being overwritten the next time an area is selected... Simply pressing the [File Terminator] button and pressing [Yes], or [all], or [ok] to the dialog questions will remove ALL the produced image files.  (Desired files can be opened in the program, then [Saved As..] a jpeg file (jpeg files are amazingly smaller in size, though they lose some of the detail). The graphics in Math graphics DO NOT automatically save themselves, so you do not have to clear off the image files, although if there is a desired graphic it must be saved using the main menu [Save] or [Save As] selections.
    In Fractals Help Contents there are "References" and "Historical background" sections containing many names of people that have led to the development of math and fractals.
    On the Options main menu: Change the background color and the foreground color set so the background is not one of the foreground colors - else some graphics will not be seen on some iterations.
Any questions, comments, criticism, suggestions, ideas, etc...
good luck?... several graphics (more the further the program goes to 3D landscape creation)  use random numbers to randomly change the shape of the fractal graphic.... thus even with the same inputs simply pressing the [Display] button will produce a completely different image every time.  Keep pressing till you like the Mountain then save for use in the 3D portion.
I hope you enjoy the program


Fractal3d Features
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Fractals, Ferns, Dragons, and Mountains... o my.  Fractal Generation at the touch of a button.  Selection from forms that stay visible and chosen so parameter choices and their result can be easily and visibly input into the mental mind.  Sample files are included.

After seeing all the predetermined images, the DIY scene generator enables placing fractal images, generated shapes, fractal/random/DEM landscapes, and bmp files together to create a Do It Yourself composition, thus enabling limitless possibilities.

Crop off the edges and or cut out the inside of your favorite fractal image and place a bmp file (you and/or your's photo) inside the selected area for "photo framing".

Image size selection from 640x480 to 4096x3072.

Use of Extended numbers for 20 place precision Fractal image generation.

Choice of 16 color or 256 color sets that are preselected or chosen by you to generate Fractal images the same as in 'the books' or with any of the 16 million colors available.

Generated Fractal images are automatically saved with consecutive numbers and record files (*.rcd) of the image parameters for those of us who like to track the results of changes.

The accumulation of these autosaved image and record files can be easily deleted at the touch of a button.

Archiving selected images into jpg files reduces the disk load (file size) and keeps them from being deleted by the file terminator.

Fractal3D requires 24 or 32 bit color Windows 95 or 98. See the online help for details.

Press the F1 key at any time while running Fractal3D for help or to access the complete online documentation.

Reporting Bugs
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If you experience an uncaught exception, General Protection Fault (GPF), or something you believe is a bug (or just do not like how something 'works'), please send e-mail to ilh2o@ezl.com  Please do not assume someone else will report it.  I will try to resolve reported bugs as quickly as possible.  However, I can't resolve bugs that are not reported.

Please describe the problem in as much detail as possible. In your e-mail message, please include the following information: Which image was being generated, its parameters and screen size. The version of Fractal3d (as shown in the About dialog box). The operating system and version.



Feature Requests
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Please let me know what features you would like to see in the next release-version of Fractal3d so that i can prioritize them based on your input.  See To-Do list in the help file for planned enhancements. You may e-mail feature requests to me at the following address:

     ilh2o@ezl.com

see my current ideas on my home page...  http://www.ezl.com/~ilh2o/


Terms & Registration Information
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Fractal3d is Shareware.  If you like it send money.  If you have suggestions and or requests for enhancements, send money.  For information on registration, see the "License Registration" topic in the online documentation (see Help/Help Topics), or the included LICENSE.TXT and ORDER.TXT files.


Contact Information
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  Ivan Lee Herring
  580 Western
  Collinsville, IL 62234 USA.

  e-mail:  ilh2o@ezl.com
