4. "3D" Images
Fractint can restore images in "3D". Important: we use quotation marks
because it does not CREATE images of 3D fractal objects (there are such,
but we're not there yet.) Instead, it restores .GIF images as a 3D
PROJECTION or STEREO IMAGE PAIR. The iteration values you've come to
know and love, the ones that determine pixel colors, are translated into
"height" so that your saved screen becomes a landscape viewed in
perspective. You can even wrap the landscape onto a sphere for
realistic-looking planets and moons that never existed outside your PC!
We suggest starting with a saved plasma-cloud screen. Hit <3> in main
command mode to begin the process. Next, select the file to be
transformed, and the video mode. (Usually you want the same video mode
the file was generated in; other choices may or may not work.)
After hitting <3>, you'll be bombarded with a long series of options.
Not to worry: all of them have defaults chosen to yield an acceptable
starting image, so the first time out just pump your way through with
the <Enter> key. When you enter a different value for any option, that
becomes the default value the next time you hit <3>, so you can change
one option at a time until you get what you want. Generally <ESC> will
take you back to the previous screen.
Once you're familiar with the effects of the 3D option values you have a
variety of options on how to specify them. You can specify them all on
the command line (there ARE a lot of them so they may not all fit within
the DOS command line limits), with an SSTOOLS.INI file, or with a
parameter file.
Here's an example for you power FRACTINTers, the command
FRACTINT MYFILE SAVENAME=MY3D 3D=YES BATCH=YES
would make Fractint load MYFILE.GIF, re-plot it as a 3D landscape
(taking all of the defaults), save the result as MY3D.GIF, and exit to
DOS. By the time you've come back with that cup of coffee, you'll have a
new world to view, if not conquer.
Note that the image created by 3D transformation is treated as if it
were a plasma cloud - We have NO idea how to retain the ability to zoom
and pan around a 3D image that has been twisted, stretched, perspective-
ized, and water-leveled. Actually, we do, but it involves the kind of
hardware that Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar et al. use for feature
films. So if you'd like to send us a check equivalent to George Lucas'
net from the "Star Wars" series...