4.2 Select Fill Type Screen
This option exists because in the course of the 3D projection, portions
of the original image may be stretched to fit the new surface. Points of
an image that formerly were right next to each other, now may have a
space between them. This option generally determines what to do with the
space between the mapped dots. It is not used if you have selected a
value for RAY other than 0.
For an illustration, pick the second option "just draw the points",
which just maps points to corresponding points. Generally this will
leave empty space between many of the points. Therefore you can choose
various algorithms that "fill in" the space between the points in
various ways.
Later, try the first option "make a surface grid." This option will make
a grid of the surface which is as many divisions in the original "y"
direction as was set in "coarse" in the first screen. It is very fast,
and can give you a good idea what the final relationship of parts of
your picture will look like.
Later, try the second option "connect the dots (wire frame)", then
"surface fills" - "colors interpolated" and "colors not interpolated",
the general favorites of the authors. Solid fill, while it reveals the
pseudo-geology under your pseudo-landscape, inevitably takes longer.
Later, try the light source fill types. These two algorithms allow you
to position the "sun" over your "landscape." Each pixel is colored
according to the angle the surface makes with an imaginary light source.
You will be asked to enter the three coordinates of the vector pointing
toward the light in a following parameter screen - see Light Source
Parameters (p. 113).
"Light source before transformation" uses the illumination direction
without transforming it. The light source is fixed relative to your
computer screen. If you generate a sequence of images with progressive
rotation, the effect is as if you and the light source are fixed and the
object is rotating. Therefore as the object rotates features of the
object move in and out of the light. This fill option was incorrect
prior to version 16.1, and has been changed.
"Light source after transformation" applies the same transformation to
both the light direction and the object. Since both the light direction
and the object are transformed, if you generate a sequence of images
with the rotation progressively changed, the effect is as if the image
and the light source are fixed in relation to each other and you orbit
around the image. The illumination of features on the object is
constant, but you see the object from different angles. This fill option
was correct in earlier Fractint versions and has not been changed.
For ease of discussion we will refer to the following fill types by
these numbers:
1 - surface grid
2 - (default) - no fill at all - just draw the dots
3 - wire frame - joins points with lines
4 - surface fill - (colors interpolated)
5 - surface fill - (interpolation turned off)
6 - solid fill - draws lines from the "ground" up to the point
7 - surface fill with light model - calculated before 3D transforms
8 - surface fill with light model - calculated after 3D transforms
Types 4, 7, and 8 interpolate colors when filling, making a very smooth
fill if the palette is continuous. This may not be desirable if the
palette is not continuous. Type 5 is the same as type 4 with
interpolation turned off. You might want to use fill type 5, for
example, to project a .GIF photograph onto a sphere. With type 4, you
might see the filled-in points, since chances are the palette is not
continuous; type 5 fills those same points in with the colors of
adjacent pixels. However, for most fractal images, fill type 4 works
better.
This screen is not available if you have selected a ray tracing option.