5.3 Parameter Files and the <@> Command
You can change parameters on-the-fly while running Fractint by using the
<@> or <2> command and a parameter file. Parameter files contain named
groups of parameters, looking something like this:
quickdraw { ; a set of parameters named quickdraw
maxiter=150
float=no
}
slowdraw { ; another set of parameters
maxiter=2000
float=yes
}
If you use the <@> or <2> command and select a parameter file containing
the above example, Fractint will show two choices: quickdraw and
slowdraw. You move the cursor to highlight one of the choices and press
<Enter> to set the parameters specified in the file by that choice.
The default parameter file name is FRACTINT.PAR. A different file can be
selected with the "parmfile=" option, or by using <@> or <2> and then
hitting <F6>.
You can create parameter files with a text editor, or for some uses, by
using the <B> command. Parameter files can be used in a number of ways,
some examples:
o To save the parameters for a favorite image. Fractint can do this
for you with the <B> command.
o To save favorite sets of 3D transformation parameters. Fractint can
do this for you with the <B> command.
o To set up different sets of parameters you use occasionally. For
instance, if you have two printers, you might want to set up a group
of parameters describing each.
o To save image parameters for later use in batch mode - see Batch
Mode (p. 148).
Formulas, ifs, and lsystem entries referred to in a parameter entry can
be included in a .par file by adding the prefix frm:, ifs:, or lsys:
respectively, for example frm:myformula {rest of that formula}.
Note that the prefix is a label, not part of the formula name, so the
reference in the image entry would be formulaname=myformula. The
formula, ifs, and lsystem entries added to a parfile are accessed only
when the image entry in the parfile is run. To make these formulas
generally
accessible, they must be added to a .frm, .ifs or .l file (without the
identifier prefix, of course).
See "Parameter Save/Restore Commands" (p. 30) for details about the <@>
and <B> commands.