5.5 Startup Parameters
@FILENAME
Causes Fractint to read "filename" for parameters. When it finishes, it
resumes reading its own command line -- i.e., "FRACTINT MAXITER=250
@MYFILE PASSES=1" is legal. This option is only valid on the DOS command
line, as Fractint is not clever enough to deal with multiple
indirection.
@FILENAME/GROUPNAME
Like @FILENAME, but reads a named group of parameters from a parameter
file. See "Parameter Files and the <@> Command" (p. 121).
TEMPDIR=[directory]
This command allows to specify the directory where Fractint writes
temporary files.
WORKDIR=[directory]
This command sets the directory where miscellaneous Fractint files get
written, including MAKEMIG.BAT and debugging files.
FILENAME=[name]
Causes Fractint to read the named file, which must either have been
saved from an earlier Fractint session or be a generic GIF file, and use
that as the starting point, bypassing the initial information screens.
The filetype is optional and defaults to .GIF. Non-Fractint GIF files
are restored as fractal type "plasma".
On the DOS command line you may omit FILENAME= and just give the file
name.
CURDIR=yes
Fractint uses directories set by various commands, possibly in the
SSTOOLS.INI file. If you want to try out some files in the current
directory, such as a modified copy of FRACTINT.FRM, you won't Fractint
to read the copy in your official FRM directory. Setting curdir=yes at
the command line will cause Fractint to look in the current directory
for requested files first before looking in the default directory set by
the other commands. Warning: <tab> screen may not reflect actual file
opened in cases where the file was opened in the DOS current directory.
MAKEPAR=parfile/entryname
This command invokes a batch facility to copy fractal and color
information stored in GIF files to PAR format. The syntax is:
fractint filename.gif makepar=parfile.par/entryname >> makepar.log
The entryname is optional and defaults to the name of the gif filename
if absent. Other parameters can appear before the makepar= command, but
anything after will ignored. If the parfile and entryname exist, the
entry will replace the previous entry. If the entry doesn't exist, it
will be added. If the parfile doesn't exist it will be created.
Redirection of output to a log file is possible in the DOS version
because all screen output is written to the standard output.
If you leave the GIF filename out of the command lime but add a map=
command, then the makepar command will write a PAR named for the color
map with only the colors in the PAR entry. This is a handy tool for
converting maps into compressed PAR colors entry. For example, you could
type:
fractint map=lyapunov.map makepar=mycolors >> makepar.log
This adds a colors-only PAR entry called lyapunov.map to mycolors.par.
MAXLINELENGTH=nnn
This command sets the maximum width of lines in a PAR entry.
COMMENT=[comment1]/[comment2]/[comment3]/[comment4]
Inserts comments into PAR files. These comments can include variables
that are expanded at the time the PAR file is created. Variables are
indicated by $varname$. Underscore characters are expanded to blanks.
If you want to include the special characters '$', '_', or '\' in a
comment, precede the character with '\'. Supported variables are:
Variable Expands to Example Variable Expands to Example
=============================== ===============================
$year$ time:year 1996 $date$ mo. day, yr Aug 17, 1996
$month$ time:month Aug $calctime$ h:m:s 4:34:45.3
$day$ time:day 12 $version$ version 1940
$hour$ time:hour 21 $patch$ patch number 2
$min$ time:minute 34 $xdots$ horiz rez 640
$sec$ time:sec 14 $ydots$ vertical rez 480
$time$ time:h:m:s 21:34:14 $vidkey$ video key SF4
You can leave any of the four comment fields unchanged by leaving that
position blank. For example, the command comment=//Created_$date$
inserts the text "Created Aug 17, 1996" into the third comment.
BATCH=yes
See Batch Mode (p. 148).
AUTOKEY=play|record
Specifying "play" runs Fractint in playback mode - keystrokes are read
from the autokey file (see next parameter) and interpreted as if they're
being entered from the keyboard.
Specifying "record" runs in recording mode - all keystrokes are recorded
in the autokey file.
See also Autokey Mode (p. 89).
AUTOKEYNAME=[filename]
Specifies the file name to be used in autokey mode. The default file
name is AUTO.KEY.
MAKEDOC[=filename]
Create Fractint documentation file (for printing or viewing with a text
editor) and then return to DOS. Filename defaults to FRACTINT.DOC.
There's also a function in Fractint's online help which can be used to
produce the documentation file - use "Printing Fractint Documentation"
from the main help index.
MAXHISTORY=<nnn>
Fractint maintains a list of parameters of the past 10 images that you
generated in the current Fractint session. You can revisit these images
using the <h> and <Ctrl-h> commands. The maxhistory command allows you
to set the number of image parameter sets stored in memory. The tradeoff
is between the convenience of storing more images and memory use. Each
image in the circular history buffer takes up over 1200 bytes, so the
default value of ten images uses up 12,000 bytes of memory. If your
memory is very tight, and some memory-intensive Fractint operations are
giving "out of memory" messages, you can reduce maxistory to 2 or even
zero. Keep in mind that every time you color cycle or change from
integer to float or back, another image parameter set is saved, so the
default ten images are used up quickly.
FPU=387
This parameter is useful if you have an unusual coprocessor chip. If you
have a 80287 replacement chip with full 80387 functionality use
"FPU=387" to inform Fractint to take advantage of those extra 387
instructions.