Versions 18.1 and 18.2 are bug-fix releases for version 18.0. Changes
from 18.1 to 18.2 include:
The <b> command now causes filenames only to be written in PAR files.
Fractint will now search directories in the PATH for files not found in
the requested the requested directory or the current directory. If you
place .MAP, .FRM, etc. in directories in your PATH, then Fractint will
find them.
Fixed bug that caused fractals using PI symmetry to fail at high
resolution.
Fractals interrupted with <3> or <r> can now resume.
The palette editor's <u> (undo) now works.
The <s> command in orbit/Julia window mode is no longer case sensitive.
Added warnings that the POV-Ray output is obsolete (but has been left
in). Use POV-Ray's height field facility instead or create and convert
RAW files.
Fixed several IFS bugs.
Changes from 18.0 to 18.1 include:
Overlay tuning - the Mandelbrot/Julia Set fractals are now back up to
17.x speeds
Disk Video modes now work correctly with VESA video adapters (they used
to use the same array for different purposes, confusing each other)
1024x768x256 and 2048x2048x256 disk video modes work again
Parameter-file processing no longer crashes Fractint if it attempts to
run a formula requiring access to a non-existent FRM file
IFS arrays no longer overrun their array space
type=cellular fixes
"autologmap=2" now correctly picks up the minimum color
The use of disk-video mode with random-access fractal types is now
legal (it generates a warning message but lets you proceed if you
really want to)
The Lsystems "spinning-wheel" now spins slower (removing needless
overhead)
Changes to contributors' addresses in the Help screens
(The remainder of this "new features" section is from version 18.0)
New fractal types:
19 new fractal types, including:
New fractal types - 'lambda(fn||fn)', 'julia(fn||fn)',
'manlam(fn||fn)', 'mandel(fn||fn)', 'halley', 'phoenix', 'mandphoenix',
'cellular', generalized bifurcation, and 'bifmay' - from Jonathan
Osuch.
New Mandelcloud, Quaternion, Dynamic System, Cellular Automata fractal
types from Ken Shirriff.
New HyperComplex fractal types from Timothy Wegner
New ICON type from Dan Farmer, including a PAR file of examples.
New Frothy Basin fractal types (and PAR entries) by Wesley Loewer
MIIM (Modified Inverse Iteration Method) implementation of Inverse
Julia from Michael Snyder.
New Inverse Julia fractal type from Juan Buhler.
New floating-point versions of Markslambda, Marksmandel, Mandel4, and
Julia4 types (chosen automatically if the floating-point option is
enabled).
New options/features:
New assembler-based parser logic from Chuck Ebbert - significantly
faster than the C-based code it replaces!
New assembler-based Lyapunov logic from Nicholas Wilt and Wes Loewer.
Roughly six times faster than the old version!
New Orbits-on-a-window / Julia-in-a-window options:
1) The old Overlay option is now '#' (Shift-3).
2) During generation, 'O' brings up orbits (as before) - after
generation, 'O' brings up new orbits Windows mode.
3) Control-O brings up new orbits Windows mode at any time.
4) Spacebar toggles between Inverse Julia mode and the Julia set and
back to the Mandelbrot set.
These new "in-a-window" modes are really neat! See Orbits Window
(p. 34) and Julia Toggle Spacebar Commands (p. 45) for details.
New multi-image GIF support in the <B> command. You can now generate
65535x65535x256 fractal images using Fractint (if you have the disk
space, of course). This option builds special PAR entries and a
MAKEMIG.BAT file that you later use to invoke Fractint multiple times
to generate individual sections of the image and (in a final step)
stitch them all together. If your other software can't handle
Multiple-image GIFs, a SIMPLGIF program is also supplied that converts
MIGS into simgle-image GIFs. Press F1 at the <B> prompts screen for
details.
Fractint's decoder now handles Multi-Image Gifs.
New SuperVGA/VESA Autodetect logic from the latest version of VGAKIT.
Sure hope we didn't break anything.
New register-compatible 8514/A code from Jonathan Osuch. By default,
Fractint now looks first for the presence of an 8514/A register-
compatible adapter and then (and only if it doesn't find one) the
presence of the 8514/A API (IE, HDILOAD is no longer necessary for
register-compatible "8514/a" adapters). Fractint can be forced to use
the 8514/A API by using a new command-line option, "afi=yes". Jonathan
also added ATI's "8514/a-style" 800x600x256 and 1280x1024x16 modes.
New XGA-detection logic for ISA-based XGA-2 systems.
The palette editor now has a "freestyle" editing option. See Palette
Editing Commands (p. 25) for details.
Fractint is now more "batch file" friendly. When running Fractint from
a batch file, pressing any key will cause Fractint to exit with an
errorlevel = 2. Any error that interrupts an image save to disk will
cause an exit with errorlevel = 2. Any error that prevents an image
from being generated will cause an exit with errorlevel = 1.
New Control-X, Control-Y, and Control-Z options flip a fractal image
along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Origin, respectively.
New area calculation mode in TAB screen from Ken Shirriff (for accuracy
use inside=0).
The TAB screen now indicates when the Integer Math algorithms are in
use.
The palette must now be explicitly changed, it will not reset to the
default unexpectedly when doing things like switching video modes.
The Julibrot type has been generalized. Julibrot fractals can now be
generated from PAR files.
Added <b> command support for viewwindows.
Added room for two additional PAR comments in the <B> command
New coloring method for IFS shows which parts of fractal came from
which transform.
Added attractor basin phase plotting for Julia sets from Ken Shirriff.
Improved finite attractor code to find more attractors from Ken
Shirriff.
New zero function, to be used in PAR files to replace old integer tan,
tanh
Debugflag=10000 now reports video chipset in use as well as CPU/FPU
type and available memory
Added 6 additional parameters for params= for those fractal types that
need them.
New 'matherr()' logic lets Fractint get more aggressive when these
errors happen.
New autologmap option (log=+-2) from Robin Bussell that ensures that
all palette values are used by searching the screen border for the
lowest value and then setting log= to +- that color.
Two new diffusion options - falling and square cavity.
Three new Editpal commands: '!', '@' and '#' commands (that's <shift-
1>, <shift-2>, and <shift-3>) to swap R<->G, G<->B, R<->B.
Parameter files now use a slightly shorter maximum line length, making
them a bit more readable when stuffed into messages on CompuServe.
Plasma now has 16-bit .POT output for use with Ray tracers. The "old"
algorithm has been modified so that the plasma effect is independent of
resolution.
Slight modification to the Raytrace code to make it compatible with
Rayshade 4.0 patch level 6.
Improved boundary-tracing logic from Wesley Loewer.
Command-line parameters can now be entered on-the-fly using the <g> key
thanks to Ken Shirriff.
Dithered gif images can now be loaded onto a b/w display. Thanks to
Ken Shirriff.
Pictures can now be output as compressed PostScript. Thanks to Ken
Shirriff.
Periodicity is a new inside coloring option. Thanks to Ken Shirriff.
Fixes: symmetry values for the SQR functions, bailout for the floating-
pt versions of 'lambdafn' and 'mandelfn' fractals from Jonathan Osuch.
"Flip", "conj" operators are now selectable in the parser
New DXF Raytracing option from Dennis Bragg.
Improved boundary-tracing logic from Wesley Loewer.
New MSC7-style overlay structure is used if MAKEFRAC.BAT specifies
MSC7. (with new FRACTINT.DEF and FRACTINT.LNK files for MSC7 users).
Several modules have been re-organized to take advantage of this new
overlay capability if compiled under MSC7.