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Because of the meditative, hypnotic, dreamy, trancey and surreal nature of fractal images and videos they go together extremely well with ambient music, be it as a still image for a cover on Soundcloud or as a video animation for Youtube.
The following list of programs below have been divided into 2D, 3D and Flames. Unless you see a price tag, they are all free of charge. Please note that this list is not complete due to a lot of vaporware.
The software has been chosen for intuitivness and quality of the outcome with varying degreess.
Nota molto bene: Rendering an animation (and even still images) might take a considerable amount of CPU and/or GPU power. Consider your hardware specs if in doubt.
General
http://www.fractalforums.com/
Is the go-to place for all the software below, a similar board like AO.
2D
Kalles Fraktaler
Comes with heaps of formulas and 2 movie makers, extremely easy to use, but a CPU hog. This is likely the last version, but you never know....
Platform: Win
Link: http://www.chillheimer.de/kallesfraktaler/
Fractal eXtreme
Old school fractal soomer. Intuitive, very easy to use for beginners. UI needs an update. External formulars are available. CPU hog at times.
Platform: Win
Price: 10 USD
Link: http://www.cygnus-software.com/index.html
Ultra Fractal
Probably the most advanced and versatile 2D (and even 3D) renderer around, works with a layering system. Ideal for still images, long animations are possible. Tons and tons of formulas are available. An update is scheduled for 2017. CPU hog (but this might change with the update)
Platform: Win, Mac
Price: 3 flavours, 29-99 USD
Link: http://www.ultrafractal.com/
3D
Mandelbulb3D
Plenty of 3D fractals, tons of options for lights, fog, shaters and a morphing function. A new version is supposed to come out in the future. CPU hog, but definetly worth it, even if the render times for an animation are sometimes insane.
Platform: Win, Mac
Link: http://www.fractalforums.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=64
Mandelbulber
As seen a major overhaul recently and is constantly updated, yet the documentation needs some work. Same as MB3D, but different. CPU hog, long render times for animations but definetly worth it.
Platform: Win, Mac, Linux
Link: http://www.mandelbulber.com/download.php
Flame Fractals
Apophysis
Flame generator, might be a bit tricky for newbies. Has not seen an update in a while. Still usable with patience and the help of the manual.
Platform: Win
Link: http://www.apophysis.org/downloads.html
Chaotica
Next-gen Apophysis, development active. See also Chaotica thread on AO. The results are impressive, but it will take time, energy and RTFM.
Platform: Win, Mac, Linux
Price: Limited free version, full version 89 Euro
Link: http://www.chaoticafractals.com/
Electric Sheep
A sort of screensaver app that will create fractal sheep over time. Wait a bit, let the sheep grow or roll your own. Could be used in a live setting or with a screen recorder
Platform: Win, Mac, Linux
Link: https://gold.electricsheep.org/
Incendia
Can render various fractal systems. Not very intuitive though (or I am just too stupid). Development active
Platform: Win
http://www.incendia.net/downloads.php
JWildfire
Flame generator with a few tricks up its sleeve. can now import meshes and obj files. Constant development
Platform: Win, Mac, Linux
Link: http://www.andreas-maschke.com/
BONUS
Aural
Musical fractal generator, generate midi files based on fractal patterns that can be exported and then imported into any DAW.
Platform: Win
Link: http://www.auralfractals.net/demo-songs/
Any other suggestions ? Any q’s, queries, remarks or other comments ?
The following list of programs below have been divided into 2D, 3D and Flames. Unless you see a price tag, they are all free of charge. Please note that this list is not complete due to a lot of vaporware.
The software has been chosen for intuitivness and quality of the outcome with varying degreess.
Nota molto bene: Rendering an animation (and even still images) might take a considerable amount of CPU and/or GPU power. Consider your hardware specs if in doubt.
General
http://www.fractalforums.com/
Is the go-to place for all the software below, a similar board like AO.
2D
Kalles Fraktaler
Comes with heaps of formulas and 2 movie makers, extremely easy to use, but a CPU hog. This is likely the last version, but you never know....
Platform: Win
Link: http://www.chillheimer.de/kallesfraktaler/
Fractal eXtreme
Old school fractal soomer. Intuitive, very easy to use for beginners. UI needs an update. External formulars are available. CPU hog at times.
Platform: Win
Price: 10 USD
Link: http://www.cygnus-software.com/index.html
Ultra Fractal
Probably the most advanced and versatile 2D (and even 3D) renderer around, works with a layering system. Ideal for still images, long animations are possible. Tons and tons of formulas are available. An update is scheduled for 2017. CPU hog (but this might change with the update)
Platform: Win, Mac
Price: 3 flavours, 29-99 USD
Link: http://www.ultrafractal.com/
3D
Mandelbulb3D
Plenty of 3D fractals, tons of options for lights, fog, shaters and a morphing function. A new version is supposed to come out in the future. CPU hog, but definetly worth it, even if the render times for an animation are sometimes insane.
Platform: Win, Mac
Link: http://www.fractalforums.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=64
Mandelbulber
As seen a major overhaul recently and is constantly updated, yet the documentation needs some work. Same as MB3D, but different. CPU hog, long render times for animations but definetly worth it.
Platform: Win, Mac, Linux
Link: http://www.mandelbulber.com/download.php
Flame Fractals
Apophysis
Flame generator, might be a bit tricky for newbies. Has not seen an update in a while. Still usable with patience and the help of the manual.
Platform: Win
Link: http://www.apophysis.org/downloads.html
Chaotica
Next-gen Apophysis, development active. See also Chaotica thread on AO. The results are impressive, but it will take time, energy and RTFM.
Platform: Win, Mac, Linux
Price: Limited free version, full version 89 Euro
Link: http://www.chaoticafractals.com/
Electric Sheep
A sort of screensaver app that will create fractal sheep over time. Wait a bit, let the sheep grow or roll your own. Could be used in a live setting or with a screen recorder
Platform: Win, Mac, Linux
Link: https://gold.electricsheep.org/
Incendia
Can render various fractal systems. Not very intuitive though (or I am just too stupid). Development active
Platform: Win
http://www.incendia.net/downloads.php
JWildfire
Flame generator with a few tricks up its sleeve. can now import meshes and obj files. Constant development
Platform: Win, Mac, Linux
Link: http://www.andreas-maschke.com/
BONUS
Aural
Musical fractal generator, generate midi files based on fractal patterns that can be exported and then imported into any DAW.
Platform: Win
Link: http://www.auralfractals.net/demo-songs/
Any other suggestions ? Any q’s, queries, remarks or other comments ?
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