Fractal Program Types
There are 12 different Program Types supported by the Fractal Science Kit fractal generator.
- Fractal Equations
- Orbital Equations
- Alternate Values
- Orbit Traps
- Classic Controllers
- Classic Master Controllers
- Orbit Trap Controllers
- Orbit Trap Master Controllers
- Orbital Controllers
- Orbital Master Controllers
- Symmetry Transformations
- Transformations
While this may seem overwhelming at first glance, be assured that each type is responsible for performing a small, well defined task, which can be handled by the default configuration until you choose to explore that area of the application. What's more, because of this partitioning, there are countless opportunities for combining programs in new and unusual ways.
The different Program Types fall into 4 major categories:
-
Base Equations are the instructions that define the fractal iteration and are fundamental to understanding a fractal. The Fractal Science Kit fractal generator supports 2 different types of Base Equations: Fractal Equations and Orbital Equations.
-
Data Collection Programs are similar to Base Equations in that they are called during the fractal iteration. Unlike the Base Equations, however, they do not change the orbit point but simply collect data related to it. This makes it possible to combine Data Collection Programs with Base Equations in different ways to generate many interesting results. The Fractal Science Kit fractal generator supports 2 different types of Data Collection Programs: Alternate Values and Orbit Traps.
-
Color Controllers are the programs that map the sample data collected during the fractal iteration, to colors. The Fractal Science Kit fractal generator supports 3 types of Color Controllers: Classic Controllers, Orbit Trap Controllers, and Orbital Controllers.
-
Complex Transformations are programs used to transform a complex value into 1 or more transformed values. The Fractal Science Kit fractal generator supports 2 different types of Complex Transformations: Symmetry Transformations and Transformations.
What follows is a description of each category, the specific Program Types within the category, and all the information necessary to write programs of that type. I have included a few simple examples within the text, but I refer you to the built-in programs for many illustrative examples of all the concepts described here and throughout this documentation. There is nothing better than a good example when it comes to developing software, and the built-in programs provide hundreds of such examples and cover all the different program types.