Post by PenangHi all.
Wonder if there is any "feature comparison chart" for the Fractal
programs listed below?
Commercial ware
Ultra Fractal
Fractal Extreme
Fractal Science Kit
Freeware
Chaos Pro
Fractal Explorer
Xaos
AFAIK there is no comparison chart - but here is a guide "off the top
of my head", if even slightly unsure I've put Not sure but even so
don't take this as gospel - plus of course the ease of use and
sophistication scores are only my personal opinion.
Software 2D escape-time 3D+ escape-time 2D IFS (divergent/
escape-time) 3D IFS (divergent/escape-time) 2D IFS (convergent) 3D+
IFS (convergent)
Ultra Fractal Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes (*1)
Yes (*1)
Fractal Extreme Yes
Yes Not
sure Not
sure Not sure Not
sure
Science Kit Yes
Yes
Yes Do think
so Yes Think
so
Chaos Pro Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
(*2) Yes (*2)
Fractal Explorer Yes Don't think
so Possible ?
Don't think so Not sure
Don't think so
Xaos Yes Don't
know Not sure
Don't think so Not sure
Don't think so
Software Custom User Formulas Render to
Disk Other fractal types Ease of Use (1-10)
Sophistication (1=simple 10=comprehensive)
Ultra Fractal Full, including classes
Yes Attractors(*1), any(*1)
10 10
Fractal Extreme Not sure Not
sure Not
sure ? ?
Science Kit Yes, not sure to what level Not
sure Many (not sure what) 7 (old
version) 9
Chaos Pro Full
Yes ?? Attractors(*2), any
8 9
Fractal Explorer Simple or none Not
sure Not sure
10 6
Xaos Simple or none (old version) Not
sure Not sure 7 (old
version) 7 (extra 1 for realtime-zooming)
*1 == Not really designed for rendering via random screen access (yet)
*2 == Possibly as *1 *but* may have been enhanced for some formula
types to avoid having to use a screen buffer array (like UF must in
these cases )
Other:
ChaosPro is somewhat compatible with old-style UF formulas (but not
AFAIK with UF class-based formulas)
Ultra Fractal undoubtedly has the most online support both official
and unofficial and the best program-included help.
Ultra Fractal's render to disk includes the option to split images
into individual tiles (e.g. if the final image is to be particularly
large).
Ultra Fractal (anim version) and possibly ChaosPro have built in
animation rendering.
Other software to consider:
Xenodream - specifically designed for 3D+ IFS has now become somewhat
more, includes output to mesh for say use in Bryce, Maya etc.
(commercial)
QuaSZ and other software by Tery Gintz (Mystic Fractal) - primarily 3D
+ escape-time but also 2D I think and possibly 2D/3D+ attractors too.
(free(old) and commercial) - 3D+ includes mesh exports again for use
in Bryce, Maya, 3D Studio , Lightwave etc.
Chaoscope - 2D and 3D attractors possibly IFS too ? - freewre
Mandelbulber and Mandelbulb3D - specifically 3D+ ray-trace renderers
for escape-time fractal rendering using ray-casting primarily through
the use of distance estimation - see http://www.fractalforums.com/
(both currently freeware and at least primarily CPU/FPU based)
Also there are other freeware (and possibly commercial) distance
estimation ray-casters that are GPU based - again I suggest checking
out http://www.fractalforums.com/
Sorry I can't give comparative timings for the different software
(e.g. for the Mandelbrot Set with given parameters) as I only really
use Ultra Fractal myself - but if interested here's a couple of sets
of benchmark results for Ultra Fractal which at least give a good
guide to the relative performance of (CPU/FPU) fractal software on
different processors/systems (provided the software is fully multi-
thread capable) - the second benchmark involves far more high level
FPU instructions such as trig functions, transcendentals etc.
http://www.shadoworld.co.uk/UF5/Benchmark/Benchmark%20results.htm