In the 3D world, Mandelbulb 3D

I surely am not expert in this field, there are some fantastic artists that can be found at Mandelbulb.com, it is a great site for anyone wishing to read about the creation of fractals and there are even some great tutorials listed on the site.

Some of my works over this weekend has been how to figure out to 'make' a scene using an IFS formula and then a 3Da or 4Da formula to make it work.

This one above was sort of a happy accident.
To me it appears as coral under the sea.  I even love the grains of sand on the bottom!

Then I experimented with the hexigridIFS & DodecahedronIFS from the 3Da column and got this.

Well after that surprise I turned it on its side and tried another IFS formula called
ColumnsIFS ... I remained steady with the DodecahedronIFS and added reflections to see what might happen.

Again I was very satisfied!

I imagined that this would look like some nasty leftovers that one could find in their refrigerator!

So this morning I decided to try another idea.  I used hexigridifs, Menger4 so I could use the 4D rotations, _AbsX ~ not really sure that was a big help, and then decided to see if I could 'make' a room' and use volumetric light to light it up.

The Secret Room:

And by golly, I did!  I used a rock photo for the color map and placed the light with positional light.

To understand this idea of 'creating' a floor and walls, I've decided to add more formulas to see what I could get.

The trick is the lighting and Hal Tenny has a great tutorial on the use of Volumetric Lighting here:
Lighting Tutorial by Hal Tenny.

Learning to use this kind of lighting is not for the faint hearted.  I've really had a tough time doing it properly.

But using the IFS forumlas with DEcombinate have shown me how to go further into creating some interesting artwork.


Here is the parameters for the Secret Room, if you use them please experiment and change things up.

Mandelbulb3Dv18{
g.....w....o0...w....22...EysGGLFJ9yzyeWCQiRPY.E1ESS0Vz36y11za.h1N3xzorigu05NVzj
XNaNaNaNez1NaNaNaNK..RNaNaNaNavDlPkEEqECa/2........Y.Z90................4/2...wD
...Uz6....k7..../M.0/...........z....2E3......xstmBLuciD/..........G0dkpXm1....c
z.....kD12../..........wz.................................U0.....y1...sD...../..
.z1...kDdfExEw9eov1f8MW2NisvyY4k1nA7LkgDav0vVUyVUvPuqUrggiOpyIA.g9MS9VjDR6HPpQEl
fv12zcvops1xy0C8keIot7iDU.....Yo4.............sD46....sD.2G.....................
.............oAnAt1...sD....zw1.........................................9....k1.
.....Ksulz1.......kzmDBXg.kO.Q5......U5....G....m.c/6c3.kM.F....6/...22.....SFT0
...U.qFG9Cxb2zDX.02.ggfd2/6/p6lzHn69...KvspiH6.E6MLNJ5Ffvz9.a0ypVd5yz0.28.UZoZ2.
.2F.bU9F1.w.eCfYMj5zzC...........EU0.Uhj3/..fjrwdvgmz.WB3skNKgzj............2c..
.02E.............0...................2./8.kzzzD............8....................
/EU0.wzzz1...................................2CcN/UvNPcvCTVCNq0.yRiiz5n7Uk1f..XR
SzDC43CcN/UvNPcvvuIsUa3.ibhVi9oJV1OK.sSq4uSlT3CcN/UvNPcv6VKsUa3.ibhVinAQV1OK.sSq
4yTIt3CcN/UvNPcv..EsUa3feeWCNqmzIJ36wk8EwyLsUapz................................
E6...A..V2U.....I....o.....OZVrNmZ4N7NoI.IaQ..........................U1C....6U/
4M./...............tzEnAnAnAn2.EOaNaNaNaFznAnAnAnAngzcNaNaNaNavDAnAnAnAnwz1.....
...0./.......60k........S.A.......FE./......Ei3EnAnAnAnAXzHnAnAnAnArz...........
.....................A.....3....9....oINiRKNmF1.a/..............................
.......1Ak.1AkU/46...AnAnAnAnk.EOaNaNaNavz1BnAnAnAnzzMaNaNaNadyD........Uz1.....
................................................................................
................................1....E/...E.....T3YMnV3.p7bN.6bNU61.............
........................4MU/0...aNaNaNaN3.2...............................EhfkIJ
JJJpzIv8AJJJJJxD..........2........wz...........pi0HJJJJJz1.....................
............................................}
{Titel: hexgrid secret door ruins}

Enjoy playing in Mandelbulb 3D!

Something wicked something wild

With the heat on and the humidity high, we are experiencing a ... well... heat wave of sorts.

It really isn't as bad as it was last year and certainly it isn't as remarkable as the cold we had last winter.

Since it is too hot during midday to take photos, hike, or work in the garden, I found myself playing with a fractal program called Mandelbulb 3D.

I haven't 'played' with it for a while but have continued to browse other works of art in a group I belong to called Mandelbulb Maniacs on Facebook.  See FB does have its uses.
We can at least share ideas and tutorials.

I call this one *Hard Drive Meltdown*.  The parameters are from Gary Webb, tweaked by other folks and then published on site.
One of the hardest things to do is recall all of the parameters that have been shared, how they've been changed and how many transformations they have been through.

So my theme for the day has been along the 'warm' side of things...Friday Challenge use _Rpow3_4d with another formula.

Both of the above were made with the same beginning parameters but with adjustments to the formulas.

The parameters will be given at the end of this blog for those who wish to play.

Then as I was cooking up our fish from yesterday's outting, I changed a few more settings with the same parameters and came up with this.

Something Wicked:

I keep thinking that the 'thing' in the middle is going to raise 'its' head and look right at me.
This actually is creepy.

And I'd like it in a large metallic print on my wall.


Parameters for the _Rpow3_4d fractal:
Mandelbulb3Dv18{
g.....S....O/...w....E....URRPRi/jDyzi7C1DjAESxjS9pGJCVHXw9ebPD2qPswzIO2hNinESzj
................................lT45R5IZ4/2........Y./.................U./2...wD
...Uz6....k2..../MU//....2ki....X/....E4.....gZ1mXgFDblD/..........m0dkpXm1....U
z.....kD16../..........wz.................................U0.....y1...sD...../..
.z1...sDokwl4PonNw1..........mHIZyYfYIYjuw.MOXBC.t12kDXaQq62zEZkqJ9NBDlDkqxqhQi5
vsHi0.mhYpw2zmUREX7bB0lDU.....25..............sD.6....sD..G.....................
.............oAnAt1...sD....zw1.........................................D....k1.
.....Ksulz1.........6.6E..UR.g5.G....o0...EH....e/1e4k2..U.F....4/...Upm....SGz/
..UQo/6E.xThsdoz....z16E.Y562c..zzSi..kfe2Yn1wzj6s41pmERLzv...........W7C.kf3y3.
.s41pmERLz9..HY04Azoz.kKLtj3g8yDU.U0.wzga/..6.IPA/Jwzg0KvfjpZS.E/...........2c..
zv8W............A/...................EE2WwjtkM0..MhmvjCgsxn3v4vFddsqz.kz04ixOVyj
/EU0.wzzz1....................................uBZ.U7EgU7zzFoTu2.oQm2oszDnueM.YXB
bYHzTt6Ul/k6Ukl6Qs5crI0.a.l0a.bTUSH7.M029M0ly/uBZ.U7EgU7Mw5crI0.a.l0akqTUSH7.M02
9M0kz/uBZ.U7EgU7...crIGJzzFoTuIdyzngi8qdxzZX.4rU.EX9e/rN.Q4.e/rN................
E....6E.F2U.....I....c.....FjFKNX34OZFaQjtKG4B3...........................U/4MU/
4M........U0LD8Qxck/.lyYZRKJ9GzDOaNaNaNa7z9GdzmBjPwoz...........................
................................................................................
.....................2.....3.........wZIkxqRnw3BY/..............................
..............................0E................................................
................................................................................
................................}

{Titel: Fri challenge aug 1}

If you need to know how to use parameters please see my blog instructions at Mandelbulb 3D Parameter Sharing.

A Mandelbulb 3D Composite & Parameters to Share

This was an experiment in using the Z mid, Z start, and Z end, tabs.  I changed them for different looks.  Then in the 3D Nav window I played with the Julia co-ordinates.  Along with the formula tabs.

The backround was taken from a Flame fractal I rendered in JWildfire.
I often like mixing the programs and putting them together.

This one is a composite of Mandelbulb 3D, JWildfire, and some Brushes by Obsidian Dawn for the space effects.
Note these are 'free' programs.  But if you are using them truly you should consider donating to the authors who have done such hard work!

I used a textured map color to get the metallic lines in the Mandelbulb.

I also worked with the 'far plane' 'tab' found in the 3D Nav window at the bottom to 'isolate' this portion of the fractal.  It isn't hard, if you want less of the backround fractal to show you reduce your far plane until you get the results you want.
If I am doing a fractal for a composite, I usually isolate the image.

I compiled them in Adobe CS2.

Here are the parameters for sharing.

 Mandelbulb3Dv18{
g.....S....s/...ET........kPuiJVzSp5.5IT2P7Q/a/kCB8.yeRD8zvsVyQgNKnazWPzXinuew/k
................................IgzIhwqqN/2........Y.h3........E........o.2...kD
...Uz6/...U0.....MU//......E0...I1....E......cuyq9tc8OkD/.Ug4/EE...m/dkpXm1....U
z.....kD12../2kixSRqTnrqx.................................U0.....y1...sD...../..
.w1...sDOyRjFIlvxvf5EWGc1F8.zAMrFMGreJhDF0uCnNrKhvvmopiU50pwyCRz.A0xz9kDui5hhLEK
yv1hw3VN1nrxywnER3oCdSjDU.....oB/.............sD.6....kD0.G.....................
.............oAnAt1...sD....zw1...................................Ug4/EEM.....x/
.....Ksulz1.......kzhxzzzH.U..6.L....s2...EB....90XhBk/..U.F....8/...I1....UJl5I
...U.0...wD...kz....z1....6.16nzzzzz...wQOr9PExD6IsffaWeYz1............/XxzzgG6.
.wUmc2beYz1.dA8E5ExwzC........../6X0.cqKD/..R8Zc4xRkz6nlrlkCx9xj.gM3ZaYq1zP60c..
5t2I..ktPnvka6zD.KsffaWeYz1..........AkB8.UaZ/L9.ALOJleRay984fHeuwPE.1ksD8SAAj/E
/6U0.wzzz1....................................Ak.1.U.06U2K.k.1A..1Ak.np0.06U..6U
.0sK/hdht0kaqaPiIM4U.06..1Ak.1fP.1Ak..Ak.1ADm/Ak.1EG7ZIGlH5U.06.nAnAnsZR.06U..6U
.0MMw/Ak.1.k.1Ak...y3q/bzz/k.1Akyz1yATomxzpaqaff................................
E....MEFF3U1....2....A....EEh3aSdtqNU6oPs/............................k/9.......
...................wz.........wDnAnAnAnAnz1.....................................
................................................................................
.....................2.....3....3....w3IjlKS4x4PYZaPb/..........................
.............................U.EnAnAnAnAjzXNaNaNaNarz...........OaNaNaNady1.....
..........................................................2........wz...........
................................/....E/....0....TFZQVtqQg34RZB2BY/EA.61.........
........................................0.2..........cNaNaNaN4xD................
................nAnAnAngJz1..................O2E..............................zD
..........................................E.....I....A....kLGx4RVFLN..UPo/0IjR5.
oE4..................MU/4....................................O3E................
...3./........yD........................................kz1.....................
........kz1..........................................6.....3..../....oIMiFKNgF1F
0ZqE.65.................................................................kzfNaNaN
aNavz...........................................................................
................................................................/....M....k.....
4x4PYZaPb/GGiF56ExqR......................U0.U............................2.....
..U6.PaNaNaNatyD................................................................
.....................................................vhNfdAijA............U.}
{Titel: main paras~tab}


I have taken these params and have come of with several useful versions to 'create' with.
Happy Mandel-bulbing!

If you need assistance in figuring out how to do this see:

Mandelbulb 3D Parameter Sharing

Mandelbulb 3D Parameter Sharing

Most folks who are into Mandelbulb 3D creations are usually pretty happy to share their parameters for some of the creations they have made.  A great site to explore parameters is The Design Space.  Ellen explores a parameter usually in more than one way.  She will take a parameter and re-work it many times, experimenting with it. 

You can also see her work on Flickr at:

ellenm1's photostream

The above fractal was created from a parameter of Ellen's called The Sentinels.  I changed the formulas and colors along with the shading until I came up with something that satisfied me.

There are other artists at places like deviantArt that will share also.  These are great places to go and search or explore what others are doing.

So.

How do you use a parameter? 

If you see one posted it will look similar to this:

Mandelbulb3Dv17{
V.....S....s/....N...2....UIn9tnEq/5.ze1jKQOD/1ElVS0sBtfQ.w6.kxEx83yzMvKb/50Mh.k
................................yIaJiO22oz1........Y./..................7/2.....
................/M.03....6k3/...L0....EC.....o/X0KUyAoqD/.ETi8sD...m/dkpXm1....U
z.....kD/2../2UaNaNaNaNezcNaNaNaNauD8QxckpX0ry1...........U0.....y1...sD...../..
.w1...sDwAZ3n1vbaxPOIzI0M6yDzcJcp49L65qDx5S6JWerUwPEO7j93C.PzkkDudGcutoj9y365bLA
WxfeLxlBL3ZGz0u0q9gvfKqj.....y1Z.........2....kD.2....sD..kz....................
.............A6U.i1...sD....z.MRX3.6qBK..PrM/.qRX3..sBK.UWrM/.ISX3ETi8sDF.....Y/
................1.kz1.6U./UQ.A7......62.........h/.06k3..U.3....M....E1.....wNK/
...U.0.....U.02.......6U....oc..zzzz.MxuvBTuCfxDPt41pmERLz1...........k.8..k.1A.
3Bk5eP./czffbjBj1PWwz0..........U6V0..6E./k6mIqp.taszgZPAI91pRzD............0c..
./...kjXkJKZSOzDz.BC4POwoz1glRiCdhr7.LU.8.kzzzD.................................
JI01xH9OG/.305b792UvzaRdHng129vjjyDGa9yBPz9...8cU0.E./2.zz/cU08../2E.szDU08c..2E
./EzT/8cU0.E./2.Qs5cU08../2E..bTU08c..2E./.ly/8cU0.E./2.Mw5cU08../2E.kqTU08c..2E
./.kz/8cU0.E./2....cU08.zz/cU08.yz1cU08.xz3cU08.................................
E.../A.....1....I....U....EE0x4SH/5OZ7LNDNaNnJ4RoE4...................k/........
...................sz.........yDnAnAnAnAnz1.....................................
...............E................................................................
.....................2.....3....3....2JRVFaQVFrA2/..............................
.............................k/E........Q.2........zz........E.E........6.2.....
................................................................................
................................8....M....k.....4x4PYZaPb/GGiF56ExqR............
..........U0.U..........................0.2.......EK.1.........E................
................................................................................
............................................}
 

This is the parameter that should get you close to the Mandelbulb I made from The Design Space site called 'Sentinals'.

You highlight the text and copy it from the first line where it says Mandelbulb3Dv17{ ... all the way the end bracket ...}

Next you take it to your open Mandelbulb program.

And...use Control V to put in in the box as shown below.

Then you will see this upon Calculate 3D.

When you get a cool parameter it is fun to share with someone else and see what they can make out of your version as we all like different effects in our Mandelbulb 3D 'Art'.

Here is another one I made out of the Sentinals Parameter.

Go out and seek some parameters yourself and experiment with the formulas and colors.  

Then share what you have made.

It is more fun that way!