How to Make Fractals With Gimp
A fractal is a geometric pattern often found in nature that makes a part of an object look the same as the whole, such as the pattern found in a fern leaf. GIMP version 2.6 or later includes a plugin, called Fractal Explorer, for making fractals. There are about 30 different types of fractals to choose from to begin your fractal. You can then change the color, orientation and parameters as desired to create the fractal you want. Save your fractal to use again or modify later, then insert it into your image.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Open a new document in GIMP version 2.6 or later. Select "Render" in the Filters menu. Click "Fractal Explorer." A new window opens with a Mandelbrot fractal in the preview window.
-
2
Click the "Fractals" tab. A list appears with several types of fractals to choose from, including an asteroid field, lightning, ice crystals and about 30 others. Make sure the box beside "Realtime Preview" is checked. Double-click any fractal to see it in the preview menu.
-
-
3
Click the "Colors" tab. Here you can increase or decrease the number of colors used in the fractal mapping, as well as the density of red green and blue. Type values in the text fields or move the sliders as desired. The preview image changes according to your selections.
-
4
Click the "Parameters" tab. Adjust the position of the fractal on the screen by clicking the arrows on the Fractal Parameters values as needed. These include Left, Right, Top and Bottom. Increase or decrease the number of iterations of the fractal by using the arrows on the menu, or by moving the slider. Moving any of these sliders too far can often have unintended consequences, destroying the appearance of the fractal. Make a note of the value before moving the slider, as pressing "Ctrl" and "Z" does not undo changes made here.
-
5
Click the "Zoom In" or "Zoom Out" buttons while watching the preview window. Notice that while zooming in or out, the image remains clear and the fractal patterns repeat themselves.
-
6
Save a copy of your fractal settings by clicking the "Save" button after clicking the "Parameters" tab. The fractal is saved in the "fractalexplorer" folder. To recover your fractal design, open the Fractal Explorer window, click the "Parameters" tab, then click the "Open" button. The "fractalexplorer" folder opens. Click on your saved fractal and click "Open."
-
7
Click "OK" when you have the image you want. The Fractal Explorer window closes and the fractal appears on the canvas in the main window.
-
8
Zoom into the canvas using the Zoom menu at the bottom of the window. The fractal will begin to pixelate once you zoom in by 400 percent because this is a rendering of the fractal you created, not the fractal itself.
-
1
