Fractal Editor

Based on Michael Barnsley's Iterated Function System (IFS)* idea, I developed a DOS program for designing/exploring such fractals; I call it the Fractal Editor (FrEd). To download it (a self-extracting compressed file), first set your Web browser to load to disk, then click here. You will also want the install.bat file and the README file. (Note: the README instructions assume all three files are on a floppy.) For more information, read the README file.

Any fractal "recipe" from FrEd can also be used to generate (approximate) fractals using PostScript. To do this, use any ASCII text editor to modify the IFS.EPS file. Replace the given recipe by the one you want, and adjust the parameters in the User Setup portion as desired; the "depth" parameter controls the amount of detail. (Warning: The printer does all the work, so if you set the "depth" parameter too high it will tie up your printer forever!) The resulting Encapsulated PostScript file can be sent directly to any PostScript printer, or previewed using "GhostScript", or imported into a word processor or drawing program, etc.

*M. Barnsley, Fractals Everywhere, Academic Press, San Diego, 1988.

NOTE: All software made available through this page and subsidiary pages is supplied on an "as is" basis, with no warrantees of any kind. The author bears no responsibility for any consequences of using this software.

David Canright -- DCanright@NPS.edu