Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ogicse!ucsd!network.ucsd.edu!calmasd!wlp From: wlp@calmasd.Prime.COM (Walter L. Peterson, Jr.) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc Subject: Re: Fractint 16 Message-ID: <2832@calmasd.Prime.COM> Date: 19 Jun 91 17:03:17 GMT References: <9106172326.AA03351@beeblebrox.MIT.EDU> Organization: ComputerVision, A Prime Company. San Diego R&D Lines: 69 In article <9106172326.AA03351@beeblebrox.MIT.EDU> pshuang@ATHENA.MIT.EDU writes: >In article fechuny@aix01.aix.rpi.edu writes: > > > Can anyone tell me if there is a version of Fractint for > > X windows? > >I would seriously doubt it (i.e. I've never heard of one) but there is >hope. Fractint was originally a project which involved using very >hardware-specific front-end code to write to displays, but in the last >year or so with the addition of modes which write directly to disk files >and a Windows version, it's obvious that the graphics engine at the >center of Fractint is amenable to movement into other graphical >environments. However, I suspect a good bit of it has been optimized to >assembler (32-bit integer arithmetic) which is specific to Intel >architecture but might translate to other chips, too. While there is some PC specific code in Fractint, it is not tied to the Intel 32-bit machines, since Fractint will also run on a 16 bit 8086 or 8088. Since most of the issues involved in displaying things on a PC involve the specific graphics adaptor rather than the processor, AND since most of the graphics adaptor specific stuff is contained in a driver, rather than the fractal code itself, I would suspect that the above statement is not completely accurate. > >If you have a copy of Fractint handy, why don't you think about sending >mail to the authors (most of them are available on Compuserve, which you >can fairly easily reach through the Internet-Compuserve gateway as >nnnnn.nnnn@compuserve.com) instead of asking us here secondhandedly and >ask them if a UNIX port is on the way? or if one could be started... > If you are really interested in porting Fractint, however, the best thing is to do it yourself. The latest version of the distribution AND the latest version of the complete SOURCE CODE are available for down loading from CompuServe. ( GO GRAPHICS, then go to the Computer Art Forum, Library 15 ( Fractals ) ). Get the source and port it ( or otherwise enhance it ) yourself. Then, if you like, send the code back to the main developers. If they like it, it might just get incorporated into future releases. That is how most of those other authors got their names included on the start-up screen. BTW - there is a book just out that details the use of Version 15.11 of Fractint. "Fractal Creations" by the Waite Group. Two of the principle authors of Fractint ( Mark(?) / Mike (?) Peterson (no relation to me) and someone else ) are the authors. The book includes a 5.25" DSDD distribution disk with V15.11, a poster of fractals, including red/blue pseudo-3D and a pair of red/blue 3D glasses. There are also order cards for getting more fractal GIF files. There seem to be some robustness problems with V15.11 ( it would break very easily on me ), I downloaded V16.0 and installed it, so I have not persued the problems with V15.11. V16.0 works just fine. V16.0 is great! If you enjoy fractals you'll love Fractint! -- "Exploring the Consensual Hallucination of Cyberspace" Walter L. Peterson, Jr. Internet : wlp@calmasd.Prime.COM | CompuServe : 70441,3144 | GEnie: WPETERSON5 "Insert generic disclaimer here"