This post originally appeared on an old blog on Oct 31, 2012. It’s part of a series of posts which I’m “recovering” from the archives.
This post shows off some playing around I did with a java program that renders fractals. Neat stuff. Looks like it’s still being maintained, a rarity in old software projects. As I have a newer machine now it will be neat to try it out again.
[edited lede 2019]
Flame Fractals & Java
While browsing the deviantART main page, i came across a rather enticing image. The description directed me towards this program, JWFire, which runs in java and makes some awesome fractal drawings! However, they do pretty much kill my computer outright.
[If anyone is willing to lend me a 64-bit machine with >2GbRam and >2 processors, i would be grateful!]
However, after finally generating some stuff i have these two images made up:
so, if you have a good enough computer, i would urge you to try it out for yourself!
Interesting but can’t use it – no Java since more than 10 years. Maybe the stuff can be ported to JS?
I hadn’t even considered that Java has quite fallen out of mainstream use since I wrote this originally. Something to consider, I guess.
Post the J-A-V-A code and we’ll P-O-R-T_ I-T_ O-V-E-R! (The hard way)
“`
Barnsley Fern
// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnsley_fern
// https://youtu.be/JFugGF1URNo
x=y=0
for(i=0;i<90000;i++)
{
r=Math.random()/2
if (r=.01 && r=.08 && r=.15) { x1 = .85 * x + .04 * y; y1 = -.04 * x + .85 * y + 1.60; } // Successively smaller leaflets
circ = document.querySelector(‘#C’).getContext(‘2d’)
circ.beginPath();
circ.strokeStyle = ‘#0f0’;
circ.lineWidth = .5;
circ.ellipse(x1*70+400, y1*70+50, .5, .5, 0, 0, 2 * Math.PI);
circ.setTransform(.5, 1, 1, -.5, -200, 300);
circ.rotate(20*Math.PI/180);
circ.stroke();
circ.closePath();
x = x1
y = y1
}
“`
Try Again
<!doctype html><title>Barnsley Fern</title><meta charset=utf-8>
<canvas id=’C’ width=1000 height=800 style=’background:darkred’></canvas>
<script>
// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnsley_fern
// https://youtu.be/JFugGF1URNo
x=y=0
for(i=0;i<90000;i++)
{
r=Math.random()/2
if (r<.01) { x1 = 0; y1 = .16 * y; } // Stem
if (r>=.01 && r<.08) { x1 = .20 * x – .26 * y; y1 = .23 * x + .22 * y + 1.60; } // Largest left-hand leaflet
if (r>=.08 && r<.15) { x1 = -.15 * x + .28 * y; y1 = .26 * x + .24 * y + 0.44; } // Largest right-hand leaflet
if (r>=.15) { x1 = .85 * x + .04 * y; y1 = -.04 * x + .85 * y + 1.60; } // Successively smaller leaflets
circ = document.querySelector(‘#C’).getContext(‘2d’)
circ.beginPath();
circ.strokeStyle = ‘#0f0’;
circ.lineWidth = .5;
circ.ellipse(x1*70+400, y1*70+50, .5, .5, 0, 0, 2 * Math.PI);
circ.setTransform(.5, 1, 1, -.5, -200, 300);
circ.rotate(20*Math.PI/180);
circ.stroke();
circ.closePath();
x = x1
y = y1
}
</script>
</html>
This would be an interesting one to try and play with.
Go For It!
Just Copy and Paste!
Great Rainy Day Fun.
I used to used (actually still do use) Peanut Software (Windows & Linux > Wine). No longer supported but works for me on Win10 64bit though it sometimes crashes.
Included some games, Stats programme, Geometry, Plotting, Large Number Calculator, and many other little utilities.
Allowed me to create a few interesting a few interesting backgrounds and had lots of recreational math time with it.
Unfortunately, as I said it was freeware and only somewhat supported, but no longer. Even the download page no longer exists.
We need you to get back up and running!
If you want to
a) see what animated fractal flames look like
b) contribute to the fractal DNA and create more
then you may be interested in Electric Sheep
https://electricsheep.org
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Sheep
This looks like an interesting idea. Unfortunately, I only have battery based devices I could install it on, and they’re not super-suited to this kind of task.