Variation Types
JWildfire makes it simple to experiment with different variations of a fractal flame in real time. All of them have their own set of advantages and disadvantages, which vary based on the type of design for which they are intended, but there are hundreds of various methods to construct them. This page contains descriptions of some of the most frequent types or groupings of variations, as well as cross-references to additional resources that will assist you in learning more about them.
Rick Sidwell is always to be thanked for all of the information that he has given us.
Half Blurs
Variations that generate specific shapes using polar coordinates. Unlike normal blurs, which ignore the input point, half blurs take the angle of the input point (theta) and compute a random distance (rho) within the shape. This allows some flexibility in coloring. They can be substituted for normal blurs in many flames; if it doesn’t work, try adding some pre_blur to the transform to generate random angles.
Cpow – Complex Power
Treats 2D points as complex numbers and raises them to a complex power that can be specified in various ways.
Blurry
Variations that add different types of blurriness. Unlike blur transforms, they do not ignore their inputs or create shapes by themselves. Most are best used in conjunction with other variations on the same transform, although a few have an incorporated linear so this is not needed.
Blobs
These variations deform the plane by pinching it towards the origin, making a blob-like shape. The math is similar to that of rose curves, but these are standard variations, not blurs.
Attractors
These variations use the formulas for strange attractors. They are mostly normal variations, not blurs, and will produce the actual attractor when used on a single transform by themselves with no affine transforms, as is done with all of the examples shown here.