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UPDATE - APO STAR/FLOWER TUTE
1 min read
Please refer to this journal zsteve.deviantart.com/journal/…
When I wrote the tute, I assumed a hadn't altered a couple of the variables, but upon looking again, I had done so. Please add this info to the existing tute.
***I have now edited the tute to include/remove the following information.***
YELLOW TRIANGLE
Variables tab:
"ngon power" - Set this to zero.
"ngon circle" - Set this in the range from zero to 0.5. It will alter the size of the centre of the star shape.
________________________________________________________________________
*Removed* the following text in the tute in relation to "ngon".
"I use two of these variables. They are "ngon sides" and "ngon corners".
Apology for the omission.
When I wrote the tute, I assumed a hadn't altered a couple of the variables, but upon looking again, I had done so. Please add this info to the existing tute.
***I have now edited the tute to include/remove the following information.***
YELLOW TRIANGLE
Variables tab:
"ngon power" - Set this to zero.
"ngon circle" - Set this in the range from zero to 0.5. It will alter the size of the centre of the star shape.
________________________________________________________________________
*Removed* the following text in the tute in relation to "ngon".
"I use two of these variables. They are "ngon sides" and "ngon corners".
Apology for the omission.
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APO STAR / FLOWER SHORT TUTE
3 min read
A few people have expressed interest in my technique for producing my "star/flower" series of images. So here is a short tutorial for your edification. And I want to see some nice images created by your mind, mouse and computer!
Click the “New Blank Flame” icon at the extreme left in “Transform Editor”.
Reduce the Yellow Triangle to about half its size. You can play with the size of this triangle later, but for this exercise, just use the smaller triangle size.
RED TRIANGLE
Variations Tab:
Change “linear” to zero.
Set “gaussian blur” to 0.6. Values of anything between 0.1 and 1 work best.
Transform Tab:
Set “weight” to 0.6.
I find the range 0.5 to 1.0 works ok. Weight is something that can be played with at the end of the composition, as it affects the amount of light, clarity and colour strength of the image controlled by that triangle.
YELLOW TRIANGLE
Variations Tab:
Change linear to zero. Anything between 0.0 and 0.2 works ok, but for this exercise use zero.
Set “spherical” to 2.0. Best values are from 1.0 through to 3.0. For the “flower” image to work, there should *always* be a spherical value.
The remaining values can be used in different combinations to achieve different kinds of images. You can delete or change the values at random to see what you can come up with.
Set “ngon” to 0.15. A value is required for this variation, to achieve the “star” image in the centre. Any value greater than zero through to 2.0 works, but I find from 0.1 up to 0.5 works best for me. If you just want a “flower” without the “star” then set “ngon” to zero.
Set “cross” to 0.07. For these images, “cross” works well with any values in the range 0.05 to 1.0. You can choose not to use “cross”. It just adds a different effect to an image.
You can also choose to use “swirl” if you wish. Again, this just gives the image another new dimension. Best values are from 0.03 to 0.3.
Variables Tab:
The “ngon” variables give the “star” it’s size and number of points.
The best values for “ngon sides” are from 3 to 8.
The best values for “ngon corners” are form 1 to 10. In both instances, I have only used whole numbers, no fractions.
"ngon power" - Set this to zero.
"ngon circle" - Set this in the range from zero to 0.5. It will alter the size of the centre of the star shape.
Transform Tab:
Set “weight” to 10.
I find the range 1 through to 15 works ok. Weight is something that can be played with at the end of the composition, as it affects the amount of light, clarity and colour strength of the image controlled by that triangle.
Yellow Triangle Rotation –
Now you can just rotate the triangle to your hearts content. The rotation can be as small as you like, as any small change will alter the image. This, combined with changes to the variation combinations and values, will result in numerous different image constructions. Choose your gradient/colours, light levels and zoom level and you can render your image. Have fun…
- ~zsteve’s STAR/FLOWER Short Tute
Click the “New Blank Flame” icon at the extreme left in “Transform Editor”.
Reduce the Yellow Triangle to about half its size. You can play with the size of this triangle later, but for this exercise, just use the smaller triangle size.
RED TRIANGLE
Variations Tab:
Change “linear” to zero.
Set “gaussian blur” to 0.6. Values of anything between 0.1 and 1 work best.
Transform Tab:
Set “weight” to 0.6.
I find the range 0.5 to 1.0 works ok. Weight is something that can be played with at the end of the composition, as it affects the amount of light, clarity and colour strength of the image controlled by that triangle.
YELLOW TRIANGLE
Variations Tab:
Change linear to zero. Anything between 0.0 and 0.2 works ok, but for this exercise use zero.
Set “spherical” to 2.0. Best values are from 1.0 through to 3.0. For the “flower” image to work, there should *always* be a spherical value.
The remaining values can be used in different combinations to achieve different kinds of images. You can delete or change the values at random to see what you can come up with.
Set “ngon” to 0.15. A value is required for this variation, to achieve the “star” image in the centre. Any value greater than zero through to 2.0 works, but I find from 0.1 up to 0.5 works best for me. If you just want a “flower” without the “star” then set “ngon” to zero.
Set “cross” to 0.07. For these images, “cross” works well with any values in the range 0.05 to 1.0. You can choose not to use “cross”. It just adds a different effect to an image.
You can also choose to use “swirl” if you wish. Again, this just gives the image another new dimension. Best values are from 0.03 to 0.3.
Variables Tab:
The “ngon” variables give the “star” it’s size and number of points.
The best values for “ngon sides” are from 3 to 8.
The best values for “ngon corners” are form 1 to 10. In both instances, I have only used whole numbers, no fractions.
"ngon power" - Set this to zero.
"ngon circle" - Set this in the range from zero to 0.5. It will alter the size of the centre of the star shape.
Transform Tab:
Set “weight” to 10.
I find the range 1 through to 15 works ok. Weight is something that can be played with at the end of the composition, as it affects the amount of light, clarity and colour strength of the image controlled by that triangle.
Yellow Triangle Rotation –
Now you can just rotate the triangle to your hearts content. The rotation can be as small as you like, as any small change will alter the image. This, combined with changes to the variation combinations and values, will result in numerous different image constructions. Choose your gradient/colours, light levels and zoom level and you can render your image. Have fun…
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My article relates to the fractal program "Apophysis" (Apo), but may also be relevant to other image rendering programs. It specifically relates to "Setting Options" within the program. There may be simialr settings in other image rendering software. Here is the link to my article. zsteve.deviantart.com/journal/…
Steve Knorr
Steve Knorr
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This article relates to the fractal program "Apophysis" (Apo), but may also be relevant to other image rendering programs.
In Apo, there is a setting in the OPTIONS menu where one can specify the number of rendering "threads" to use. This has a direct impact on the amount of rendering time an image takes to render. If set to OFF, the image will render as if it was using a single CPU. If set to 2 or 4, the image will render in much less time, because it has 2 or 4 CPU cores of which to take advantage.
People who have Intel CPUs, which have hyperthreading (such as some Pentium 4's), can set this option to 2 if they wish (DO NOT use higher than 2).
Don't know how to get an image in here, so here is the screenshot link showing this setting option. www.deviantart.com/deviation/4…
Hyperthreading (wanky marketing speak), basically means the CPU has "two threads" with which to perform its data processing (sort of like two CPUs). When set to 2, Apo can use 100% of the CPU and thus cut rendering time. However, this may not be the best option with systems which generate a lot of heat and are not efficiently cooled (some laptops/notebooks may be an issue). It can be a trade-off between less render-time, OR a processor working at half its capacity and therefore producing less heat. System crashes can be a result of the processor over-heating.
If you have a newer system with either an AMD or Intel Dual-core processor, or for those fortunate people who may have a quad-core, then you should definitely set this option to correspond with the number of cores in your processor. There should be no problem with over-heating, as these newer processors have more efficient thermal designs than the older Pentium 4's.
I am running a Pentium 4 which has hyperthreading and I have set the multithreading option to 2. It can sometimes halve the rendering time, but always results in a substantial reduction.
The other thing I notice is the drop-down box below the multithreading box, which relates to both your CPU and operating system. Newer CPUs (from around mid-2003 for AMD and later for Intel) are 64bit. Prior to this they were 32bit. If your CPU and operating system are both 64bit, then I also suggest choosing the 64bit setting. I don't know the impact of this (mine is 32bit), but you will find out once you switch between the 32 and 64bit settings.
Here is the screenshot link showing this setting option. www.deviantart.com/deviation/4…
To test the impact of changed settings, you need to commence a render on the old settings. At the bottom of the render screen, the "estimated time to complete" will appear. Take note and STOP the render, then close it. Go back into OPTIONS and change the settings then commence the same render. Now you should see the time to complete has considerably reduced.
Steve Knorr
In Apo, there is a setting in the OPTIONS menu where one can specify the number of rendering "threads" to use. This has a direct impact on the amount of rendering time an image takes to render. If set to OFF, the image will render as if it was using a single CPU. If set to 2 or 4, the image will render in much less time, because it has 2 or 4 CPU cores of which to take advantage.
People who have Intel CPUs, which have hyperthreading (such as some Pentium 4's), can set this option to 2 if they wish (DO NOT use higher than 2).
Don't know how to get an image in here, so here is the screenshot link showing this setting option. www.deviantart.com/deviation/4…
Hyperthreading (wanky marketing speak), basically means the CPU has "two threads" with which to perform its data processing (sort of like two CPUs). When set to 2, Apo can use 100% of the CPU and thus cut rendering time. However, this may not be the best option with systems which generate a lot of heat and are not efficiently cooled (some laptops/notebooks may be an issue). It can be a trade-off between less render-time, OR a processor working at half its capacity and therefore producing less heat. System crashes can be a result of the processor over-heating.
If you have a newer system with either an AMD or Intel Dual-core processor, or for those fortunate people who may have a quad-core, then you should definitely set this option to correspond with the number of cores in your processor. There should be no problem with over-heating, as these newer processors have more efficient thermal designs than the older Pentium 4's.
I am running a Pentium 4 which has hyperthreading and I have set the multithreading option to 2. It can sometimes halve the rendering time, but always results in a substantial reduction.
The other thing I notice is the drop-down box below the multithreading box, which relates to both your CPU and operating system. Newer CPUs (from around mid-2003 for AMD and later for Intel) are 64bit. Prior to this they were 32bit. If your CPU and operating system are both 64bit, then I also suggest choosing the 64bit setting. I don't know the impact of this (mine is 32bit), but you will find out once you switch between the 32 and 64bit settings.
Here is the screenshot link showing this setting option. www.deviantart.com/deviation/4…
To test the impact of changed settings, you need to commence a render on the old settings. At the bottom of the render screen, the "estimated time to complete" will appear. Take note and STOP the render, then close it. Go back into OPTIONS and change the settings then commence the same render. Now you should see the time to complete has considerably reduced.
Steve Knorr
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