What follows is a number of images I've rendered with custom software in my spare time. I love the beauty of simple fractals, but after writing code to generate them for the umpteenth time, now in yet another language, it dawned on me that I could take advantage of the imaginary component of the complex function on which fractals are based as a third dimension.

The first set of images below are a side-on view (I call it the front) of the traditional top-down view. It is in these that you can really see just how much the imaginary component really conntributes to the potential beauty of these images.

Below the side-on images are a set of top-down images, but with a twist. You may notice some gaps within the pictures, this comes from mapping the fractal into 3D. With the top-down images it's more subtle but still effective.

Finally, if you look within the two sets of images you will find some with image names that are a bit less colorful and tend to have a lot of red and green in them. These are anaglyphs which are pop out in 3D if you have some red and blue glasses to view them with. If you don't have the glasses, stop on by Thematic Attic. We have them for sale here.

Side-On Views

001 Major Tractor 1280x3 CS-20.png
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002 Full Mandelbrot.png
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003 Bamboo Valley 1280x4cs16.png
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003 Bamboo Valley ANA.png
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004.png
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005 1280x2cs-20-1y.png
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006 1280x2cs-20-1y.png
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006.png
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007 The Ultimate Chandelier - 1280x1cs0-1y.png
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007 The Ultimate Chandelier - 1280x2 - ANA - New Colors.png
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007 The Ultimate Chandelier.png
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008 The tree on the other side 1280x1.5cs-8-1y.png
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008 The tree on the other side 1280x2 CS0 ANA.png
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008 The tree on the other side 1280x3 CS0.png
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009 1280x1 cs-24.png
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Top-Down Views

010x2_1280.png
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3dtest4_1280.png
1.57 MB (.png)
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3dtest4ana1280.png
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3dtest5_1280.png
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3dtest5ana_1280.png
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3dtest6_1280.png
1.46 MB (.png)
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3dtest6ana_1280.png
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peacock spiral 1280.png
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peacock spiral ana 1280.png
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