330 variation types are included (more to follow).
A Fractal Architect 2 update (version 2.4.4) has been released by Apple that fixes problems seen only on OS X Mavericks. (2012 15″ Macbook Pro’s and 2013 Macbook Pro’s with Nvidia discrete GPUs are affected).
On Mavericks only, many of you with 2012 & 2013 Macs will now have access to either an Intel HD 4000 or an Intel HD 5000 GPU which can be used for rendering. The advantage is faster rendering and lower power consumption per render.
If available, GPU rendering can be enabled through the Preferences menu. Go to the Render Options tab on Preferences and press the GPU radio button. The program will appear to hang for up to 1 full minute as the OpenCL program is compiled for your specific GPU. The Intel GPU compile times are especially long. When you see the radio button switch to the GPU, the compile is finished. Please be patient with this step.
The Render device setting is sticky and will stay in affect the next time you restart the app. (There will be no compile delay then – with the exception of when an OS X upgrade happens.)
If GPU rendering is not supported, you will not see the CPU/GPU radio buttons.
Fractal Serendipity
Update: Fractal Serendipity’s mis-categorization as an iOS app by Apple has been corrected and an update version 2.4.4 has been released.
Changes for Version 2.4.2 (Firestorm)
Improvements =========
1) You can drop a dragged fractal onto the Preview window’s Frames button and it will be appended as a new keyframe.
2) All random transforms now have their Rotates property set (Rotates property allows looping animations to rotate the transform). Prior behavior was that the Rotates property is randomly set – which could cause some fractals to not show looping animations.
3) Cross-Breeder can now pull keyframe changes made by you when editing the keyframes with Triangle editor.
4) Fractal document is auto-saved before Animation rendering.
Triangle Editor’s Quick-Spin Interpolator BugFixes ========
1) Fixed: Using Quick-Spin interpolator to change variation weights might change the wrong variation weight.
2) Fixed: Quick-Spin interpolator would apply the wrong interpolation value when you choose one of the interpolated thumbnail images.
3) Fixed: Quick-Spin interpolator would not reset the fractal back to its original state, if no interpolated thumbnail image was chosen.
Other BugFixes ========
1) Fixed: Loop-Morph Animation producing all-black frames
2) Fixed: Flame Text view (shows fractal definition as XML text) might show the wrong frame or thumbnail’s definition.
Fractal Architect 2 is the full featured fractal flame editor app for creating flame fractal images and create basic video animations from flame fractals.
Fractal Serendipity introduces you to the world of fractal flames and the magnificent images you can create with them. It allows you to quickly create great images and render them with full OpenCL GPU acceleration (requires a Mac with a discrete GPU – other Macs render on the CPU).
Fractal Serendipity offers a subset of the features found in Fractal Architect 2. It let you create randomized new fractals with a good bit of control. Those fractals can then be further refined in the Variants editor.
Fractal Serendipity can be upgraded via its embedded In-app purchase Store to have the exact same features as its peer app, Fractal Architect 2. (Apple’s Mac App Store does not offer any way to offer upgrade pricing when upgrading from one app to another app.) The Store menu opens the embedded store.
These are the upgrade options for Fractal Serendipity you can choose to purchase:
Note that after upgrading Fractal Serendipity with the full feature set of Fractal Architect 2, the app is still Fractal Serendipity, not Fractal Architect 2. However, once fully upgraded, the two apps are functionally the same.
Its time for a new release. This was released by Apple on December 12, 2012.
Changes for Version 2.4.0 (FireStorm)
Dedicated to the 360 families that lost their homes from the Waldo Canyon Fire June 2012
Retina Mac optional HiDPI rendering is now supported ========
On Macs with Retina display, you have the option of rendering at 2X HiDPI resolution for slightly better appearance. Note: rendering these HiDPI resolution windows takes 4X longer to render than at standard resolution.
Default is standard resolution (faster rendering for slightly worse image appearance). You can toggle between Standard and HiDPI (Retina) resolution at any point.
New 2X HiDPI rendering preference on Macs with Retina displays.
On Preview window, you can switch resolutions from Context menu (opened with right mouse button click) or by key shortcut: Cmd-2
When opening an image file on Mac with Retina display, images are displayed at same resolution as Preview app. You can switch the view to standard resolution, so it appears 2X larger.
Changes for Version 2.3.2 (Folio)
Changes ========
1) Big Change: The Quicklook plugin (that creates thumbnails and Quicklook Previews for the Finder with .flame and .flam3 files) is no longer part of the app.
Apple’s sandboxing requirement for Mac App Store apps forced the plugin’s removal from the app.
You can go here to download the free plugin installer app: Fractal Quicklook.
2) Nvidia GT 650M GPU (in 2012 Macbook Pros) can now be used for OpenCL rendering.
Where to get the Quicklook plugin now?
The Quicklook plugin now is available as a free download from here.
Why was it removed?
The Finder Quicklook plugin for .flame and .flam3 files (included with Fractal Architect 2 in earlier versions) renders all of the Finder fractal thumbnails and renders the Quicklook previews for fractals on demand from the Finder.
Continue reading Finder Quicklook Plugin for .flame and .flam3 files removed from app
There have been a lot of changes to OpenCL in this Lion release. One of them prevents the app from starting after installing the Lion 10.7.5 update.
You will need to use the Mac Finder to do this:
Update: Version 2.3.1 works around the OpenGL display driver bug found on Mountain Lion (10.8) that affects all Macs with Nvidia GPUs. The issue with Fractal Architect showing blank Preview windows is now fixed.