I've recently been exploring fractals again I'm particularly fascinated by two variations, those which are coloured to form columns and those colored to create movement illusions...
this guy's got a real nice variation... [10MB]
moving along, I began trying to work some faux fractal type images in Photoshop similar to these trees & hands
anyone else eever play around with these concepts? I'm trying to figure out how to keep resolution and iterations in Photoshop using Smart Objects... something like this:
now I've gone in and edited Smart Object five or six layers deep
there's gotta be a way to start this type of sequence of nested imges and then go back in and edit and or increase resolution to allow for zooming in and such
sorry if I fuppeduck posting that big link
anyone else evr play around with smart objects, fractal-type repetion... Illustrator variations of the theme?
Hmm are you manually creating the shape of the fractal or using some sort of coded algorithm that automates it?
All I can think of off the top of my head is to design the pattern in photoshop, do the fractal in illustrator linking the file. Then you could always just edit the file you're linking.
Originally posted by Media44
Hmm are you manually creating the shape of the fractal or using some sort of coded algorithm that automates it?
All I can think of off the top of my head is to design the pattern in photoshop, do the fractal in illustrator linking the file. Then you could always just edit the file you're linking.
all manually created for this image so far, I mean it was a photo of a mannequin hand to begin with... I was working quickly to see if I could get something useable before going back and making a clipping path
but your idea of working in illustrator is also something I've considered... InDesign too perhaps... iyt has always pissed me off that Photoshop SmartObjects don't preserve the vector information nor do they or Photoshop allow for linked files... perhaps placing PSD's in illustrator will give some interesting options.
A quick search found people suggesting and having success with this, it could be worth looking at.
thanks for both giving this some thought and the link
your taking the time is most appreciated. once again, you've hit on something I have considered looking into, but have no experience with—scripting. scripting in combination with Actions seems to be the way one could generate some interesting and complex patterns the comments in the linked article would help most in keeping organized.
what would be really cool is to one day do something like this as a photoshop battle, where PSD's as linked or SmartObjects at certain nodes could be edited and saved thus changing the chain of events creating the fractal beyond. that's what I found particularly interesting by the edits which changed portions of my second image above to red.
No problem these things interest me. Since coming back from Puerto Rico I've pretty much decided to skip trying to do a career 180 and go for an MFA instead.
If you have AutoCAD or Rhino that would be a really neat way of doing it. Rhino is easier to script in my opinion but AutoCAD would probably produce better results since this will be a 2D image. You could potentially use both, design in AutoCAD or Rhino but script in Rhino then bring the file into AutoCAD and export it as an .ai file.
The .ai wouldn't be editable any longer but the file to export would be if you used a block to generate the fractal.
This was all hypothesis but another handy google search found:
Rhino Script: http://www.grasshopper3d.com/forum/topics/fractals-sierpinski-variation AutoCAD Script: http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2007/07/generating-koch.html
So both are doable. These look much more complex then what I imagined, probably because they are drawing entire fractals rather than using an existing object as your goal is. I've never done scripting in AutoCAD but in Rhino it shouldn't be very difficult at all to setup a while loop that duplicates and transforms an object along a desired coordinate formula. I don't remember off the top of my head but I know I've done this before to study random forms by drawing a polyline in plan and then having it generate say 50 more at random rotations and intervals along the Y axis to then loft into a vertical 3d form. It was very easy maybe 10 lines of code, I think even less than that.
Rhino was also giving away free copies of their Mac version while in Beta, not sure if they still are or not.
thanks 
there's certainly many ways to tackle creating an image which is but a partial view of the fractal... or fractal-like pattern for the time being, I've continued within my comfort zone, playing around with writing Actions that can be played within more-complex actions
that is simply awesome
I had just been thinking about this thread, and just how poorly I had described my intent in the last post... or just how poorly I have expressed my gratitude for such great responses to my initial post.
the challenge with my own creative exercise, or describing my interest in these [faux] fractals is two-fold:
first, when I work in Photoshop, the tools are very much like a part of me. I have short-term memory impairment and as a creative–or dare I say, artist–I do my best work when I'm intuitively just playing haphazardly.
with that said, however, I'm also finding myself intrigued by the challenge of creating pieces inspired by these true fractal images which are in most all respects far beyond me. I do have a basic understanding of the creation of the first image I posted with the fractal columns... it is in applying coloures to renderings of the the mathematecal formulae that we uninitiated can appreciate this fractal–which looks like a topographical map with columns growing to the foreground as a bonus the colours applied to this segment of fractal were chosen as they also produce an optical illusion of movement
I printed the first at 16" x 20" for my grandson and want to share my exploration with him
for now, I am again recording Action sequences... reducing, rotating and moving copies of placed objects along with trying different images and connections.