Mandelbrot Explorer ~ v3.4
OS: Win
author: J. R. Oakley
url: https://www.mandel.org.uk
Mandelbrot Explorer is a simple tool to explore the Mandelbrot set. The module to create the images and modify their parameters is quite simple and comes with only a few options. As such, it won’t let you create stunning artistic pictures, but pure fractal examples. Maybe it’s because I’m not too familiar with the program (and I didn’t read the documentation), but I didn’t like the tool to edit the color palettes (like at all). Otherwise, it’s a nice generator.
Last revision: December 2016
ManpWin ~ v6.001
OS: Win
author: Paul de Leeuw
url: http://www.deleeuw.com.au/
Another Windows version of legendary FractInt. It’s an eternal work in progress, but unlike the previous WinFract, this one is a 32 and 64-bit application with true color and animation support. Pictures can be saved as PNG files, GIF for animations, and MPEG for video. FractInt color maps and parameters files seems to be compatible with this program.
Last revision: 09 April 2024.
Neptune & Triton ∼ v1.1.0
OS: Win/Linux
author: Mark R. Eggleston
url: https://element90.wordpress.com
Neptune can render critical point fractal images. Images, called seeds, can be saved as PNG files. Then, you can import the seeds to Triton to create and save larger pictures. I don’t know why these two apps aren’t integrated into a single program, but that’s the way they work (both applications come in one package and install together automatically, so go figure). I do like the fact that fractal parameters are easy to access from a secondary window, that you can open alongside the image window to keep real-time track changes, a nice thing to learn what each variable can do. Extensive documentation available as a PDF file from its parent website.
Last revision: 21 April 2014.
QuickMAN ∼ v2.2
OS: Win
author: Paul Gentieu
url: https://sourceforge.net/projects/quickman/
QuickMAN is a simple, lightweight (less than 1MB) fractal explorer that can draw Mandelbrot and Julia sets fractals, with extensive support for custom fractal types and mathematical experimentation. It might not be great as an art tool, but it is excellent for creating pure fractal images. Curiously it installs in Windows’ Public folder, and it stores everything in the same directory. It’s incredibly fast as long as you don’t zoom too deep. Deeper than approximately 2.3 × 10¹³ magnification (rough numbers), it becomes understandably sluggish, but maintains a decent image quality. You can control all options using keyboard shortcuts or through a rectangular secondary window (not shown in the screenshot).
Last revision: 19 January 2025.
Raimuraito ~ v1.7
OS: Win9x/Me
author: Yasuo Kamei
url: http://www.ab.cyberhome.ne.jp
Raimuraito is a fractal generator that can produce some very unique and interesting pictures. It never left its early stages of development (so it has a few bugs and is quite slow), but is capable of using flowers, fishes, rings and other methods to contour the fractal figures. I wish the developer could have done a little further to this one, but… now it’s probably too late.
Last revision: 11 February 2002.
Saturn & Titan ∼ v4.2.1
OS: Win/Linux
author: Mark R. Eggleston
url: https://element90.wordpress.com
Saturn is the older brother of Neptune (the fractal generator reviewed before), and of course can generate fractal pictures too. Of notice: Don’t judge the program by the screenshot included in here: it’s just a simple shot intended to decorate this page, not to demonstrate Saturn’s full potential. Just visit its website to take a look at much better samples. Saturn can save images, once again called seeds, as PNG files. Then, you can import the seeds to Titan to create and save pictures of even larger sizes. As I said before, I don’t know why these two apps aren’t integrated into a single program, but that’s the way they work (both applications come in one package and install automatically too). I do like the fact that fractal parameters are easy to access from a secondary window, that you can open alongside the image window to keep real-time track changes, a nice thing to learn what each variable can do. Extensive documentation available as a PDF file from the parent website.
Last revision: 2014.
Sterling2 ~ v1
OS: Win
author: Stephen C. Ferguson & Tad Boniecki
url: http://soler7.com
Sterling2 is a derivative work of Stephen C. Ferguson’s Sterling-ware fractal generator, integrating Tad Boniecki’s particular collection of 50 fractal formulas to produce a myriad of different images unique to this program, superimposed –so to speak– over the original software (they feel and look identical). Contrary to Ferguson’s generators of the same name (still freeware but requiring a membership payment to access the collection), this one is freely available from Boniecki’s website.
Last revision: 11 October 1999.
TS Fractal Explorer ~ v3.01 beta
OS: Win9x/NT/Me/XP
author: Sergei Dolgov
url: http://home.onego.ru
This is a fractal generating program that uses the TS Graphics Library v1.0 beta (that’s what the programmer says) to plot its images. It’s pretty simple but slow. Images, which doesn’t look that good anyway, can be saved as BMP files only. May have some secrets deep inside that I haven’t discovered yet. No documentation.
Last revision: 07 June 1998.
Windows Chaos Image Generator ~ v2.00
OS: Win9x/NT/2000
author: Thomas Hövel
url: http://www.th-soft.com
Windows Chaos Image Generator, better known as WinCIG, is another very simple Mandelbrot set generator that is very easy to use. Most of its processes are automated, so users only have to move the mouse around and click to draw a little rectangle to cover the region they want to zoom in. Automatically, a small window with some extra parameters will pop-up, allowing the modification of any value. It also comes with a palette editor for better coloring control. Images can be saved in BMP format.
Last revision: 19 August 2002.
GNU XaoS ~ v4.3.3
OS: Win/Mac/Linux/Online
author: Jan Hubička,Thomas Marsh, et al.
url: https://xaos-project.github.io
alt: https://github.com/xaos-project/Xaos
XaoS is a real-time fractal zoomer that can calculate Mandelbrot and over 30 more fractals significantly fast and on the go. Newer versions introduced an autopilot mode that let’s the program do the exploring while the user sits back and watch as it zooms in and out constantly (imho, not very useful, only good for fun). Supports several palette modes, and coloring is better in the Windows version (in my opinion). Images can be saved in PNG format, and can also produce animations. It comes as a 64-bit package for Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s an open source project with a, extensive list of contributors. An online version is also available at https://xaos.app.
Last revision: 28 October 2024.