Gallery Descriptions & Miscats Month
Hello everyone! I'm C-91 and today I'll be helping Mocris (your current Resources & Stock Images Community Volunteer) cover the topic of Fractal Resources.
Any person who wants to have a go at Fractal Art (check my article on the subject here) needs to know what the tools of the trade are, how they work and what they can do, and have a general knowledge about the add-ons. DA has plenty of these resources, located in dedicated galleries. The main subcategories are:
Resources and Stock Images:
- Tutorials > Application Reference > Apophysis
- Tutorials > Fractal Tutorials
- Fractal Resources > Gradients
- Fractal Resources > Parameter Packs
- Fractal Resources > Plug-ins
- Fractal Resources > Scripts
I'll be explaining in detail what belongs in these galleries, providing you with basic notions about fractal programs where needed.
Let's get right into it!Fractal Tutorials & Application Reference > Apophysis
Both subgalleries contain any tutorial which is meant to provide instructions or guides for fractal generating software (here's a List of Fractal Software). In particular:
- Tutorials > Fractal Tutorials: Fractal tutorials in general, for any kind of fractal-generating program.
- Tutorials > Application Reference > Apophysis: Tutorials explaining different Apophysis techniques.
Now, to be fair, the latter has been used less frequently over the years and has become redundant, as people tend to submit their tutorials directly to the Fractal Tutorials gallery (which is more generic, therefore easier to use and browse). What does NOT belong in the Fractal Tutorials category?
- Anything that is clearly not a tutorial;
- Any tutorial which isn't specifically made for fractal software (e.g. tutorials on photomanipulation, on painting, etc.);
- As far as the Tutorials > Application Reference > Apophysis section is concerned: any fractal tutorial which is not for Apophysis.
Examples of Fractal Tutorials:
Resources & Stock Images > Fractal Resources
This is a very problematic gallery, since a good part of miscats goes here.
This section contains any resource which has been created with the purpose of being used with a fractal-generating software. Why am I stressing on the purpose?
It's really simple: some software can also make use of non-fractal resources. For example, in Apophysis, you can make gradients by loading a JPEG image, but that doesn't automatically make the JPEG a fractal resource and therefore should not be submitted in the Gradient subcategory just because it can function as one.
If such a thing were allowed, then anybody could submit literally anything to this gallery, making it a hell of a mess. 
Let's immediately clarify what does NOT belong in here:
- Anything that is clearly not a resource (e.g. photographs, drawings which are not stock)
- Any resource which is not strictly related to a fractal software. More specifically:
- PSD and PSD packs;
- Generic texture packs or textures that cannot be used or are not made for a fractal software;
- Brushes;
- Stock images.
1st Subcategory: Gradients
These are utilities that, when used in a fractal software, "assign" a specific set of colors to the fractal itself (these colors can be redistributed to one's taste in the program).
This category also tends to include color maps and, more recently, heightmaps, which are a sort of texture that can be used in fractal software such as Mandelbulb3D (but also in 3D Modeling software such as Terragen or Blender). Although these do not exactly fall under the Gradient category, those made for e.g. Mandelbulb3D are not considered heavy miscats and are generally accepted.
In conclusion: what belongs in this subgallery?
- Packs that include gradients in *ugr and/or *gradient format;
- Also accepted: heightmaps and color maps originally created for a fractal-generating program.
Examples of Gradients:
Examples of color maps:
Examples of color maps:
2nd Subcategory: Parameter Packs
The easiest way to explain what parameters are in first place is:
Parameters are to fractal programs (roughly) what PSDs are to Photoshop.
Basically, every fractal comes with a code that can be saved into a file (parameters, abbreviated to params), and when you copy and paste this code (or open the file) into the program the fractal was created with, you open and obtain the fractal itself. Pretty much as when you have a PSD and you open it in PS, you obtain your image with all the layers and settings.
Here's some examples of fractals which are followed by their params (see their descriptions). You'll see that different programs come with different kinds of params (and different kinds of file extentions):
What are Parameter packs then? They're simply ZIP packs with files that contain these parameters.
In conclusion: what belongs in this subgallery?
- Zip packs that contain fractal parameters;
- Fractal framework samples which include parameters.
Examples of Parameter packs:
3rd Subcategory: Plug-ins
This category includes any file which can solve a special function when placed in a dedicated folder tied to the fractal software (exactly like the plugins/addons for other software). The term plug-in refers to Apophysis resources; the counterpart in programs such as Ultra Fractal and Mandelbulb3D is called formula.
In conclusion: what belongs in this subgallery?
- Anything that can function as plugin or formula in a fractal software.
Examples of Plug-ins (and formulas):
4th Subcategory: Scripts
Scripts are mini-programs that (in this case) can be run in a fractal software to perform an action (e.g. create a fractal template after inserting values, render a batch of frames to create a fractal animation, add a transform with specific settings, etc.).
In conclusion: what belongs in this subgallery?
- Any script which can be run in a fractal-generating software (and has been purposely created for such software).
Examples of Scripts:
TL;DR
In essence, these are the categories and what they should include:
- Tutorial > Fractal Tutorials: any tutorial/guide which explains how to use a fractal software and its components or how to create a specific framework/artwork/template with a fractal software (List of Fractal Software);
- Fractal Resources > Gradients: any file (or zip pack with such files) that functions as gradient in a fractal software and has *.ugr or *.gradient extension. Color maps and heightmaps for specific fractal software are also accepted;
- Fractal Resources > Parameter Packs: any zip pack which contains parameter files that can be opened with specific fractal software;
- Fractal Resources > Plug-ins: any file (or zip pack with such files) that can be installed in a fractal software (they're usually new variations or formulas, depending on the program);
- Fractal Resources > Scripts: any script (mini-programs) that perform a specific action when run in a fractal software.
I hope you enjoyed this (long) reading and that it has made things clearer for you!
