Strange_attractors
java.com
Here you see a mathematical phenomenon known as strange attractors . The basic principle is to have a point in space and use it's coordinates as input to a relatively simple formula to compute the new point. Then do this a few million times more and sometimes strange patterns will emerge.
How to use
Pick an attractor from the dropdown list.
Adjust the camera viewpoint by dragging: left mouse drag rotates, right mouse drag pans, middle mouse drag zooms.
Drag the sliders to move through the dimensions. The sliders can be dragged at different speeds: left mouse drag is the slowest, middle mouse drag average, and right mouse drag is fast.
The random button randomizes these dimensions but you might have to hit it a couple of times (I haven't yet implemented the Lyapunov exponent to discard the converging and diverging attractors) .
Hit render.
The gamma value only affects the way the attractor is displayed, not the attractor itself. A lower gamma value will intensify the vague areas.
When you are satisfied with the attractor you can try for a higher resolution and more iterations.
After rendering you can save the image to your desktop.
You can also store the attractor data for later use (save/load).
This is a work in progress. If you have any ideas for improvement, find any bugs, or just want to drop a note, feel free to use the comment field below.
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