Fractility

Users manual

Fractility - User Manual

Welcome to Fractility! This is a real-time, interactive fractal art generator. You can manipulate visuals by using your mouse, keyboard, and the dedicated control panel.

The application has two windows:

• Main Window: Shows the fullscreen visual output.

• Control Panel: A separate window containing all the sliders, buttons, and options to customize the effect.

Quick Start & Keyboard Controls

These are the most important keys for controlling the application.

• U Key: Toggles the Control Panel's visibility. If you can't see your controls, press 'U'.

• R Key (Hard Reset): Resets all parameters (transforms, colors, variations, etc.) to their default state and redraws the initial pattern. Use this when you get stuck or want a clean slate.

• T Key (Soft Reset): Resets only the visual pattern but keeps all of your current transform and color settings. This is great for seeing how your current settings affect a fresh image.

Mouse Controls

The mouse is your primary performance instrument.

Translation (Moving the Image)

First, select what you want to move using the checkboxes in the UI. Then, click and drag with the left mouse button.

• Move Checkboxes: Use the "Move" checkboxes in the UI to select which layers are affected by your drag. You can select multiple layers at once.

Scale & Rotation

• Mouse Wheel: Controls the Post-Scale (zooms the final image).

• Shift + Mouse Wheel: Controls the Post-Rotation (rotates the final image).

• Ctrl + Mouse Wheel: Controls the Pre-Scale (zooms the underlying space).

• Ctrl + Shift + Mouse Wheel: Controls the Pre-Rotation (rotates the underlying space).

The Control Panel: A Detailed Guide

Here is a breakdown of what each section in the control panel does.

Start Pattern

This section controls the initial image that the feedback loop starts with.

• Start Pattern Dropdown: Choose between "Gradient + Grid" or the "Circles" pattern.

• Show Start Grid/Show Circles Checkboxes: These are contextual. They appear when their parent pattern is selected and let you toggle the pattern overlay on or off, leaving just the base gradient.

• Gradient Controls: Four color pickers let you set the color for each corner of the starting gradient.

• Circle Controls: These appear when "Circles" is selected.

  • Count: The number of circles tiled across the screen.

  • Radius: The size of each circle.

  • Softness: The blurriness of the circle edges.

Variations

This is the core of the fractal engine.

• Top Dropdown (A): Selects the first fractal algorithm.

• Bottom Dropdown (B): Selects the second fractal algorithm.

• Mix: Blends between the output of Variation A (at 0.0) and Variation B (at 1.0).

Feedback

This section controls the overall behavior of the feedback loop.

• Amount: Controls the length of the "trails" or "motion blur." A high value (0.98) creates long, smooth trails. A lower value creates sharper, faster motion.

• Seamless Tiling: When checked, the image wraps around the edges for an infinite scrolling effect.

• Reset on Drag: When checked, the pattern will perform a "Soft Reset" every time you release the mouse button after dragging.

Transforms

These controls allow for precise, non-mouse adjustments.

• Pre-Transforms: Affect the coordinate space before the fractal math is applied.

• Post-Transforms: Affect the final image after the fractal math.

• The "Move" checkboxes in this area select these layers for mouse-drag control.

Wave Controls

These two sections (A and B) appear when "Wave" is selected in the corresponding Variation dropdown.

• Frequency: The number of waves.

• Amplitude: The intensity or height of the waves.

• Speed: The speed and direction of the wave animation.

Color Grading

These controls are applied to the final image to boost the colors.

• Brightness: Adjusts the overall lightness and darkness.

• Contrast: Increases or decreases the difference between light and dark areas.

• Saturation: Adjusts the intensity of the colors, from grayscale to vivid.

Saving Your Image

• Resolution Dropdown: Select the resolution for your saved image (from 1K to 8K).

• Save Image Button: Opens a file dialog to save the current visual as a high-resolution PNG file. The filename will default to the current date and time.

Tips for MAC users

After downloading the Fractility app and unzipping, move to Applications folder (replace older version if you have an existing version installed).

Open Fractility app and you will receive a warning saying "Fractility" Not Opened. Apple could not verify “Fractility” is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy. 

Click "Done" and open your system Settings.

Go to "Privacy & Security" and scroll all the way to the bottom.

You should see a message saying that "Fractility" was blocked to protect your Mac.

Click the "Open Anyway" button.

A message appears saying Open "Fractility". Apple is not able to verify that it is free from malware that could harm your Mac or compromise your privacy. Don’t open this unless you are certain it is from a trustworthy source.

Click the "Open Anyway" button.

You should then see another message saying Privacy & Security. You are attempting to open an app that may cause harm to your Mac or compromise your privacy. An Administrator’s Touch ID or password is required to allow this.

Use Touch ID, or click "Use Password…" and enter your system password.

Fractility will now open and you can use it to create.

Please note: You will have to follow these procedures each time you install Fractility on Mac.

List of changes 

10-10-25 Added X/Y mirror and kaleidoscope variations. 

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10-8-25 Improved color grading so it does not iterate. Added mirror and kaleidoscope options . Changed the UI dock, should work better with with mobile and Mac. I know it may be a little to big now but would rather it be to big than to small.