Fractal Art: Advanced Flowers in Apophysis

This
tutorial will take you on a journey to create an
advanced flower style in the fractal program Apophysis. We will first
explore the 2D principles of this flower style. Then
we will expand upon the idea using the same fractal to create a 3D
version of the flower. Let’s begin.

1.
Setting the Stage

Step
1

To
begin, let’s select our color gradient. Open the Adjustment
window in Apophysis and switch to the Gradient tab. Choose
671_Venice. Underneath the gradient you will see the word
Rotate and a slider to the right of it. To the right of these
is a text box. Enter -20 to adjust the gradient.

Step
2

Close
the Adjustment window and open the editor. Create a blank
slate for our fractal by clicking the New Flame button.

2.
Setting Up the Transforms

Step
1

Transform
1 will serve as a foundation on which the rest of the fractal will be
built. Whatever variations we add to this transform will affect the
overall texture and appearance of the fractal. To begin with, we will
aim to have a smooth, silky texture on the flower petals.

Inside
the editor, switch to the Variations tab. Remove the linear
variation from the transform by setting its value to 0.

Next
choose either blur or Gaussian blur as your base
variation. For whichever you choose, enter a value of 0.25 up to 0.6.
This can be modified later as you see fit. If you wish to replicate
my results, I am using 0.41 Gaussian blur.

Step
2

Now
let’s add a new transform and take note of the different changes the
fractal undergoes as we modify the transform. Click the New
Transform button in the editor window. This transform will give
our fractal structure or body.

Step
3

Both
the linear and spherical variations are required on Transform 2;
however the values of each are subjective. Change the linear
variation to a value between 0.75 and 1.4. I will be using 0.9 for
linear.

The
spherical variation is needed to create a gap in the center
which we will later modify into the flower shape. Use a smaller
amount of spherical, somewhere between 0.05 and 0.3. For this flower
I will be using 0.15.

You
will notice in the preview window that there are now several
concentric circles around the large circle in the middle.
It also appears that there are pixels radiating in columns outward
from the circles. These two transforms provide the basis for the
flower fractal. We now need to modify some of the transform
properties to further define the flower’s appearance.

Step
4

Staying
with Transform 2, switch to the Colors tab inside the editor.

First
change the Weight of this transform to a relatively high
value, somewhere between 10 and 30. I have chosen 20. The weight of a
transform tells Apophysis how much priority to give to the variations
on the transform when creating the fractal.

Transform
color and color speed are also very subjective. We will most likely
need to modify these values toward the end of the creation process.
For now, choose a transform color between 0.1 and 0.35. I will be
using 0.245.

Color
speed affects the distribution of the color palette as a whole
throughout the fractal. The higher the number, the more the color is
spread out until you reach 1. To get the widest distribution of
color, choose a Color speed setting between 0.8 and 0.98. I am
using 0.896.

Quick
tip: You can click and drag to the left and right on the words Color
speed in the Colors tab to watch a
real-time preview of how the colors affect the fractal. This will
allow you to quickly make color adjustments.

Step
5

Select
Transform 1 from the Transform drop-down menu. We need to make
some quick modifications to the colors and weights just as was done
to Transform 2.

The
weight of Transform 1 is much less than Transform 2. This is a basic
principle you can apply in making the majority of fractals:
base/textural transforms have lower weights
whereas structural transforms have higher weights. Use a value
between 0.3 and 0.8 for Transform 1’s Weight. I have selected
0.6.

Now
for the coloring adjustments. The Transform color setting can
be tricky and I often like to set it in conjunction with the color
speed setting. Ultimately I chose to go with 0.854.

As
for the Color speed, choose a setting between 0.4 and 0.9.
Remember the click and drag method can be very useful in finding an
ideal setting. After going back and forth a few times between
transform color and color speed, I decided to use 0.58.

We
now have both of the transforms completed for the flower. The next
step is where all of the action takes place!

3.
Adding the Final Transform: Creating Petals

Step
1

The
final transform is a very powerful tool in the Apophysis editor. This
transform applies to the entire fractal and can drastically alter the
entire appearance of a fractal. Add in the final transform by
activating it from the editor toolbar. Click the green triangle
with the FX above it, which will enable the final transform.

Step
2

After
all the hype, don’t be disappointed that you haven’t seen a change in
the preview window. Just as with any new transform you add,
the linear variation has a default value of 1, and the final
transform is no exception. Switch to the Variations tab and
remove linear by changing the value to 0. You’ll notice that
your fractal completely disappeared in the preview window. The linear
variation was keeping all of the pixels plotted on the fractal plane.
Now that there is nothing to plot, your fractal disappears.

Scroll
down in the variations to julian and add in a value of 1.

Finally,
switch over to the Variables tab and change the julian_power
variable to -2. The julian_dist setting should have defaulted to
1 but if not, change it to 1 now.

4.
Finding the Flower

Where’s
the flower, you say? We must search for it!

Step
1

Still
in the editor, change back to the Triangle tab. Select
Transform 2 from the Transform drop-down list. At this point
the idea is to make small modifications and really search out a nice
spiral form.

Step
2

Change
the value of the triangle scale to 110. This number is found
between the small and large triangle buttons located underneath the
four move arrows. Click the scale up triangle three times.

Step
3

Now
comes the fun. In the grid of the editor you will see a yellow
triangle. The yellow triangle is a graphical representation of
Transform 2. Click the move triangle left button once in the
editor to be able to see this triangle better.

At
each of the corners of the triangle you will see points: X for the
x-axis, Y for the y-axis and O for the origin of the transform. Click
the O and drag to move the triangle around. Notice how this affects
the fractal. On the edges/corners of Transform 2 you will see lines
that appear to be the corners of a box. You can click these and drag to
rotate the transform.

Utilize
the ability to drag Transform 2 around and rotate it to find a nice
spiral design. Remember that you can always come back at any step in
the process and make modifications.

Step
4

The
petals of the flower are beginning to take shape. We can give more
definition to them by adding in a very small amount of the cross
variation. This variation in addition to what is already on Transform
2 will create small gaps on the petals.

Switch
to the Variations tab. Add in a small amount of 0.01 to 0.04
of the cross variation. I am starting with only 0.015.

I’ve
only touched on the bare minimum for creating these advanced fractal
flowers. You can add very small amounts of other variations to
Transform 2 to change the shape of the petals. Change the values or
variations on Transform 1 to modify the texture and appearance of the
flower. Modify the julian variables on the final transform, or move
the final transform to create entirely different looks. All of these
are just the beginning of the possibilities for these flowers. Use
your imagination as you make modifications to the fractal, and save
your ideas often so you can return to them.

5.
Going 3D

There
are several different ways to go about creating 3D flowers. Each of
these paths create different styles, some with the petals extending
out and up, and others with the flower mounded more in the center and
protruding more like a rose. We are going to focus on just one style
today but please do not allow your explorations to stop here.

Step
1

We
first need to change our final transform’s variable to one that
better supports 3D work. In the editor, make certain you are on the
Variations tab. Choose Final from the Transform
drop-down list.

Remove
the julian variation by changing its value to 0. Add 2 to the
julia3D variation.

Finally,
change to the Variables tab. Set the julia3D_power
variable to -2.

Step
2

Close
the Editor window.
We need to modify the perspective to create the 3D look and feel.
Open the Adjustment window by clicking the button in the menu
bar of the main Apophysis window.

At the top, on the right-hand side, you will see several values such as Depth
Blur, Pitch, Yaw, etc., that all relate to the 3D
view in Apophysis. Change the Pitch setting to 50. This
setting allows you to change the pitch of the view finder or camera,
if you will, from a 2D setting at 0 to any degree you wish.

Step
3

Close
the Adjustment window and open the Editor. Everything
is in place to make the fractal 3D.

In
the Transform drop-down menu, choose Transform 1.

This
step is absolutely essential in making the flower 3D. In the
Variations tab add the value of 1 to the flatten
variation. Yes, it might seem crazy to add something called “flatten”
to a 3D project, but it is imperative that you do so. Otherwise
everything will disappear in the next step.

Step
4

Switch
to Transform 2 in the Transform drop-down menu. Still on the
Variations tab, add in 0.2 to the zcone variation. Additionally, add
-0.02 to the ztranslate variation. Take note of the drastic change of
the fractal’s appearance.

6.
Embellishing the Fractal

We
could stop here, but why not add some flair to the fractal?

Perhaps
you would like to add some stamens, the long stem-like
protrusions in some flowers.

Step
1

Switch
to Transform 1 by selecting it from the Transform
drop-down menu. Click the Duplicate Transform button in the
toolbar of the Editor window. This will create Transform 3.

Step
2

Switch
to the Variations tab and click Clear at the bottom to
remove all variation settings on this transform.

Step
3

Pay
careful attention here, as we need to set the values of several
variables. Each of these can be adjusted to your liking later. For
instance, I will likely increase the amount of Gaussian blur once I
have found the positioning of the stamen that I like. Set each of the
variables as follows.

• Bubble:
  0.016
• gaussian_blur:
  0.01
• zscale:
  -0.289
• ztranslate:
  0.403
• zcone:
  0.62
• post_rotate_x:
  0.255

Step
4

Change
the Weight to 0.3. In the Colors tab, change the Color
speed to 1. Feel free to modify the values of the variations on
Transform 3 at any point.

Step
5

Switch
to the Triangle tab. At the top of the editor window, to the
left of the Final Transform button there is a button with PX and a
Triangle. Click this button and it will activate what is known as
the Post Transform mode of the triangle. This mode allows you to move
the entire transform around without affecting the shape of the
fractal variations applied to it. The best way to understand this is
to now either click on the green triangle (Transform 3) and
move it around the window, or use the move and rotate
tools in the Triangle tab to move the triangle around.

Find
an area where you think the stamens of the flower look appealing.

7.
More Flair

Step
1

Finally,
we will add some fun lighting effects to give the fractal more visual
interest. To do this, select Transform 1 from the Transform
drop-down menu and Duplicate this transform. In the Variations
tab, click the Clear button at the bottom to remove all
variations.

Step
2

Add
in a very small amount of blur3D. A value of 0.02 is a good
starting place. Additionally, change the Weight to 0.1.

Step
3

Activate
the Post Transform for Transform 4 and move this transform
around, notice where the lighting shows up in the preview window. You
may wish to add in some ztranslate on the Variations
tab or adjust the amount of blur3D as you move the transform
around.

You
can continue to follow the techniques above to add as many different
effects to the fractal as you like. When you’re finished, close the
editor window and we will proceed to setting up the render and
rendering the fractal.

8.
Rendering the Fractal

Step
1

Now
we need to focus the image on an interesting
part of the fractal. Apophysis provides several tools in the main
window toolbar to accomplish this. Use the move and zoom
tools to find a focal point of the fractal.

Step
2

Open
the Adjustment window. Switch to the Rendering tab.
Change the Gamma setting to 3. Close out the Adjustment window.

Step
3

Click
the purple gear in the main window to open the rendering
options. Select a place to save your fractal. For Density
choose 10,000. A Filter Radius of 1 is very nice for flowers.
Oversample of 2 or 3 at the most is fine. Once you’ve adjusted
all render settings, click Start to begin the render. After several
minutes your 3D fractal flower will be complete!

Awesome Work, You’ve Done It!

By following the steps outlined above, you now have created your first 3D flower in Apophysis. Not only do you have an amazing image, but also the tools to create more stunning fractal artwork.

Take all of these principles and combine them together. Start by modifying Transform 2. Rotate it, move it around, add and remove variations and the amounts thereof. This will allow you to find many different petal shapes. Then experiment with the final transform. Finally, use the different lighting and texture methods to achieve some out-of-this-world designs. You will be amazed and very pleased with the wonderful fractal flowers you can create!