Explore thousands of fractal types and coloring options

First explore the standard fractal types in Ultra Fractal to get familiar with them. Then connect to the online formula database to download thousands of additional fractal formulas and coloring algorithms contributed by other users.

Formulas can also use plug-ins which lets you easily mix and match features. By combining different plug-ins, the possibilities truly become endless. For more information, see Plug-ins in the Ultra Fractal help file.

Finding the best formulas and classes is made easy by the formula rating system.

Enjoy ultra-fast deep zooming

You can zoom to virtually unlimited depths with Ultra Fractal. Deep zooming is fully integrated and works with all fractal types and coloring options, even those you have written yourself. And thanks to the new perturbation calculations algorithm in Ultra Fractal 6, images that previously took hours or days to generate are now completed within minutes!

Use the classic selection box shown above, or zoom with the mouse by Shift-dragging or double-clicking inside the fractal window. Panning, rotating, stretching, and skewing are also possible, of course.

Tweak parameters with the versatile Explore feature

Choosing parameter values is a breeze with the new Explore feature. Experiment with new parameter values by moving the mouse cursor over a coordinate grid in the Explore window, while the Fractal Mode tool window shows a real-time preview of the result.

Explore works with integer, floating-point, and complex parameters.

Color your fractals and add transparency effects

Coloring your fractals is easy with Ultra Fractal's gradient editor. Drag the gradient curves up and down to create smooth ranges of colors, or use the Randomize options to quickly try various color combinations. You can also use the gradient editor to add transparency effects.

Compose fractals with layers, masks, layer groups and Photoshop-like merge modes

One of Ultra Fractal's key features is layering. You can place multiple layers of fractals on top of each other to combine them and create intricate coloring and texturing effects. Add mask layers to create transparent areas that will let the underlying layers shine through. Organize related layers in layer groups. Store layers or groups that you often use in the layer presets menu to access them quickly. You can even select multiple layers to edit their parameters together. (Creative Edition only.)

The Layers and Masks tutorials in the help file will show you how to use layers effectively.

Image import

Import PNG, JPEG or BMP images in your fractals with the built-in image import feature. Simply select a coloring algorithm that contains an image parameter, and you can select any image on your computer to use.

The coloring algorithm determines how the information from the image is used. For example, the standard Image coloring algorithm just displays the entire image in the fractal window.

Create fractal animations easily with the powerful animation features

In Ultra Fractal, every fractal is potentially an animation. Every parameter can be animated individually. Animations can be as long as you want and use any desired frame rate. Editing animations is easy with the powerful Timeline tool window, shown below. You can render animations with optional motion blur to image sequences or to AVI movies. (Extended Edition only.)

The Working with animations tutorial in the help file will get you started with creating your own fractal animations.

Open and organize your fractal files

Organize all your fractal-related files with the integrated Explorer-like file browsers. Quickly scan formula files and parameters with the new thumbnail view and the powerful search tools.

Copying and moving fractals, formulas, and parameter sets is easy with drag-and-drop or copying and pasting.

Render your artwork to produce fractal movies and high-quality images for printing and publishing

Create stunning fractal movies and high-quality images in full color at any size and resolution with the Render to Disk feature. Built-in anti-aliasing and motion blur smooths and sharpens rendered images and removes jagged edges. Ultra Fractal exports and renders to JPEG, Photoshop, TIFF, PNG, Windows BMP, Targa, and AVI files.

Multiple render jobs can be queued and rendered sequentially or simultaneously. You can also render multiple fractals from a parameter file in a single step.

Accelerate fractal calculations by connecting to other computers on your network

Connect to other computers on your local network or even on the Internet to speed up fractal calculations and disk render jobs. Ultra Fractal distributes calculations over the connected computers to accelerate them, which can easily double or triple the processing power of your own computer. (Extended Edition only.)

Write your own fractal formulas

Every fractal type, coloring option, and transformation in Ultra Fractal is a formula that you can edit and customize at will using the built-in syntax-highlighting formula editor. Add your own fractal formulas and coloring algorithms and upload them to the online formula database to share them with other users.

There is no speed penalty — your formulas will run just as fast as all other formulas because they are all executed by the same fast optimizing built-in formula compiler. The formula language includes complex numbers, arrays, variable types, color arithmetic, warnings, global sections, and debugging support. Full documentation with a searchable compiler reference is included.

New in Ultra Fractal 5 is support for functions and classes in the compiler, which makes it possible to write extensible formulas that can be combined with different plug-ins in any way imaginable.

Share fractals and get help on the forum

Join the Ultra Fractal forum to discuss tips and tricks and share your fractals with other users. Learn more about Ultra Fractal by opening and examining the fractals posted by other members, and get help from experts in a friendly atmosphere. See also Support.

With excellent help file and PDF manual

An excellent help file in Windows HTML Help format is included with Ultra Fractal that is easy to read and full of information. The help file is available online as well. Alternatively, you can download or order the help file as a PDF manual for easy printing. There are also Spanish and German translations.

What's new in Ultra Fractal 6?