XaoS is an interactive fractal explorer that lets users navigate mathematical fractals in a fluid, continuous motion. It is particularly well suited to examining the intricate structures of the Mandelbrot set and related fractals.
Unlike conventional fractal generators that recalculate an entire image after each change in magnification, XaoS employs specialised rendering algorithms to maintain a responsive experience while exploring different regions. The result is an engaging way to discover patterns and structures that emerge at increasing levels of detail.
The application uses a Qt-based graphical interface and also provides a browser-based version. It combines mathematical exploration with visual effects and educational material, making it suitable for both recreational exploration and learning about fractal geometry.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Fast, smooth real-time zooming with mouse-controlled navigation and panning.
- Supports Mandelbrot and Julia sets, including switching between corresponding fractal representations.
- Offers numerous fractal formulas, including Newton, Phoenix, Magnet, Barnsley and Sierpinski Carpet variants.
- Autopilot automatically explores interesting regions of a fractal without requiring manual navigation.
- Fast Julia preview displays the Julia set associated with a selected point.
- Provides multiple colouring algorithms for regions inside and outside fractal boundaries.
- Supports random palette generation, colour cycling and configurable colour schemes.
- Offers real-time image rotation and visual effects including motion blur, embossing, edge detection and antialiasing.
- Allows users to adjust calculation parameters, including iteration limits.
- Can save fractal images in PNG format and preserve positions for later exploration.
- Supports recording, saving and replaying fractal animations.
- Includes animated tutorials explaining fractal mathematics and application functionality.
- Provides context-sensitive help, keyboard shortcuts and multilingual interfaces.
- Offers a browser-based application with interactive fractal exploration capabilities.
- Cross-platform support – runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Website: xaos-project.github.io
Support:
Developer: XaoS Contributors
License: GNU General Public License v2.0
XaoS is written in C++ and C. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
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|---|---|
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| Gnofract 4D | Four-dimensional, inter-relational Mandelbrot and Julia set generator |
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| NextFractal | Create amazing fractal images and other algorithmically generated images |
| Rsfrac | Terminal-based fractal explorer written in Rust |
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| Par Fractal | GPU-accelerated renderer for exploring 2D and 3D fractals |
| Fractorium | Qt-based fractal flame edito |
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| Fractalshades | Create static and interactive fractal visualizations |
| fractal-generator | Mandelbrot and Julia fractal generator |
| FLAM3 | Cosmic recursive fractal flames |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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