Re: ascii fractals

sgt pinback wrote:
> 
> > * run the algorithm for several hundred to several thousand steps,
> thousands? for a Koch curve? you're down to pixels in tens of steps, if
> that many.

I also said:
* you stay at the same element size throughout the algorithm
What I meant was to use the algorithm for the lateral propagation of the pic
without increasing resolution, something that can not be done at the final
conversion to an ascii pic, so why do it, you need to cut out this portion in
your "fractal" algorithm.

> > * run the resulting picture which is a graphic, through an OCR that you
> > restrict to the above predetermined set of four ascii characters
>   hmm. ocr for gif-ascii. never thought of that. one of your ideas or just
> something i missed (uh oh. i'm in trouble if it's in the FAQ'n'manual
> ain't i.)

Yes, one of my ideas, it is not in the FAQ. The point is that even simple OCRs
allow you to prescribe the ascii character set for use in the output file/pic.

> > Rationale #1: If you try to output your little fractal algorithm directly into
> > ascii, then you will run into the same ascii rendering problems that you
> > described in your article below. Outputting into a little drawing application
> > avoids this ascii rendering problem.
>   i *was* running the algorithm directly into ascii, only with me head and
> fingers. in fact here's the (ob. a. a.) koch snowflake done right (i think)
>   the lack of infinite levels ie why i like to include the first few
> 'iterations' to imply the limit to infinity.

Well, the basic idea of my previous post was to separate the pic generation
from the ascii rendering. The former would be handled by the "fractal"
algorithm, the latter would be handled by the OCR.

But what I now see you are doing is that you are first generating a fractal
(in a manual way) and use that pic for further processing with your brain (in
a non-fractal way) and generate really great pics (and I mean it, _great_ pics!)

As I see it, this little snowflake is an example of a fractal with zero
post-processing in a non-fractal way. (And so are the big snowflakes that you posted.)

> .      __/\__
> .      \_\/_/
> .      /_/\_\
> .        \/

This pineapple is an example of a fractal with a little of post-processing in
a non-fractal way.

> __/\__
> \_\/_/
> /    \
> \____/

This bat is an example of a fractal with some post-processing in a non-fractal way.

> .       __/\
> .       \   \  __
> .       /_   \/_/
> .         \__/ o\
> .       __/  \\ o\__
> .         \   \_ /_/
> .          \__/  \
> .         /   \   \
> .             /_  _\
> .               \/

This "Luke, the Spook" kind of pic is an example of a fractal with
considerable post-processing in a non-fractal way.

> .                               __      __
> .                                 \____/
> .                                 /o  o\
> .                    ___________/|\_\/_/|\_____________
> .                   |____|____|_\|/_|__\|/___|____|____|
>                     |_|_____|____|____|____|____|____|_|

Sometimes, composers play impromptu chords on the piano as an inspiration for
a composition. You seem to use fractals as an inspiration for your pics. Human
aided computer? Or computer aided human?

In any case, that's great! Congratulations!

P.S. You may want to sign your Fractalsteins, they deserve it.

=======================================================
[]     +                                             []
[]   \^^/      Visit the Gallery of the 'steins!     []
[]   ( ">     http://www3.sympatico.ca/petecasso/    []
[]   (> )>   Birdstein, Queen of the backyard tree   []
[]    ^^                                             []
=======================================================

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