The Main Menu Bar The main menu bar contains ten buttons that will invoke functions or other menus. Each of these a described in brief detail below, and some descriptions will refer to other topics that you may select from the main help index. Some of the menu items may display a character in square brackets to the right of the label. This is called a menu item accelerator. The letter in the brackets may be typed when the mouse pointer is in the canvas window and the program will act as if the menu item had been selected with the mouse. The menu does not need to be currently displayed to invoke the menu item with the accelerator letter. Xmfract supports tear-off menus, if the user has not specifically prevented it by an entry in the resource file. Menus may be "torn off", or posted in windows of their own (seperate from the main window), by selecting the dashed line at the top of the menu. To dismiss any torn-off menu, press the 'Esc' key while the pointer is in the menu window. The "File" menu: "Load saved parameter set... [ @ ]" -- Select "Parameter Save/Restore Commands" from the main help index for more information. "Save Parameter set to file... [ b ]" -- Select "Parameter Save/Restore Commands" from the main help index for more information. "Load image from file... [ r ]" -- Select "Image Save/Restore Commands" from the main help index for more information. "Save image to file... [ s ]" -- Select "Image Save/Restore Commands" from the main help index for more information. "Quit XmFract [ q ]" -- quits the program. If the "verbose=" option in "$HOME/.xmfractrc" is set to "no", the program will not ask for confirmation before exiting. The "Options" menu: "Basic options... [ x ]" -- Select "Basic Options Screen" from the main help index for more information. "Extended options... [ y ]" -- Select "Extended Options Screen" from the main help index for more information. "View window options... [ v ]" -- Select "View Windows Mode" from the main help index for more information. "Fractal 3D parameters... [ i ]" -- Select "Three-dimensional Fractal Parameters" from the main help index for more information. The "Parameters" menu: "Select fractal type [ t ]" -- Brings up a dialog that allows the user to select from many different fractal types. By default, the "mandel" type is selected when the program is first initialized. This is the classic Mandelbrot set. Pressing the "OK" button will select the fractal type that is displayed in the text window and/or highlighted in the list of available selections. The next screen that is displayed will allow the user to view and set the parameters for that fractal type. Press the "Help" button in the dialog for more information about the selected type. "Current parameters [ z ]" -- Brings up a dialog that allows the user to set the initial fractal parameters. If the currently selected fractal type requires a file containing parameter definitions (such as the "formula", "lsystem", or "ifs" fractal types), then the associated file name and the currently selected entry from that file are also displayed, and buttons appear that allow the user to return to the appropriate file or entry selection portions of the program. There is a button that allows the user to view and set the corner values for the currently selected type, as well. "Parameter forwarding (On/Off)" -- This is a pull-right menu (hold the left mouse button down in the menu button and drag the mouse to the right) that will expose a sub-menu containing two buttons, only one of which may be selected at a time. If parameter forwarding is turned "On", then parameters from the previously selected fractal type are "forwarded", or applied to the currently selected fractal type. The "Image" menu: "Create Image [ d ]" or "Continue calculation [ d ]" -- Draw an image using the parameters that have been set. If the image creation is interrupted (use the "Esc" key to interrupt), and the selected fractal type is resumeable, the label for this menu item will change to "Continue calculation". If you wish to take up where we left off with the creation of the current image, select this item. Use the "Reset" menu items to clear the screen and/or parameters and start anew. Note that some types are not resumeable and at least one is not interruptible. Use the "Info about image" item from the "Misc" menu for more information about the state of the current image. "3d transform from file... [ 3 ]" -- Select "Three-dimensional Images" from the main help index for more information. "Set image refresh rate..." -- Controls the rate at which the screen will update. Setting this value to a lower number may decrease the amount of network traffic during fractal calculation and display. This will also, when set to a low value, significantly reduce fractal generation time. "Window resize mode" -- This is a pull-right menu (hold the left mouse button down in the menu button and drag the mouse to the right) that will expose a sub-menu containing two buttons, only one of which may be selected at a time. If "Clear window when resized" is selected, the window will clear, and any displayed image will be erased, if the window is resized. Any subsequent images created will be calculated at the new window size. If "Do not clear when resized" is selected, then the window will not be cleared if the window is resized. Any subsequent image that is created will be created at the original screen size. The "Zoom" menu: "Turn [Off/On] Aspect Ratio Snap" -- When the user has drawn a zoom box on the screen the box will, by default, change its own shape to conform the closest approximation of the aspect ratio of the current window. The longest of the horizontal or vertical sides is used as the preferred dimension when the box is snapped to the aspect ratio of the window. Selecting this item before or after the box is drawn will toggle between the "On" and "Off" states. Stretching a zoom box that has been drawn automatically turns aspect ratio snapping "Off". "Pan (Full-Screen Zoom Box)" -- When this item is enabled (not greyed out) it may be selected to produce a full-screen zoom box that the user may move around on the screen by pressing the left mouse button down while the pointer is inside the box, then dragging the box around the screen. When the mouse button is released and the user selects "Create image" from the "Image" menu, the image is panned to the new coordinates and any portion of the image that was inside the zoom box will not need to be re-calculated. "Zoom In (Create Image)" -- This is equivalent to the "Create Image" item from the "Image" menu. In fact, if a zoom box is drawn on the screen and the user selects the "Create Image" item from the "Image" menu, the program assumes that the user wishes to zoom in on the selected area. This item is only enabled (not "greyed out") if a zoom box is drawn on the screen. "Zoom out (Create Image)" -- This is (obviously) the reverse of zooming in. The "magnification" of the image on the screen is reduced by a factor equivalent to the ratio of the area of the zoom box to the area of the screen. To zoom out a larger amount, draw a smaller zoom box. This item is only enabled (not "greyed out") if a zoom box is drawn on the screen. "Cancel (Erase Zoom Box)" -- Cancels any pending zoom operation and erases the zoom box. This item is only enabled (not "greyed out") if a zoom box is drawn on the screen. "Change zoom box color..." -- This will pop up a dialog that will allow you to change the color of the zoom box. This item is only enabled (not greyed out) if a zoom box is drawn on the screen. The "Color" menu: "Edit current color palette... [ e ]" -- Select "Color Editor Commands" from the main help index for more information. "Save current palette to file... [ m ]" -- Select Color Palette Maps" from the main help index for more information. "Load color palette from file... [ l ]" -- Select "Color Palette Maps" from the main help index for more information. "Randomize color palette..." -- This will pop up a dialog that allows you to randomize the color palette according to a wide variety of modes and functions. In all cases, the palette is split into contiguous chunks. The function selected will determine how many chunks. Also in all cases, the range of colors between the start and end of a chunk is smoothed between the two colors, with the color editor's gamma value determining the contrast for the range. Randomization functions: "One segment" - causes the palette to be one chunk. The start and end colors are randomized, with weighting according to the mode. "Two segments" - causes the palette to be split in half. The start and end color of each chunk is randomized, with weighting according to the mode. "16-color segments" - causes the palette to be split into 16-color chunks. The start and end color of each chunk is randomized, with weighting according to the mode. "8-color segments" - causes the palette to be split into 16-color chunks. The start and end color of each chunk is randomized, with weighting according to the mode. "Random segments (largest)" "Random segments (large)" "Random segments (small)" "Random segments (smallest)" - These cause the palette to be split into a random number of contiguous chunks. In all cases the chunks are at least five colors. The average size of the chunks vary with the function selected, from large chunks to small chunks. The start and end color of each chunk is randomized, with weighting according to the mode. Randomization modes: "Block mode (darker end first)" - the starting color is weighted toward the darker end of the scale and the ending color of the chunk is weighted toward the lighter end of the scale. "Reverse mode (brighter end first)" - the starting color is weighted toward the lighter end of the scale and the ending color of the chunk is weighted toward the darker end of the scale. "Alternate mode (darker end first)" - the starting color of every other chunk is weighted toward the darker side of the scale and the ending color is weighted toward the lighter side of the scale, starting with the first chunk. Alternating chunks are weighted in the opposite manner. "Alternate mode (brighter end first)" - the starting color of every other chunk to be weighted toward the lighter side of the scale and the ending color to be weighted toward the darker side of the scale, starting with the first chunk. Alternating chunks are weighted in the opposite manner. This is the same as the previous mode, except that we start the first chunk weighted from light to dark, instead of from dark to light. "Blend mode (darker end first)" "Blend mode (brighter end first)" - will cause the end color of one chunk to be the starting color of the next. The difference between the two modes is the same as the corresponding Alternate modes with respect to the weighted values. "Smooth mode (darker end first)" "Smooth mode (brighter end first)" - The same as the Blend mode except that the highest color index is the same color as the starting index. This results in a smooth transition of colors throughout the entire range, with no sharp break where the end of the palette meets the beginning. The difference between the two modes is the same as the corresponding Alternate modes with respect to the weighted values. The "Reset" menu: "Refresh" -- Will refresh (redraw) the current image without changing color or fractal parameters. "Reset Color" -- Will reset the color to the color map that was in effect before any color cycling or color editing commands were initiated. If you have made changes in color that you wish to save, use the "Save current palette to file" item from the "Color" menu before resetting the color with this menu item. "Clear Screen" -- Will clear the screen, erasing any current image. No parameters are changed. If you have interrupted a non-resumeable type, draw another using the same parameters by clearing the screen with this option, then selecting the"Create Image" item from the "Image" menu. "Reset Parameters" -- This will set all parameters and options to the default values that are set when the program starts, including the fractal type. "All of the above" -- Select "All of the above" from "The "Reset" menu:" in the topic "The Main Menu Bar" from the main help index for more information. The "Misc" menu: "Info about image [ tab ]" -- Displays information about the current image. "Resize window" [ z ]" -- Allows the user to explicitly set the size of the main window. The default size is 640 x 480 pixels, and the maximum size is 2048 x 2048. Only the size of the menu bar is taken into account when calculating the maximum size for a fully visible image (the window manager decorations, such as borders, etc., are not considered). That means that if you resize the window to the maximum size for a fully visible image, the borders may be off the screen, but the image canvas will be fully visible. In addition, if the user elects to load a GIF image that was created in a size that is different from the current window size, the user is given the option to resize the window to fit the new image. There is an option menu associated with the "Set window size" dialog. Press the left mouse button when the pointer is in the button and an option menu will appear that allows the user to select from several preconfigured window sizes, including the maximum size for a fully visible image. Pressing the "Default" pushbutton will set the window to the pre-selected default size of 640 x 480 pixels. The normal aspect ratio for the program (the ratio of width to height) is 4:3, and the program figures out the aspect ratio of the root window on your display and configures several preset values in that aspect ratio as well. To resize the window to any of these values, select the desired menu item. "Create Starfied" -- Select "Starfields" from the main help index for more information. This item is only enabled (not "greyed out") if there are 256 colors allocated by the program. See the -private command-line option for more information about color cell allocation. "Flip Image" -- Flip the image horizontally, vertically, or both. The corner parameters are preserved after the flip, so the image may be zoom in or out. The "Restore" menu: "There are x saved images" -- Lists how many parameter sets are stored by the program. A maximum of ten parameter sets are stored, and the images they represent may be re-created by selecting the desired offset from the current image by using the ""Restore which image" item below. "Current image is number x" -- Lists which image in the saved structure is currently displayed. When the program reaches the maximum limit of ten saved images, the oldest saved parameter set is overwritten and the current image index is reset to that number. This forms sort of a "circle" of images that may be displayed or re-created. "Restore which image" -- This menu is dynamic and will change according to how many images are saved and which image in the saved structure is currently displayed. The "Help" menu: "Version information" -- Display current version number and copyright information. "Authors..." -- Display the authors' names and major contributions to this program. This dialog is displayed automatically when the program starts unless the user has specifically prevented it with an entry in the initialization file. Select "Xmfract General Information" from the main help index for more information. -- Select "About help" from the main help index for more information.