---
dated: '2021-04-01'
title: 'Rendering Fractals From Scratch'
blurb: 'A personal obsession of mine, explained in depth.'
image: ./mandelbrot.webp
---

import Youtube from '@components/Youtube.astro'

[Fractals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal) have interested me since I was very young. I've always been fascinated by the idea of self-similarity, and the fact that you can zoom in infinitely on a fractal and still see the same pattern. They seem like a glitch in the universe -- given a small and finite set of rules, you can generate seemingly infinite complexity. How does $ z \to z^2 + c $ create the above image?

These are some various renderings of fractals that I've done, using software I've written

## Software

- [fractalrender](https://github.com/chemicaldevelopment/fractalrender), a program I've written (and rewritten FAR too many times...) to render high quality images/videos of fractals
- [fractalexplorer](https://github.com/simplesummit/fractalexplorer): a realtime
  - check out a [YouTube video made with it](https://youtu.be/vUrKn34JoRg)
  - check out the [blog post about it](https://simplesummit.github.io/blog/fractalexplorer)

## Videos

<Youtube src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ynSdQAhDoWQ' title='YouTube video player' />

## Images

### FractalRender output

![Overview of the Mandelbrot Set](./mandelbrot.webp)

![Scepter Valley, Mandelbrot Set](./scepter-0.webp)

![Elephant Valley #0, Mandelbrot Set](./elephant-0.webp)

![Elephant Valley #1, Mandelbrot Set](./elephant-1.webp)

## 3D Prints

![Mandelbrot 3D print, made in Blender](./mandelbrot-3d.webp)

![Mandelbrot phone case](./phonecase.webp)

![Me demoing fractalexplorer at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences @ UMD](./demo-lps.webp)

![Fractal rendering program on a TI-84 calculator](./on-calc.webp)

## Meta

![Me at ISEF 2018](./cade-isef-0.webp)

This is also me, overlooking some nice scenery (note the Mandelbrot tie)

![Me at ISEF 2018](./cade-isef-1.webp)

This is me at ISEF 2018, presenting my work after winning Grand Reserve Champion at SASEF 2018. (note the Mandelbrot shirt)