Wk2 - A reply from my new hero

So, it turns out that the reason I can't find a script to create a Mandelbox is because it can't be done.  Check out Duncan Brinsmead's response:

Hi Terrence,

You likely saw a presentation where I showed some mandelbox and mandelbulb renderings. I used a mel expression to create a mandelbrot texture but the 3d stuff was done by coding a custom texture for a Maya fluid node, which is not possible for users. However there is an excellent program for exploring the 3D mandelbox interactively here(source included):
http://www.ms.mff.cuni.cz/~kadlj3am/big/boxplorer/
Also www.fractalforums.com has lots of info on generating these structures.

I don’t think you will have much luck generating a mandelbox with a mel script… it is too much geometry. Not only is it too much geometry for a script, but too much to keep all in memory at once. The more typical way of doing it is through a volume render, which is what I did. I compiled in custom code in my local build of Maya, something users can’t do… and the fluid rendering does not have an open enough api to use for this currently. Basically as the ray is marching forward one evaluates the mandelbox  function at points to determine if they are in or out as well as what the color is. At no point are there any triangles.

At any rate I would post your questions on fractalforums.com. If anyone knows of good resources for this these folks will.

Duncan

Unfortunately, Boxplorer doesn't seem to work anymore but I still can't believe he even replied.  I'm soooo glad he did though.  Now I know for sure that it isn't possible in Maya.

But!  Doesn't mean I can't make something that is inspired by the Mandelbox...  Never give up, never surrender! :)

Wk2 - Wherefore art thou Mandelbox Script?

I really am having no luck in finding script for a Mandelbox... I'm kinda losing hope.  Other than a few very old programs that can generate a Mandelbox (including some that once worked), I'm coming up empty, particularly on the Maya front.

I've even joined Fractal Forums in the hopes that they might know something... it's taking ages for them to accept my registration though...

On the off chance, I've decided to send the following e-mail to Duncan Brinsmead to see if he can assist:

Hi Duncan,

My name is Terrence Craig, you don't know me.  On the off chance, I was wondering whether you might have some script for the Mandelbox or Mandelbulb for Maya that you could share with me.  For once the internet is failing me.

Just for some background, I'm a third year student doing Digital Media at the Australian National University.  A lecturer of mine (Kit Devine) showed me your Mandelbrot presentation.  I found it very inspiring, particularly when you went into the 3D world of the Mandelbulb and the Mandelbox.

I'm hoping to make such an object for my major project this semester, tweaking the code so that it becomes somewhat unique then add atmosphere, etc and do a fly-through.  I find myself very disappointed though that I cannot find any scripts on the net that will generate such an object.  I can see that there are specialised programs for Windows but I'd prefer to use Maya, on a mac, due to the power and control it would provide.

My background is in programming but my experience with Maya is quite limited to date because my art works haven't required it  I'm not scared of MEL or Python though.

If you could assist in any way, possibly even pointing me to a resource to find such a script to generate those 3D shapes, I'd be extremely appreciative.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Regards, Terrence.

Wk1 - Mandelbox Test Render

Ever since watching Duncan Brinsmead's video, I've been fascinated by the Mandelbrot Set, and the subsequent Mandelbulb and the newest Mandelbox.

I found a very old program called Mandelbulber...  I rendered out something simple... not bad really...

For Reference:

1979 Mandelbrot Set (Benoît Mandelbrot) - zn+1 = zn2 + c

2007 Mandelbulb (Daniel White and Paul Nylander) - See The Unravelling of the Real 3D Mandelbulb for details.


2010 Mandelbox (Tom Lowe) See What is a Mandelbox for more detail, particularly the gallery.