Tutorial - the making of "Lords of Arrakis" -- Part 5

Galleries Fractal Gifts

Ultra Fractal Tutorial - The Making of "Lords of Arrakis"

Part 5. Creating the "nearby planet" layer.

Pages in Part 5:
1. Preparation and assessment.
2. Create new layer.
3. Apply Clipping transformation.
4. Adjust location.
5. Rotate gradient.
6. Adjust opacity.

Layers Chart: Click to view.
Tutorial Map: Click to view.

Page 5. Rotate gradient.


Step 8. Rotate Gradient A gradient is a gradation of color from one hue to another, and can encompass many color changes. Ultra Fractal coloring algorithms assign colors located at various places on the layer's color gradient to points in the fractal image contained in that layer. Ultra Fractal provides a control to "rotate" the gradient; that is, to slide the colors as a single, overall unit, left or right, with wrapping as the end is encountered, in a functional rotation. This can have profound effects on the colored image.
	A.	Here's a picture of the gradient file that is used to color the "nearby planet" layer at its current stage of development. You can see the rotation slider, labeled ("A"), in this illustration, and the show/hide controls button, labeled ("B"), which alternately shows and hides the numerical color controls. If no controls are showing below the rotation slider, click on the show/hide controls button. Here's the same gradient after clicking B in the previous illustration to cause it to show, controls, including a numerical value for the rotation: "199".
	B.	Click on the Gradient button in the Ultra Fractal main menu. This will cause the Gradient Editor to appear. If the numerical controls are not showing on the Gradient Editor, click on the show/hide controls button. Type the number, "160", into the "Rotation" parameter, as shown below, to get the rotated gradient shown below, which is the final gradient for the "nearby planet" layer. Close the image by clicking on the Close button in the upper right corner of the Gradient Editor. The image should now look like this:

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	© 2005 Troy R. Bishop