The Fairly Official Fractint V20 Bug Report Page

Version 20 is great but....

Welcome to the fairly official Fractint beta bug report page. This page exists as a forum for reporting bugs in the latest Fractint beta, we're sorry you had to come here but if you tell us your woes we'll do our best to sort things out.

It's in the form of a list like this so that repeat reports can be avoided thus letting the team get on with fixing things rather than fending off a squillion different emails all reporting something that's been fixed already.

So PLEASE Read through the list before adding to it and don't add anything unless it is new.

As bugs are fixed with a new release they will be removed from here so before you jump in do make sure that you're using the latest version.
The lastest version is V20.00 released on: 09/09/99 and can be obtained here

It is imperative that we get as much information as possible in the bug reports as we can't fix anything properly if we can't reproduce the bug. Your reports should contain the following information:

The operating system in use (windows 95/98,NT,OS/2,dos).

The class of CPU you are using (386,486, Pentium, PentiumPro/II, AMD, Cyrix).

For video faults, the make and model of your video card.

Whether the fault occurs every time or intermittantly.

As detailed a description of the symptoms as possible.

Details of any settings in your sstool.ini file

Perhaps paste in a par entry that will reproduce the fault. (to save space don't record colours).

Try different fractal types to see if the problem occurs with all of them, tell us what happened.

Try different resolutions, does it still happen?

If you're using some flavor of windows try rebooting in dos mode, does this cure it?

Do please fill in the email address part of the form so we can get in touch if necessary.

Thankyou!
One final reminder, this is a list for BUGS in the current beta release of fractint, if you wish to request a feature then go over to the FractInt Wishlist where we'll be all too pleased to give your ideas a look over once we've got this version sorted out.






Gregory J. McClure in Windows 98 at 5:58:47 Saturday October 16 99

Same problem mentioned below was duplicated in Windows 98, running MSDOS window.
Used different resolutions, same results.  Many of my formulas work just fine
when I combine them with ISMAND, so it seems to have something to do with the
particular formula I used here.  I can supply other examples if needed.


Gregory J. McClure in Windows NT4 at 20:10:56 Friday October 15 99

;I believe the following is a bug using ISMAND.  Here are three formulas, the
;first two work fine.  Tried to combine them into a single formula using ISMAND.
;using parameters .3, .6, 2, 0, 2, 0, zero, log, ismand=no, I get blue screen.
;Using .3, .6, 2, 0, 2, 0, zero, log in non-ismand formula I get standard J set
;for (.3, .6) as expected.  In other words, it works standalone, it fails as
;combined formula using ISMAND...

GregsMndlE4 {; Š1998,1999 Greg McClure
; p1 = offset, p2 = multiplier, p3 = cutoff
; p1 = 0/0, p2 = 2/0, p3 = 2/0, fn1/fn2 = zero/log = standard Mandelbrot
  z = p1 + Pixel:
   z = exp(fn1(z) + p2 * fn2(z)) + Pixel,
   |z| <= |p3|
  }

GregsJulE4 {; Š1998,1999 Greg McClure
; p1 = point, p2 = multiplier, p3 = cutoff
; p2 = 2/0, p3 = 2/0, fn1/fn2 = zero/log = standard Julia for point p1
  z = Pixel, z = exp(fn1(z) + p2 * fn2(z)) + p1:
   z = exp(fn1(z) + p2 * fn2(z)) + p1,
   |z| <= |p3|
  }

GregsE4 {; Š1998,1999 Greg McClure
; p1 = offset, p2 = multiplier, p3 = cutoff
; p1 = 0/0, p2 = 2/0, p3 = 2/0, fn1/fn2 = zero/log = standard Mandelbrot
; p2 = 2/0, p3 = 2/0, fn1/fn2 = zero/log = standard Julia for point p1 (ismand=no)
  IF(ismand)
   z = p1 + Pixel
  ELSE
   z = Pixel, z = exp(fn1(z) + p2 * fn2(z)) + p1
  ENDIF
  :
   IF(ismand)
    z = exp(fn1(z) + p2 * fn2(z)) + Pixel
   ELSE
    z = exp(fn1(z) + p2 * fn2(z)) + p1
   ENDIF,
    |z| <= |p3|
  }


Jerome K in MS/DOS at 13:25:38 Sunday October 10 99

Hi!

I have a problem using the new Fractint 20.0:

I used to run FractInt 19.6 in DOS from Windows 95, not the DOS-Box, but by pressing F8 before Windows started. I used the video-mode 'Diamond Stealth V64 mode' 1600x1200x256. The new version tells me this mode is not available. What have I done wrong? I tried the mode Shift-F7 (1024x768) which doesn't work either. On FractInt 19.6, the two modes still work.

CPU: Pentium 166 MHz
Video card: S3 Inc. Trio64V2

Please help me. Thank you in advance,

J.K., 10.10.1999.


Bill Rossi in Windows 95 DOS Box at 1:33:23 Thursday October 7 99

I have tracked down the cause of the problem I posted here on 10/3.  My sstools.ini file was set up to start Fractint with video mode SF3.  This mode has been reassigned to SF6 in v.20.  Once the bad video setting was initiated, nothing could undo it.  I have now changed sstools.ini to SF6 and color-cycling, etc works fine.  Sorry.


Shane Millar in MS/DOS at 15:58:42 Wednesday October 6 99

No matter what parameters I use, I always end up with a plain , sky blue .tga out put file when using full colour mode for 3d transformations. I have tried a variety of parameters, resolutions and various other voilent acts. 

Running an IBM Thinkpad 720 EL with Pentium 120 and 24 mb ram. Graphics chipset is Trident I think. 

P.S. the evolver is excellent.


Thore Berntsen in Windows NT4 at 7:0:24 Wednesday October 6 99

Dosen't the truecolor=yes option work anymore? I have tested it with the default Mandelbrot set and a Julia image. When I open the ITERATES.TGA file in Paint Shop Pro I get a single color (ligth blue) image. If I do the same thing in version 19.6 I get the blue shaded image I expect.


Bill Rossi in Windows 95 DOS Box at 14:7:12 Sunday October 3 99

I've been having a problem with the color palette when using Evolver.  Once I select one of the Evolver images and hit "B" to leave Evolver, the color palette will only access the first line in either "C" color cycling mode or "E" editing mode. The rest of the rows of colors stay frozen. I thought that maybe it was reverting to a 16-color palette, but changing the resolution, etc. does not make the problem go away.


Frank Bunce in MS/DOS at 17:57:10 Saturday October 2 99

I wrote before reading, please cancel mine of October, 01, 1999


Rudolf Guhl in MS/DOS at 9:27:18 Saturday October 2 99

AMD K6-II 400, MS-DOS 6.22, 64MB RAM: IFS and L-systems crash in disk video mode with more than 2048 pixels. In black-white disk video mode, Fractint saves garbled GIF's when more than 2048 pixels per line. 


Frank Bunce in MS/DOS at 14:54:17 Friday October 1 99

2+ second time delay switching from graphics to text screen.  For example: Build fractal then press   to view image parameters or   for main menu or numerous other cases.  Fault mosst likely mine since this code running on my old 486 has essentially 0 sec delay whereas on my "New" PIII 500, the delay is at leat 2 seconds......


Les St Clair in Windows 95 DOS Box at 1:30:16 Monday September 27 99

Evolver - restoring saved images bug?
When I save a screen of evolver thumbnails (@1600x1200) sometimes the restored image starts mutating all over again and there is no chance of getting back to any of the saved images! This happens to about one in four of the evolver screens that I save.


Tresa Stillwell in Windows 98 at 4:55:59 Friday September 17 99

I have dowloaded/unzipped the Fractal 20.0 onto my computer but when I click on any of the .exe files to install it tells methat the programs/appilcation needed to open/install can not be found.  How do I get this program to install and run.  I have a program called Fractalz on my computer now, is this the same program.  When I click on properties to see what verius it is or more info. it does not tell me anything.  But the images look at little like the image on the fractal home page.  Please email me with how to open and run this program.  Thanks Tresa.


Bob Margolis in MS/DOS at 5:7:54 Thursday September 16 99

Color cycling does occasionally does not work.
Was working on a z=z^3+c fractal. Color cycling
worked in the beginning, but after a few zoom-ins
it froze. Hitting escape allowed the fractal to
continue computing. Could only change colors by
taking a small paint brush and a set of water color
paints and dabbing in the colors I wanted on the
video monitor.


Bill Rossi in Windows 95 DOS Box at 2:50:49 Tuesday September 14 99

This formula does not seem to work the same way in 2.0 as it did in 19.6.  Try this to see the difference.  I can't find any pattern.  I've found just a few formulas that aren't behaving the same under 2.0.

IfElse09 (yaxis) {; adapted from R. Barnett's formula
          ;by Bill Rossi
z = 0, c =b=pixel, w=0:
if(w), 
   z =fn1(z*z) / fn2(c) +b,
   c = (c/fn3(z)) + z,
   z = c / fn4(z),
    w=0,
else,   z = z + c,
    c = fn1(c),
   b = fn2(b),
   z = (z+c+b),
   z = fn3(z)+z,
   z = b/c + fn4(z),  
   w=w+1, endif
   |z| <= 4
}

AbstrctS           { ; Bill Rossi
  reset=1960 type=formula formulafile=bill2.frm formulaname=IfElse09
  function=cotan/acosh/conj/asin passes=1
  center-mag=-0.446207/0.754573/23.12636/1/0/-12.042 float=y
  potential=256/200/1 periodicity=0
  colors=000zzz huxrxy defcdecdebcdbbc LGHNJL mvx XTYUOUUOU TRWTRWTRWTRWTRW QSWPTXQTY fZk
  }

I have a Pentium II 233 mHz.


Morgan L. Owens in Windows 95 DOS Box at 12:15:21 Monday September 13 99

Also occurs in DOS Mode. Fractint's running on a Pentium.

To reproduce the fault, run the evolver on the Circle type with Alt-2
or higher mutation. It may get a few variants off, but hangs before too long,
apparently hitting a nasty set of parameters/settings. The problem appears to
be independent of video mode or resolution. I haven't been able to infer the
parameters/setting it's choking on, so there is the possibility that this may
occur in viewwindows also.

If any of the entries turn out to be relevant, here's my sstools.ini file:
--8<--
[fractint]
video=SF9
type=Mandel
maxiter=1023
inside=255
passes=b
cyclelimit=255
float=yes
textsafe=save
periodicity=no
formulafile=D:\fractint\formula\fractint.frm
parmfile=D:\fractint\par\fractint.par
map=D:\fractint\map\default.map
--8<--
(Actually, it's video=F8, but I've a makefcfg-built .cfg; SF9 is equiv.)

(I feel a bit exposed. Is this the _first_ bug of the list? How embarrassing)


Robin Bussell in MS/DOS at 11:55:18 Monday September 13 99

Fractal type 'test' is broken and just produces a blue screen in any resolution.
Problem has been traced to a duplicate variable name in the code.