Creating videos

Saving videos

Use Save Video option from the action menu to open the Video menu. This feature is not available on the devices with Android versions earlier than 6.

NOTE: you are free to use the videos generated with the app for any purpose.

NOTE: zoom and transition videos may also include color animation.

After selecting the video type, you will be asked to set the video options described in the following sections. Then use the START button at the top on the screen to start rendering the video.

While rendering, the app shows a preview of the current frame, progress, and the estimated time remaining (after 15 seconds, if it takes more than 30 seconds). The remaining time estimation may be inaccurate, but it should at least give you some idea of how long it will take. When the image is particularly complex and it takes a long time to render a single frame, the app shows the progress of the current frame as a bar at the top of the frame preview image.

You may use the photo button to save the image of the current frame.

When the video is ready, the app saves it to your device's default video folder and displays the file name. The video filename is MandelBrowser_<date_time>.mp4 (eg. MandelBrowser_210217_181501.mp4).

You can use the STOP button to break video rendering before the end. In this case the finished part will be saved.

Common video options

The options described below are available for all video types.

The default values for all options are most recently used values. It also applies to the options specific to the video type.

Resolution

Choose from available video resolutions from 144p up to 1080p.

Making 144p videos is freely available. Unlock Premium to use higher resolutions.

Select Custom resolution and tap the image size (where icon will appear) to enter your preferred image size in pixels. The size is limited to 2160 (1080 on Android versions earlier than 7). The size may be further limited by the capabilities of the device's embedded video codec.

Aspect ratio for the Custom resolution is limited to between 2:1 and 1:2.

Aspect ratio

When using a built-in resolution, choose from the available aspect ratio values. The options are 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 16:9, 4:5, 3:4, and 9:16.

Frame rate

Choose from the available video frame rate values from 24 fps to 60 fps.

Quality

Choose the video quality.

The app automatically calculates and displays the bitrate basing on the quality and resolution selected. The estimated video size is also displayed.

You can change this setting only in the Premium mode.

Supersampling

Choose from the available Supersampling options.

Using supersampling optimization may be a good choice, as any remaining inaccuracies are unlikely to be seen in the video.

Duration

The app displays the predicted zoom video duration.

For a palette flow video and a transition video, you can set the desired duration.

Fade-in, Fade-out

Select the length of the fade-in and fade-out effects for the video.

Elevation

The app automatically scales the elevation used for computing light. This may cause undesirable changes in lighting during a video when you use Light 1 or Light 2 mode. You can select one of the following options to get the result you prefer.

Palette flow video options

NOTE: palette flow options are available for all video types.

NOTE: in the Advanced mode, you can set palette flow options separately for the fractal's exterior and interior (not when applying the same paint settings for both the exterior and interior).

NOTE: the palette flow options are not available for the area (the exterior and the interior) where a photo paint mode is used.

Palette flow

Select the color flow direction.

Speed

Select the color flow rate in palette cycles per second. The lower the value, the faster palette flow. The value of 0.2 cycle/s means, that one complete cycle takes 5 seconds.

Duration

Select the video duration from the available presets: 10, 20, 30, and 60 seconds.

The available speeds and durations are matched so that the video will contain complete cycles and can be played seamlessly in a loop.

NOTE: for zoom and transition videos there is not separate palette flow duration option.

Zoom video options

Initial / target zoom

Set the initial zoom factor (for a zoom-in video to the current location) or the target zoom factor (for a zoom-out video starting at the current location). The default value is the fractal default zoom factor, or the fractal minimum zoom factor if the location zoom factor is equal to or less.

When creating another video for the same spot (same fractal type, coordinates, and zoom factor), the app proposes a previously used value by default.

Zoom speed

Select the zoom speed from the available presets, or the custom option to provide your own value.

The higher the value, the faster zoom, and the shorter a video. The value of x2.0/s means, that the zoom scale changes by a factor of 2.0 in one second.

Approach

Choose whether and how the zoom speed will decrease when approaching the end of the video.

Scaling

Choose whether the app should generate an image for each video frame, or use one for several frames to reduce the rendering time. You can select one of the following options.

Transition video options

Both the start point of the transition video and the end point must use the same:

• fractal type,
• paint modes,
• palettes,
• photos,
• light mode,
• image filter,
• palette auto adjust setting (on or off),
• Julia mode setting (on or off),
• detail level mode or iteration limit mode.

This may seem limiting, but there are actually many settings left that may have different values in the start and end locations:

• coordinates,
• zoom factor,
• image rotation angle and stretching factor,
• fractal parameters including detail level, iteration limit value, and Julia X / Y values in the Julia mode,
• paint mode parameters including the palette length and offset,
• light parameters,
• image filter parameters.

When the value of a specific parameter differs between the start and end locations, the app interpolates its value during the video. When the parameter uses logarithmic scale on the scrollbar, the interpolation will also use logarithmic scale.

If there is a difference in the palette offset, the app interpolates its value by taking the shorter path. This means that interpolation from 0.2 to 0.8 will go over 0.

Rotation

Select the rotation direction. This option is available only if the transition target has rotation angle different than the transition starting point.

The default value takes the shorter path. When you change the value, the app will use your selection the next time you create transition video for the same start and target locations (same fractal, coordinates, zoom and rotation angle).

Motion

You can choose the movement pattern from the available presets including linear motion, harmonic motion, and other less usual options. The app displays a small chart illustrating the outcome of the chosen option.

Back and forth

Set this option to create a transition video from the selected start to the target, and back to the start. This may be useful for creating videos that can be played in a loop.

Duration

Set the video duration from 1 to 500 seconds.

Advanced video settings

Advanced video settings are available in the app's settings.

There is usually no need to use them unless you encounter problems creating your video.

Encoder

Some devices have more than one video encoder. This option allows you to choose one. The maximum bitrate for each encoder is displayed.

By default, the application uses the first available encoder, but it may turn out that another one will give better results.

Color format

Choose the color format of the images delivered to the video encoder. Typically, the default value of "RGB888" should work properly.

NOTE: The "RGB888 hardware accelerated" option can only speed up a video encoder, not fractal generation. Do not expect that selecting this option will significantly reduce your video creation time.

Tips

Quick preview

Using low resolution (144p or 240p) can be a good choice for creating video preview quickly, just to make sure that the selected parameters produce a result that meets your expectations. After that you can run the video creator again with the desired resolution.

Rendering 144p video can be over 50 times faster than 1080p video, and over 1500 times faster than 1080p video with 5x5 supersampling.

Shape morphing videos

Using the Transition video option, you can create a video showing the changing shape of the fractal.

To achieve this you need to set the transition start, change the value of one ore more fractal or paint mode parameters, and then save the transition video.

Some examples are listed below:

• the Power parameter of the Generalized FP Mandelbrot fractal,
• any fractal parameter with "shape" in its name (e.g. the Shape parameter of the Newton 2 fractal),
• Julia X/Y parameters of any fractal in the Julia mode,
• the Radius parameter of any orbit trap paint mode (e.g. Round pearls),
• the Phase parameter of any multiple shape orbit trap paint mode (e.g. Round pearls or Photo pearls).

Important notes:

• Changing the value of a parameter which is an integer number may lead to lack of smoothness.
• A small change in a parameter value may lead to a large change of he resulting image (especially at large zoom). You can use fine tuning to precisely change parameters values.

Zoom videos with image filter

You can make your zoom video more attractive by applying an image filter. The Water and the Warp filters are particularly suitable for this.

It applies also to transition videos with a change of coordinates between the start and end locations.

Image filter parameter transitions

A good way to make a nice transition video is to change only the value of an image filter parameter.

The parameters particularly suitable for this are listed below:

• the Tilt parameter of the Kaleidoscope filter,
• the Phase parameter of the Tunnel filter,
• the Wave phase parameter of the Water, Waves and Circular waves filters,
• the Curl phase parameter of the Whirl filter,
• the Rotation phase parameter of the Whirl filter (note that by setting the Speed and Curl parameters to zero, you can create a simple rotation video much quicker than using the image rotation, and you will be able to aply more than one full rotation).

To make your video more attractive, you can combine changing image filter parameters with shifting, zooming or rotating the image.

NOTE: A transition video will be rendered very quickly if you change only image filter parameters between the start and the end transition points. This is because in such a case there is no need to recalculate the fractal between subsequent frames.

Videos playable in a loop

If you need a video that can be played seamlessly in a loop, you can use one of the following:

• a palette flow video,
• a transition video with Back and forth option selected,
• a transition video changing the value of a parameter that makes one or more cycles (e.g the Rotation parameter of the Whirl filter or the Phase parameter of any multiple shape orbit trap paint mode).

NOTE: if you want a transition video with Back and forth option and palette flow to play smoothly in a loop, you need to ensure that the video duration is a multiple of the palette flow cycle time (e.g. for palette speed 0.2 the cycle time is 5s, so select a video duration of 5s, 10s, 15s, etc.)

Troubleshooting

Rendering fails or produces empty or broken video

If your video rendering fails or produces a completely black or broken video, you may try the following:

• changing the advanced video settings,
• changing the Resolution, Frame rate, or Quality video options (it may happen that a video encoder fails if too low or too high value is provided).

Rendering takes a lot of time

The time required for rendering a video depends mostly on how long it takes to render a single image, which can take from less than a second (for a simple image) to 30 seconds or even more (for a complex image with high iteration count and complex fractal formula). Thus for 30 seconds video with 30 fps, you need 900 images, and that can take one hour, if a single image takes 4 seconds. If the supersampling is used, it could be much worse.

Fortunately, there are several ways to get your video created faster:

• Select locations that render fast, especially with low iteration count. Turn on the status bar to be able to check the iteration count range for your current spot. Try to limit the iteration count.
• Try palette flow videos without Supersampling are created quickly as there is no need to recalulate the fractal for every frame. The same applies to transition videos changing only image filter parameters (even with Supersampling).
• Use Scaling for zoom videos.
• If you really need Supersampling, use a low value (e.g. 2x2) with optimization enabled (any remaining inaccuracies are unlikely to be seen in the video).
• Use quick preview..

Poor video quality

If your video has poor quality, you may try the following:

• check the Resolution and Quality video options, too low values may result in poor video quality.
• check if changing the advanced video settings can help.

No smoothness in transition video

A transition video may lack smoothness if there is a change in the value of a parameter which is an integer number (e.g. the Power parameter of the Generalized Mandelbrot fractal or the Interation limit). An integer, by its nature, cannot move smoothly to the next value.

Some parameters are integer for performance or floating point precision reasons. In such cases, you can create your own custom version of a fractal or paint mode and change a parameter type to DOUBLE. The images may render slower, and you may experience quality loss at certain zoom, but you should be able to make a smooth transition.

Colors flicker in transition or zoom video

Colors may be unstable in zoom and transition videos for locations using palette Auto adjusting. This problem is partially alleviated for zoom videos using the Scaling option.

Another reason for flickering may be that the Elevation is set to "Current frame", so try using "First frame" or "Moving average".