Fractal Fashion
Rendering Julia sets in C and SDL
This C/SDL based Julia set renderer procedurally generates complex fractals by iteratively evaluating
z(n+1) = z(n)^2 + c over a discretized complex plane, where each pixel maps to a unique complex coordinate. The escape-time algorithm
determines divergence (|z| > 2) to produce self-similar, topologically rich structures, while iteration counts are converted via a custom
HSL→RGB pipeline in C to yield smooth, vivid gradients enhancing perceptual detail.
Direct pixel buffer manipulation
with SDL_UpdateTexture ensures efficient GPU rasterization, and optimizations such as cache-coherent memory layout,
branch-prediction-aware loops, and double-precision arithmetic preserve accuracy during deep zooms, enabling
real-time exploration of intricate fractal patterns.
click to see enlarged photos
Zoomed in views of statically generated Julias
Mouse interaction for dynamic Julia sets (if videos aren’t loading, catbox.moe may be temporarily down. Please try again in a few hours)