View fractals as a relief map.

What do you need ?
Gimp and G'mic plugin

First create a new blank image size 800*600.
Make a radial gradient black center to white around.

duplicate layer and name the layer as fracta
fractalize layer fracta

duplicate layer fracta and name the new as smooth
dream smoothing on layer smooth set on mode multiply

duplicate fracta rename this new layer as desaturate
desaturate this layer option luminosity

duplicate desaturate layer and name new layer as bump map
filter - mapping - bump map with image . (i don't have english version not sure it's this name)
parameters sinusoidal - azimut 135-elevation 30- depth 14

Now as an option :
duplicate layer bum map and name new layer as raindrops
filter raindrops on this layer

Add a blank layer mask on it
Try to remove raindrops on higher relief with a black brush
Apply mask when you're satisfied


Enjoy Gimp and G'mic filters !

Fran6

Francis,
a couple of examples, taking hint from your post

steps:
- gimp: gradient BW (one as you said, the other one inverted)
- gmic: fractalize
- gmic: boost chromaticity
- gmic: graphic boost
- gimp: emboss




personally I don't liker too much dream smoothing (which is very much appreciated -I know- by a lot of people)

Nice dinasset, it's a more colored method. You have punched the palette. My idea was to preserve the palette of the fractalize script in order to have a map resemblance. Your planet is much more colorful

I have not played with fractals much yet, so I thought I would try this too. But I obviously made a mistake somewhere, so then I just decided to BRL the resulting modified fractal.



I will though have another try at both of these prescribed 'fractal relief' approaches later. Thanks for this info Fran6 and Dinasset.

EDIT ... tried again with your approach Fran6 and a much better result this time which I really like, so thank you again ...

Well done oldmangrumpy, your work is really nice. The BRL method is cool and seems to be promising as I saw in Wallace's topic.
One word on your second output. The relief effect is good.
It's often difficult to choose colors for a relief. For example, white seems to be a very good solution for mountains pixels. But someone else could prefer a different choice in order to use white for another thing.
As to me a good way to make a choice would be a smart palette tool.

I like them all! Fractals are cool.
Good job everyone

Well done sallyanne ! It appears to me as an organic thing. Amazing one !

@Fran6 - Je suis totalement surpris par les différents résultats qui peuvent être obtenus de cette merveilleuse technique ; je vous remercie beaucoup!

I have been experimenting this morning with various different tweaks - and being still a recent starter with GIMP I am just amazed at the differing possible outcomes.







Merci encore!!

Sally, OMG, very nice outcomes!

Wow - for some time I have been 'hooked' on Wallace's BRL thread and Dinasset's wood-carve script thread; now I am hooked on your fractal thread Fran6 - two more attempts ... endless possibilities!

@Oldmangrumpy You've done excellent outcomes !
if you want a more extreme experience with fractals, i suggest you have a look on this link :
http://www.apophysis.org/downloads.html

Hope you'll enjoy !

Another one with some modifications.
Used relief filter
Added some colors with a layer in mode superposition.

Still far from perfect but i like new colors around the center.

Another good result Fran6 - you really have me 'chasing my tail' right now, I just cannot stop creating fractals. Its particularly interesting to see what a few tweaks can do also to the initial result.







Thank you again for initially providing the tut on how to create these types of images. Merry Xmas.

OMG, your outcomes are wonderful! Merry Chistmas to you!

@Fran6 - I took Xmas day off from exploring GIMP and your approach to fractals, but today the more I explore/play with differing initial image setups, the more excited I am getting about this method and the potential outcomes!

For example ...

And you said that I never sleep, on the contrary OMG.

@Wallace - yes I have been eating, drinking and sleeping GIMP for 3 months now; a nourishing diet and a great lifestyle for us retirees!

@Fran6 - more explorations extending the technique with multiple selection based fractals merged for the final images.

Very nice outcomes Oldmangrumpy ! Now it's time for you to explain us how you do this
Btw it's the first time I can see a graphic fractals addiction

@Fran6 - yes I am still addicted, learning and trying to extend my capabilities with all these fabulous tools to use. Here are a few more of the many I have created over the last few days, all initially based on your approach, then added to or tweaked a bit!! You wanted me to explain what I do with them so here goes.



In 'southpole' I re-bumped the fractal outcome with the original blend image I used to create the fractal relief, then I over layed that original image too.



In wine & cheese I used line art images and created fractals for each selection plus the background and merged the lot.





For this one I used a lion image, did separate fractals for it and the background then overlayed the lion fractal with the original line art image to which I applied a Samj (GMIC) texture.

Hope you like them.