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Show HN: Evolving fractals with genetic algorithms

42 points by atum47 7y ago

gus_massa 7y ago
Live version https://victorribeiro.com/randomFractal/ https://victorribeiro.com/randomFractal/ (it is linked somewhere, but it is easy to miss) Perhaps you can add a little more info about each fractal. One is the trunk and the other the general structure? Most of the examples of the live version are not nice, I have to click 5 or 10 times to get a nice one. Is it possible t generate 9 of them in a 3x3 grid or something, so I can choose the one I like better? Is it possible to add a permalink to the trees I get, something like https://victorribeiro.com/randomFractal/?a=3.24&b=2.73&c=-6,2$d=1.0 https://victorribeiro.com/randomFractal/?a=3.24&b=2.73&c=-6,...
- atum47 7y ago
  well, you just described what was my plan all along. To generate a population of fractals and have the user being the evaluate function (genetic algorithm) giving each new fractal a fitness score based on aesthetic. I just have been so busy lately with my job and a game I released that I just stop the project right where is at. tonight and this weekend I'll give some more attention to it .
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
atum47 7y ago
I have just updated the README with a picture from parentA and parentB, the ones I'm using on to cross fractals.
- fogleman 7y ago
  You should explain what kinds of fractals these are (are they L-systems?) and how you go about crossing them.
  - atum47 7y ago
    I'm kinda promoting the book playing with chaos, I think people would learn better from it. Anyways, here's a link to a video from the author himself https://youtu.be/e0JaZuLfZ_0 https://youtu.be/e0JaZuLfZ_0
  - danwills 7y ago
    It's IFS (Iterated Function Systems): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterated_function_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterated_function_system IFS uses a set of affine transformations (translation, scale, rotation and shear, which can each be represented by a single matrix, and in the 2d case you can think of them as a set of rectangles/parallelograms). IFS are most often drawn by starting from a random location and then repeatedly selecting a random transform from the set, applying it to the previous position and then drawing a dot at the new position. You can also generate all the locations first (yielding a point-cloud) and then rasterize them to make an image. The same idea applies using 3d affine transforms with almost no extra effort. I think this is what Richard 'doc' Bailey (may he rest in peace) may have been doing in his awesome 'image savant/spore' work. Flame fractals (electric sheep) extended the same idea with non-linear transformations, and coloring methods to great effect! There is also some cool formulas in the isosurface-based 3d-fractal scene (one is called 'Kaleidoscopic IFS') where the drawing method is (of course) very different but the underlying repeated-transformation principle is the same. Indeed most kinds of fractals can be thought of in the same way: Repeatedly apply some geometric transformation or deformation (or synthesis in the case of 'fractal noise') in feedback.
quantified 7y ago
Nice, keep it going.
atum47 7y ago
Well, I end up implementing the thing I was originally thinking about and the project is awesome now. I was able to create beautiful fractals from the crossing of two. There's room for improvement and I'll implement the ability to view and share the rules that generate the fractals
- atum47 7y ago
  the ones on the left, that you select, will be added to the mating pool and will have a chance to reproduce on the next generation
atum47 7y ago
I've made a video showing the project and how it works: https://youtu.be/CBHweO03WqI https://youtu.be/CBHweO03WqI
DEADBEEFC0FFEE 7y ago
I have not heard much about Generic Algorithms for years. Oddly, this morning I saw a book on my shelf which I thought I might revisit, An Introduction to Genetic Algorithms. Are they called something else these days?
- atum47 7y ago
  since they are classified as AI, the GA being a search algorithm, they call it AI. "AI learns how to play game" usually is a neural network evolving through GA
atum47 7y ago
Hi everyone, I've pushed a cool update where you can view, render, adjust the zoom and the resolution of the selected fractals. You can learn more about it on my short video: https://youtu.be/DY5Me5hiQOc https://youtu.be/DY5Me5hiQOc Anyways, have a nice time creating your very own fractals.
atum47 7y ago
I got a Straight Barnsley fern. https://imgur.com/a/7E1zDIx https://imgur.com/a/7E1zDIx
atum47 7y ago
if there's anyone following this thread, I was laid off work due to covid-19, so, I'm available to work on fun projects. My email is on my profile. God bless us all on this trying times.

42 points by atum47 7y ago

Live version https://victorribeiro.com/randomFractal/ https://victorribeiro.com/randomFractal/ (it is linked somewhere, but it is easy to miss) Perhaps you can add a little more info about each fractal. One is the trunk and the other the general structure? Most of the examples of the live version are not nice, I have to click 5 or 10 times to get a nice one. Is it possible t generate 9 of them in a 3x3 grid or something, so I can choose the one I like better? Is it possible to add a permalink to the trees I get, something like https://victorribeiro.com/randomFractal/?a=3.24&b=2.73&c=-6,2$d=1.0 https://victorribeiro.com/randomFractal/?a=3.24&b=2.73&c=-6,...

atum47 7y ago
well, you just described what was my plan all along. To generate a population of fractals and have the user being the evaluate function (genetic algorithm) giving each new fractal a fitness score based on aesthetic. I just have been so busy lately with my job and a game I released that I just stop the project right where is at. tonight and this weekend I'll give some more attention to it .
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

atum47 7y ago

I have just updated the README with a picture from parentA and parentB, the ones I'm using on to cross fractals.

fogleman 7y ago
You should explain what kinds of fractals these are (are they L-systems?) and how you go about crossing them.
- atum47 7y ago
  I'm kinda promoting the book playing with chaos, I think people would learn better from it. Anyways, here's a link to a video from the author himself https://youtu.be/e0JaZuLfZ_0 https://youtu.be/e0JaZuLfZ_0
- danwills 7y ago
  It's IFS (Iterated Function Systems): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterated_function_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterated_function_system IFS uses a set of affine transformations (translation, scale, rotation and shear, which can each be represented by a single matrix, and in the 2d case you can think of them as a set of rectangles/parallelograms). IFS are most often drawn by starting from a random location and then repeatedly selecting a random transform from the set, applying it to the previous position and then drawing a dot at the new position. You can also generate all the locations first (yielding a point-cloud) and then rasterize them to make an image. The same idea applies using 3d affine transforms with almost no extra effort. I think this is what Richard 'doc' Bailey (may he rest in peace) may have been doing in his awesome 'image savant/spore' work. Flame fractals (electric sheep) extended the same idea with non-linear transformations, and coloring methods to great effect! There is also some cool formulas in the isosurface-based 3d-fractal scene (one is called 'Kaleidoscopic IFS') where the drawing method is (of course) very different but the underlying repeated-transformation principle is the same. Indeed most kinds of fractals can be thought of in the same way: Repeatedly apply some geometric transformation or deformation (or synthesis in the case of 'fractal noise') in feedback.

quantified 7y ago

Nice, keep it going.

atum47 7y ago

Well, I end up implementing the thing I was originally thinking about and the project is awesome now. I was able to create beautiful fractals from the crossing of two. There's room for improvement and I'll implement the ability to view and share the rules that generate the fractals

atum47 7y ago
the ones on the left, that you select, will be added to the mating pool and will have a chance to reproduce on the next generation

atum47 7y ago

I've made a video showing the project and how it works: https://youtu.be/CBHweO03WqI https://youtu.be/CBHweO03WqI

DEADBEEFC0FFEE 7y ago

I have not heard much about Generic Algorithms for years. Oddly, this morning I saw a book on my shelf which I thought I might revisit, An Introduction to Genetic Algorithms. Are they called something else these days?

atum47 7y ago
since they are classified as AI, the GA being a search algorithm, they call it AI. "AI learns how to play game" usually is a neural network evolving through GA

atum47 7y ago

Hi everyone, I've pushed a cool update where you can view, render, adjust the zoom and the resolution of the selected fractals. You can learn more about it on my short video: https://youtu.be/DY5Me5hiQOc https://youtu.be/DY5Me5hiQOc Anyways, have a nice time creating your very own fractals.

atum47 7y ago

I got a Straight Barnsley fern. https://imgur.com/a/7E1zDIx https://imgur.com/a/7E1zDIx

atum47 7y ago

if there's anyone following this thread, I was laid off work due to covid-19, so, I'm available to work on fun projects. My email is on my profile. God bless us all on this trying times.