What is the latest version of Apophysis? (as at )

Well, the last "official" release of Apophysis was version 2.02. However, for a long time now, Apophysis has been further developed and upgraded with new functions over at Sourceforge, with the latest beta release being v2.08beta.

My suggestion is that once you understand the basics of Apo 2.02 then download the latest beta version. (This is the exe. file.) It is vastly improved and updated. I find it to be very stable and once you understand the basics of Apophysis 2.02, the beta version is the one you should be using.

Just a word of advice:

Download the official 2.02 release first. This can be found at www.apophysis.org. Then download the the 2.08 beta version (which is just an executable file ie. Apophysis2.08beta.exe) into the main Apophysis folder. (The same applies to other versions of Apophysis too.) Make shortcuts from the .exe files to your desktop. Typically this is what the paths look like

C:\Program Files\Apophysis 2.0\Apophysis.exe
C:\Program Files\Apophysis 2.0\Apophysis208.exe
C:\Program Files\Apophysis 2.0\Apophysis206_3DHack.exe

Are there other versions of Apophysis available?

Yes there are. In particular the Apophysis 2.06c 3D hack which you can download here from SourceForge. There are some fantastic scripts that only work with this version so its a great one to have.

I have other versions as well, but will have to track down where I downloaded these from and their differences. When I do this I will post them here.

Is there an Apophysis version for Mac and Linux users?

Yes! Read all about it here at DeviantArt under the "Announcements" section.

What are plugins?

Quite simply, plugins are "add ons" for Apophysis versions 2.06 or higher. They add on to the already built in "variations" in Apophysis. You will see them under "Variations" in the top menu and also in the "trend" dropdown list in the "Mutation" dialogue box.

To install plugins, you need to make a new folder in the Apophysis directory. Call this new folder "Plugins". Depending upon the Apophysis directory name, the path should look something like this.

C:\Program files\Apophysis 2.0\Plugins

Then go to SourceForge to get your plugins. Unzip them and place the plugins (which are .dll files) in the "Plugin" folder you made earlier.

A word of warning:

There is a limit as to how many plugins can be placed in the folder. Too many and Apophysis will crash! You can have up to 30 plugins but this does vary to a lesser number for some people. My advice is to make another folder to store all your plugin dll files, then just drag over 1 or 2 into the Plugin folder and see if you like them. Just keep the ones you like. In my experience, the more plugins you have the slower Apophysis runs!

This has been a great tutorial for getting me started in Apophysis, but are there any others you can recommend?

The main purpose of this "hold your hand" tutorial was help the total beginner to Apophysis gain a basic understanding of the programme without being bamboozled too much. The sooner you can do that, the sooner you can play. Hopefully I have achieved this.

But to really start unleashing the power of Apophysis you need much more in depth tutorials. Go to the Apophysis Resource Journal at DeviantArt. Scroll down and you will see a long list of tutorials, both general and specific.

Where can I download more gradients, scripts and other goodies for Apophysis?

Go to my resources page.

How do I render a flame with a transparent background?

All flames with a transparent background must be rendered / saved with a .png extension. This is because images with a .jpg extension do not support transparency.

If using the latest version of Apophysis click on "Options"(in the top menu) >> options >> display. Towards the bottom left hand side of the dialogue box you will see "PNG transparency". Make sure the "Enabled" button has been selected. Click OK.

If using Apophysis 2.02 go to "File" >> Export Flame. Make sure that your file name ends in .jpg change to .png

How do I save a script into Apophysis?

Highlight the script, right click and copy (or Ctrl+C). In the menu click on script >> edit. Click on the new script icon . Then right click and paste. (note: the paste shortcut Ctrl+V will not work). Click on the save icon and the "save as" dialogue box appears. Name the script and browse to the Script folder. then save. Scripts have an .asc extension.

How do I paste a flame parameter into Apophysis?

Someone has posted a flame parameter that you would like to check out in Apophysis. Simply highlight from (and including) <flame ................. to </flame>, right click then copy. Open Apophysis and then paste the parameter by holding down Ctrl+V. The pasted flame parameter will now render.

The flame fractals in the preview boxes look very grainy and not clear.

In the menu click on options >> options >> display tab. The settings here affect your preview windows.

My settings under the "Rendering" column are 35, 2, 3, 1.3, 1, 0.2. (I think these are the default settings). Under the preview density column my settings are 1, 5, and 10. This affects the previews in the mutation boxes. Open the mutation box and right click anywhere there and make sure that "high quality" is selected. I find these settings give quite a good preview with hardly any graininess. Just be aware that the higher the sample densities the slower the calculation of the flames. I really recommend that you go to the help file to learn more about these settings. Scroll down to "options" then click on "display options".

I want to print a flame 8" x 10" at 300dpi. What size should I render the flame?

The formula for this is quite simple.

8 inches x 300 dpi = 2400
10 inches x 300 dpi = 3000

Therefore you render at 2400 x 3000 pixels. (dpi = dots per inch)