Julia Stack Mode
Example form
Julia Stack generates organic, flowing forms by stacking quadratic Julia set boundaries along height. Unlike the Profile Editor (where you draw the silhouette), Julia Stack replaces the profile with a mathematically generated outline per layer, then blends those outlines into a continuous surface.
When to Use It
- You want a sculptural “grown” form without drawing a profile by hand
- You want smooth morphing detail that evolves over height
- You want a strong base shape that you can still texture with effects afterward
The Mathematics
At a high level:
- The Mandelbrot set is the set of complex numbers \(c\) where iterating \(z \rightarrow z^2 + c\) (starting at \(z=0\)) does not diverge.
- Each \(c\) has a corresponding Julia set: the boundary between points that do and don’t diverge under the same iteration.
Julia Stack traces a smooth path through \(c\)-space and uses the Julia boundary at each step as the layer outline. Neighboring \(c\) values produce similar boundaries, which is why the shape morphs smoothly over Z.
Parameters
Center Re (c_x)- Real part of the center point for the path through Mandelbrot. Default: -0.25
Center Im (c_y)- Imaginary part of the center point. Default: 0
Radius A (Re)- Real amplitude of the elliptical path. Controls horizontal extent of c variation.
Radius B (Im)- Imaginary amplitude. Controls vertical extent of the path.
Size (mm)- Scale factor for the Julia set boundary. Determines the physical size of the print.
Iterations- Julia iteration count. Higher = sharper fractal details, but slower. Range: 20-150
Escape Radius- Threshold for Julia iteration escape. Default: 4. Higher values = smoother boundaries.
Smoothing- Number of smoothing passes applied to the boundary. Reduces spikes/artifacts.
Resolution- Multiplier for angular sampling. Higher = smoother curves, slower generation.
Twist- Rotation applied per layer. Creates spiral forms.
Practical Tuning Tips
- Start simple: keep Radius A/B small, then increase until the morph feels alive.
- Quality vs speed: Iterations and Resolution both increase detail and compute cost. Raise them only when the overall form is already good.
- Stability: If you see spikes or jagged edges, increase Smoothing before pushing Iterations higher.