PFinder 1.2 is here!

Your utility to locate Apophysis parameters has been updated! It has become sleeker, faster and more intelligent. Here are all the changes I made:

• Reworked user interface
  The user interface of PFinder 1.11 was fancy looking but while it was out there in the open, it has been shown that people wish for a more simple design. You have been heard! Not only that the interface has been trimmed down to a minimal load, it is also compatible to computers with weak graphic cards, Microsoft Windows Vista/7-systems without Aero (such as the basic editions) and Microsoft Windows XP.


• Reworked search engine
  The search engine has been completely overhauled. I used a parameter library of 30,000+ fractal flames as a test basis and optimized the engine so it now takes two seconds to build up the index (while the program starts) and five seconds to search for a particular term in them using an Intel Pentium D CPU with two cores.


• Reworked user input
  The options "search by name", "search by variation" and "require all variations" are removed. PFinder now lists matches in the flame name and the variation list. By wrapping your search text into quotation marks, you can search for either exact names or require all variations in a flame. More about the search options later!

Installation guide

Here are the steps you need to do in order to make PFinder 1.2 run:

• Download
  Just download PFinder using the big button on the bottom of this journal.


• Extract
  Extract the archive to a place you want to install PFinder to (such as "C: Program Files  PFinder")


• Install .NET
  Execute "Install-DotNET3.5.exe" by double-clicking it. This program installs the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5. It may tell you that it does not need to install this on your computer which is absolutely fine in this case. If you have Microsoft Windows 7 installed, it will tell you that you need to use the control panel. In this case, you also don't need to take further actions because Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 is already installed on all Windows 7 computers.


• Run PFinder
  Double-click "pfinder.exe". It will open as a gray bar on top of your screen. Click the "Settings" link. With the "+"-button, you can add folders which contain parameters for Apophysis. Add some (or PFinder won't find anything) and click "Save". The program may "hang" a few seconds, depending on how many parameters were in the folders you added.


• That's it!
  Feel free to make a shortcut to "pfinder.exe" on your desktop or to pin it on your Microsoft Windows 7-taskbar!

How to use PFinder

After PFinder is installed and you added some search folders, you can type in search terms in the gray bar on top of your screen. It works pretty much as you would search something using Google. Here are some examples of search terms:

• some flame i made
  Finds all flames containing any of the words "some", "flame", "i" and "made". It would also find flames which use plugins which are named like any of these words but I don't think there are any with these names.


• "some flame i made"
  Finds all flames which are named "some flame i made". It will also find flames where this phrase is a part of the name.


• splits elliptic spherical
  Finds all flames which use either of the variations "splits", "elliptic" or "spherical".


• "splits elliptic spherical"
  Finds all flames which use ALL of the variations "splits", "elliptic" and "spherical".

Enough talk. Where can I get it!?

There is no deviation page for PFinder anymore. Instead, you can download it from my web server. Use the big button below!

But wait!

I would like to notice that this program was created in my free time. I don't have much of this currently. I am in need of a lot of money and thus need to put myself into slavery work for money in order to pay my bills. If you want to support programs like this and also Apophysis 7X and the other projects I do - please consider a donation! Small amounts help too! Thank you