By Robert Jessop (rj200@ecs.soton.ac.uk)
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Basically, an L-System is a set of rules for building up a string. The applet represents those strings as lines, with the characters in the string being instructions on how to draw it. William McWorter 's tutorial has written a better definition and an advanced guide to using L-Systems in Fractint.
The applet is an interpreter for Fractint L-System files. It can be set up to read any formula file but the one used here contains all the L-Systems distributed with Fractint and many designed by me.
To choose which pattern to view double click on the pattern you wish to view in the list. You can also change the order to which it is drawn by typing a number into the text box.
This applet is intended to demonstrate L-Systems but is far from perfect. It ignores colour change commands and custom angles. But I don't think its bad for something written in under a week.
I really recommend that you download Fractint, as it's L-System routines are far better. And of course there's all the other weird and wonderful chaotic mathematical masterpieces it can draw. L-Systems are one of the simplest and ugliest things it can draw. Exploring Fractint is more fun than any computer game. So get it.