forrest@0: The Fractal Realizer
forrest@0: May 25, 2007
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: The Fractal Realizer has been rewritten in Fortran-90.  There are
forrest@0: no longer any pieces of code in C.  The visualization feature (using
forrest@0: DrawPixmap) has been eliminated, since maps can be viewed as XPM files
forrest@0: after running the model.  The new code has been compiled and tested
forrest@0: with gfortran under Linux on an Athlon-64 box.  Example scripts and
forrest@0: data are available in directories below examples/.  The code is in
forrest@0: the src/ directory.  The previous README file is still included here
forrest@0: as README.previous.
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: Installation
forrest@0: ------------
forrest@0: If you are using gfortran under Linux, simply do the following to build
forrest@0: and install the Fractal Realizer.  Download the code and examples:
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: 	$ wget http://www.geobabble.org/~hnw/frdist.90
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: Then extract the code and examples:
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: 	$ tar xvzf frdist90.tar.gz
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: Next, build the code:
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: 	$ cd frdist90/src
forrest@0: 	$ make
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: This will produce the binary program called realizer.  To install the
forrest@0: Fractal Realizer in /usr/local/bin:
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: 	$ sudo make install
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: Execution
forrest@0: ---------
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: The Fractal Realizer has many options, and some of these are mutually
forrest@0: exclusive. Simply running the executable begins a cascade of questions
forrest@0: from the model which query the user to set up the options for the
forrest@0: simulation run. Responses to the questions direct the subsequent
forrest@0: questions, changing the way that the option tree is traversed. This
forrest@0: verbose interaction mode is a good way to become familiar with the wide
forrest@0: array of Fractal Realizer options. After all questions are answered,
forrest@0: the simulation begins.
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: Because answering all of the input questions for each run would be
forrest@0: tedious, the Fractal Realizer writes a script file, inpout.scr, containing
forrest@0: the input answers from the last run. Thus, the last simulation can be
forrest@0: repeated by issuing the command:
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: 	$ realizer < input.scr
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: To change a few input settings, it is not necessary to wade through all
forrest@0: of the input questions again. Instead, simply edit the input.scr script
forrest@0: file directly, and then re-run the simulation using the modified script
forrest@0: file. Mnemonic comments within the script file aid in such editing
forrest@0: process.
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: A number of demonstration .scr script files are included in the in the
forrest@0: examples/ directory, and running these "canned" examples is a good way to
forrest@0: test the installation, as well as to see the capabilities of the Fractal
forrest@0: Realizer. Final landscapes and tie maps can be output in several formats,
forrest@0: including XPM and GRASS.
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: The FR program uses a heap sort to sort the entire map to find the
forrest@0: highest probability sites, so execution time will increase rapidly as
forrest@0: the size of the map is increased. Execution time also increases with
forrest@0: increasing numbers of categories in the map. Because of the midpoint
forrest@0: displacement algorithm for generating (pseudo)fractals, the maps must
forrest@0: be square, with sides of (2**n)+1. However, the use of constraint masks
forrest@0: will permit oddly-shaped and smaller synthetic maps to be generated
forrest@0: while still preserving both p and the fractal dimension of each category.
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: The Fractal Realizer has proven useful and stimulating.  Be sure
forrest@0: to read and cite our paper in Conservation Ecology available at
forrest@0: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol6/iss1/art2/
forrest@0: 
forrest@0: Bill and Forrest
forrest@0: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
forrest@0: William W. Hargrove
forrest@0: Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center
forrest@0: USDA Forest Service
forrest@0: Southern Research Station
forrest@0: 200 WT Weaver Boulevard
forrest@0: Asheville, NC  28804-3454
forrest@0: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
forrest@0: Forrest Hoffman                       mailto:forrest@climatemodeling.org
forrest@0: Oak Ridge National Laboratory         mailto:forrest@computer.org
forrest@0: Climate & Carbon Research Institute   http://www.climatemodeling.org/~forrest
forrest@0: Computer Science & Mathematics Div.   (865) 576-7680 voice
forrest@0: Building 5600, Room C221, MS 6016     (865) 576-5491 fax
forrest@0: P.O. Box 2008                         Deliveries: Bethel Valley Road
forrest@0: Oak Ridge TN 37831-6016               35� 55' 23" N   84� 19' 20" W
forrest@0: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------