Getting Started With Mandelbrot Metal 3.0

Explore Infinity

On a new installation, the app opens Elephant Valley from the included starter bookmarks. Start Exploring dismisses the one-time welcome; Show Me Around opens Getting Started. Later launches and app updates restore your last exploration, including the location, Julia state, palette, contrast, iterations, and 3D Look. Reopening the tour never changes your view.

Drag to pan. Spread two fingers to zoom in; pinch them together to zoom out. Double-tap to zoom 2× and center that point. The last complete image moves with your gesture while the new view renders. Tap the house to see the full Mandelbrot set.

Home (the house icon), also available as More (…) → Full Mandelbrot Set, returns to the classic Mandelbrot overview, even from Julia mode. It keeps your palette and 3D Look, resets contrast, and enables Auto Iterations. Back restores the previous view and settings. Home does not reload Elephant Valley.

Julia Set

Single-tap a Mandelbrot point to explore its Julia set. Tap again in Julia mode to return to the originating Mandelbrot view. The HUD shows the mode and Julia constant. You can also choose the fractal type from the Fractal Type selector. In Version 3.0.3, compact iPhone layouts place floating rows of exploration and creative controls above the lower panel. Iterations, contrast, Auto Iter, and 3D Look remain in the lower panel; the controls follow Light or Dark appearance. Short windows and larger text can use the sliders button for More Options.

Palettes & Favorites

Choose from 156 built-in palettes, including 55 Ultra-Wide palettes marked [UW]. Tap a star to favorite a palette. Filter by All, Standard, Ultra-Wide, or Custom. Try several palettes on the same view before changing the composition.

Bookmarks

Open Manage Bookmarks from the bookmark button or More (…). Tap +, enter a name, and save. Tap Go beside a bookmark to reopen it. Sort by name, date, mode, iterations, palette, or scale. Free includes 56 curated starter bookmarks and five personal bookmark slots; Pro removes the personal bookmark limit. Saved state does not guarantee identical pixels across devices or app versions.

Capture

Tap Capture, choose a resolution, then Capture Now. Canvas is included in Free; Pro adds 4K, 6K, 8K, and Custom. Every capture renders a separate complete PNG and shows progress. Presets preserve the canvas aspect ratio. When the share sheet opens, save to Photos or Files, or send the image to another app.

Learn to Create

Choose a bookmark or explore from the starting view. Try a Julia variation, compare two palettes, adjust contrast, and refine the crop. Save a bookmark for the version you like, then capture it. Small changes to one scene can become a coherent series.

More Options

To show Getting Started on the next launch, open More (…) → Welcome Options and enable Show Welcome at startup. Don’t show again disables future startup presentations. Open User Guide or Creative Guide from More (…) whenever you need help. On iPhone and iPad, More opens a scrollable sheet at the top of its list; scroll to reach every option, or tap Close.