Images of the rose

The surprisingly simple rose equation can provide a fertile basis for generating many visually intriguing 3D forms. This equation was originally investigated in 2D in the 18th century. However, today, using modern computer graphics techniques, full 3D versions can be visualized. The geometrical surfaces of the rose functions correspond to the zeros of the equations and are visualized as the isosurfaces of 3D fields. Despite their apparent complexity, the surfaces are not generated by iteration nor by the intersection of primitives, and it is encouraging that such simple functions can produce a wealth of interesting geometrical shapes. Solid textures and colour maps are designed using equations in a simular way. These can be used to further enhance the aesthetic sense and visual appearance of the geometrical forms. © 1992 Springer-Verlag.