The fractal currently displayed is shown; click on "Edit these Values" to change the fractal. The first decision is which family of fractals you wish to show. Mandelbrot Explorer can render the Mandelbrot Set and the family of Julia Sets. Having chosen which family to show, you set the detailed settings beneath. For Julia Sets, you have to specify which Julia Set by entering X and Y co-ordinates.

See the introduction for the background information, which also explains why both kinds of fractal need a "Maximum Dwell" value. Maximum Dwell can be entered manually, or it can be set automatically. There is another help page that gives more information on the Maximum Dwell options.

Two other options have their own help pages: Both Mandelbrot and Julia Fractals can be smoothed; you also have the option to set despeckling for the Mandelbrot Set.

Having set the options you want, click Apply (or Cancel). Note that if you change the fractal significantly, you will be zoomed right out to the whole of your chosen fractal when you draw it. It would be arbitrary and confusing for the same portion of the new fractal to be shown as was shown for the old one. For this reason, if you change fractal and then use the mouse to select a new region, the old fractal will be selected again.