Different criteria may be chosen to speed a pixel to its blow-up point and therefore change the rendering of a fractal. These include the biomorph method and epsilon-cross method, both developed by Clifford Pickover . The potential may be obtained for when it is at its lowest or at its last value, or some other criteria. The potential is scaled then applied to the palette used. Scaling may be linear or logarithmic, as for example palettes are defined in Fractint.
Decomposition uses exit angles to define colors.
Exit angles are derived from the polar notation of a point's complex value. All of these methods can be used to simulated 3-D effects because of the continuous shadings possible. The problem with true-color rendering is that computers use a 3D approach to simulating 16 million colors. There is no logical way to determine a one-dimensional index which can be used to address all the RGB colors available in true color. Even so, this is enough to eliminate most banding found in 256-color fractals due to limited color spread.