Soulburn Studios Art Lessons

Procedural Patterns And Noises
By Neil Blevins
Created On: July 1st 2009
Updated On: May 8th 2015

There are many applications in cg for creating procedural patterns and procedural noises. This lesson, rather than a tutorial discussing the code behind generating these patterns, is going to show off some of the more commonly used patterns/noises in production, and then I'll give you a bit of background on each one, and software you can use to generate them. The main apps I'll be talking about will be the 3dsmax's built in procedurals, the BerconMaps for 3dsmax, Darksim's Darktree and Filterforge, along with a few misc 3dsmax plugins.

Here are the Patterns/Noises we'll be looking at...

Perlin

Perlin Regular
Perlin w. Fractal
Perlin w. Turbulence

Cellular

Cellular Square
Cellular Round Regular
Cellular Round w. Fractal
Cellular Round w. Turbulence

Ridged Multifractal

Ridged Multifractal
Ridged Multifractal w. Turbulence

Manhatten

Pyramids
Tech
Blocks

Geometric

Gradient
Hexagons
Bricks
Dots

Texture Bombing

Texture Bombing

Perlin Regular
Real Name: Perlin Noise
Info: Useful for adding a slight wave or large warble to objects.

3dsmax
Noise
Noise Type: Regular

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Perlin (New)

Darktree
Fractal
Roughness: 0, Lacunarity: 50

Filter Forge
Perlin Noise
Roughness: 0
Details: 100

3dsmax
Stucco

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Values Clamped

Perlin w. Fractal
Real Name: Perlin Noise with Fractal
Info: One of the most useful noises for stuff like dirt, rocks, etc.

3dsmax
Noise
Noise Type: Fractal, Levels: 4

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Perlin (New)
Fractal Type: Fractal, Levels: 4

Darktree
Fractal
Roughness: 60, Lacunarity: 50

Filter Forge
Perlin Noise
Roughness: 50
Details: 100

3dsmax
Noise
Noise Type: Fractal, Levels: 5
High: 0.66, Low: 0.63

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Clamped

3dsmax
Speckle

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Clamped & Really Small

3dsmax
Noise
Noise Type: Fractal, Levels: 5
Mapped

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Mapped

3dsmax
Noise
Noise Type: Regular
Mapped
Fractal added manually using CompositeMap

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Mapped

3dsmax
Noise
Noise Type: Fractal
Values Clamped
Multiple Layers added manually using CompositeMap

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Mapped

Blur (3dsmax plugin)
Electric
Type: Fractal, Width: 0.2
Levels: 5, Center: 0.5

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Mapped

Darktree
Rough
Roughness: 64, Lacunarity: 60
Brightness: 55, Contrast: 80

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Rough, Lacunarity & Contrast Control

Darktree
Agate

Filter Forge
Perlin Noise
Roughness: 60
Details: 100
Mapped: Impulse

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Mapped

Filter Forge
Perlin Noise
Roughness: 60
Contrast 80
Details: 100
Mapped: Impulse

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Mapped and Contrast

Filter Forge
Perlin Noise
Roughness: 100, Details: 100
Stretch: 40
Noise Distortion: Distortion: 100
Roughness: 60, Stretch: 15, Details: 100

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal Distorted with a second noise

Perlin w. Turbulence
Real Name: Perlin Noise With Turbulence
Info: More visually interesting than fractal.

3dsmax
Noise
Noise Type: Turbulence, Levels: 4

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Perlin (New)
Fractal Type: Turbulence, Levels: 4

Darktree
Fractal
Roughness: 35, Lacunarity: 50
Strata Function: Spline Absolute Value

Filter Forge
Perlin Noise
Roughness: 40
Details: 100
Profile: Impulse Absolute Value

3dsmax
Smoke
Iterations: 5, Exponent: 1

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Turb, identical to Noise Map set to Turbulence

3dsmax
Noise
Noise Type: Turbulence, Levels: 4
Inverted

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Turbulence, Values Inverted

3dsmax
Noise
Noise Type: Turbulence, Levels: 1
Inverted

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Turbulence, Values Inverted

Filter Forge
Perlin Noise
Roughness: 40
Details: 100
Profile: Impulse Absolute Value
Inverted And Contrast Added

Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Turbulence, Values Inverted Contrast Added

Cellular Square
Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Euclidean Distance Metric
Info: I don't find this one terribly useful.

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Chips

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: -1.0, F2: 1.0
Distance: Square

Darktree
Venation
Roughness: 0
Lacunarity: 0

Filter Forge
Stones
Formula: F2-F1
Roughness: 0
Details: 0

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Chips

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Values Clamped. Good for Flagstone roads.

Darktree
Venation
Roughness: 50
Lacunarity: 50

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Values Clamped and high Roughness and Lacunarity

Cellular Round Regular
Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric
Info: The most basic of the Worley Noises. Can be good for creature skin.

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Circular

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Square

Darktree
Lumps
Lump Size: 80, Density: 50

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: F1
Roughness: 0
Details: 0

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Circular
Spread 0.02

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Values Clamped

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Square
Solid: True

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Solid, Good For Galvanized Metal

Darktree
Clouds
Roughness: 46
Lacunarity: 40
Density: 6, Puff Size: 23
Brightness: 50, Contrast: 50

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Roughness & Lacunarity Controls. Great for creating cratered rock, especially if you distort the cells with another noise afterwards to create more irregularity.

Cellular Round w. Fractal
Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1 with Fractal, Euclidean Distance Metric
Info: Fractal version of the Worley Noise. Great for creature skin.

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Circular
Fractal Iterations 3

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Linear
Fractal Type: Fractal, Levels: 6

Darktree
Clouds
Roughness: 40
Lacunarity: 50
Density: 6, Puff Size: 40

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: F1
Roughness: 70
Details: 20

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Circular
Fractal Iterations 6

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Circular
Spread 1.0
Fractal Iterations 6

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Values un-Clamped

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Circular
Fractal Iterations 7, Roughness 0.7

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Roughness

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Circular
Spread 0.5
Fractal Iterations 6
Mapped

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Values Clamped

3dsmax
Cellular Map
Cell Characteristics: Circular
Spread 1.4
Fractal Iterations 6
Inverted

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Values Inverted

Darktree
Pumice
Roughness: 40
Lacunarity: 50
Pit Depth: 50, Pit Size: 25
Density: 3

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Roughness & Lacunarity Controls.

Darktree
Clouds
Roughness: 50
Lacunarity: 50
Density: 6, Puff Size: 40
Brightness: 52, Contrast: 97

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Values Clamped

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: F1
Roughness: 50
Details: 50
Mapped: Impulse

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Roughness w. Values Mapped

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: F1
Roughness: 70
Contrast: 40
Details: 35
Mapped: Bacteria

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Roughness w. Values Mapped

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: F1
Roughness: 70
Contrast: 40
Details: 35
Mapped: Contours

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Roughness w. Values Mapped

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: Average F1, F2, F3, F4
Roughness: 50, Details: 100
Mapped: Gamma, Gamma: 50, Start: 30,
End: 100, Min: 0, Max: 100, Invert: True

Real Name: Worley Voronoi Average F1, F2, F3 and F4, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Roughness and Detail Control w. Values Mapped. Creates some really nice rock bumps with little ridges.

Cellular Round w. Turbulence
Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1 with Turbulence, Euclidean Distance Metric
Info: Turbulence version of the Worley Noise. Might make good craters.

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Linear
Fractal Type: Turbulence, Levels: 4

Darktree
Clouds
Roughness: 50
Lacunarity: 50
Density: 6, Puff Size: 40
Strata Function: Spline Absolute Value

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: F1
Roughness: 40
Details: 50
Profile: Impulse Absolute Value

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Linear
Fractal Type: Turbulence, Levels: 4
Inverted

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1 with Turbulence, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Values Inverted

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: Avg (F1, F2, F3)
Roughness: 50
Details: 50
Profile: Impulse Absolute Value
Levels Color Correction

Real Name: Worley Voronoi Avg F1 F2 F3 with Turbulence, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Levels Color Correction

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: Avg (F1, F2, F3)
Roughness: 40
Details: 50
Profile: Impulse Absolute Value
Levels Color Correction
Smaller Noise Scale

Real Name: Worley Voronoi Avg F1 F2 F3 with Turbulence, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Levels Color Correction

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: Avg (F1, F2, F3)
Roughness: 40
Details: 50
Profile: Impulse Absolute Value

Real Name: Worley Voronoi Avg F1 F2 F3 with Turbulence, Euclidean Distance Metric

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: Avg (F1, F2, F3)
Roughness: 60
Details: 85
Profile: Impulse Absolute Value
Levels Color Correction

Real Name: Worley Voronoi Avg F1 F2 F3 with Turbulence, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Levels Color Correction

Filter Forge
Cells
Formula: Avg (F1, F2, F3)
Roughness: 40
Contrast: 40
Details: 50
Profile: Impulse Absolute Value

Real Name: Worley Voronoi Avg F1 F2 F3 with Turbulence, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Contrast

Ridged Multifractal
Real Name: Musgrave's Ridged Multifractal applied to FBM Noise (Fractional Brownian Motion Noise)
Info: Great for electrical effects, and as a displacement map for mounatins due to the sharp peaks and valleys.

Darktree Enhanced (3dsmax plugin)
Ridged
Octaves: 6

Ridged Multifractal w. Turbulence
Real Name: Musgrave's Ridged Multifractal applied to Turbulent FBM Noise (Fractional Brownian Motion Noise)
Info: Great for electrical effects, and as a displacement map for mounatins due to the sharp peaks and valleys.

Darktree Enhanced (3dsmax plugin)
Turbulent
Octaves: 6

Cebas (3dsmax plugin)
Fury Map

Cebas (3dsmax plugin)
Fury Map

Real Name: Musgrave's Ridged Multifractal, same settings as above, different phase

Michael Spaw (3dsmax plugin)
Turbulent Map
Noise Type: Tendril
Levels: 1
Power: 3, Frequency: 8

Michael Spaw (3dsmax plugin)
Turbulent Map
Noise Type: Tendril
Levels: 1
Power: 3, Frequency: 8
Less Contrast

Michael Spaw (3dsmax plugin)
Turbulent Map
Noise Type: Tendril
Levels: 4
Power: 8, Frequency: 8

Real Name: Musgrave's Ridged Multifractal, lots of fractal iterations, and the fractal portion is brighter

Michael Spaw (3dsmax plugin)
Turbulent Map
Noise Type: Tendril
Levels: 4
Power: 3, Frequency: 8

Real Name: Musgrave's Ridged Multifractal, lots of fractal iterations and clamped

Pyramids
Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Manhattan Distance Metric
Info: Might be useful for a series of hitech pyramids.

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Manhattan

Filter Forge
Pyramids
Formula: F1
Roughness: 0
Details: 0

Tech
Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Manhattan and Chebychev Distance Metrics
Info: Good for hightech stuff, maybe some sort of alien set of pyramids.

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: -1.0, F2: 1.0
Distance: Manhattan
Low: 0.0, High: 0.4

Filter Forge
Techno
Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan
Roughness: 0
Details: 0

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: -1.0, F2: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev
Low: 0.0, High: 0.4

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Manhattan
Solid: True

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev
Solid: True

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: -1.0, F2: 1.0
Distance: Manhattan
Low: 0.0, High: 0.02

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: -1.0, F2: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev
Low: 0.0, High: 0.02

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: -1.0, F2: 1.0
Distance: Manhattan
Mapped
(not sure why the pattern is slightly distorted. Maybe a bug in the map?)

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Manhattan Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped

Darktree
Tech
Roughness: 0
Lacunarity: 25
Density: 2, Tracesize: 10

Darktree
Tech
Roughness: 40
Lacunarity: 25
Density: 2, Tracesize: 10
Mapped

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped w. Fractal

Filter Forge
Techno
Formula: F2-F1 Chebychev
Roughness: 0
Details: 0

Filter Forge
Techno
Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan
Roughness: 0
Details: 0
Solid Fill: True

Filter Forge
Techno
Formula: F2-F1 Chebychev
Roughness: 0
Details: 0
Solid Fill: True

Filter Forge
Techno
Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan
Roughness: 0
Details: 0

Filter Forge
Techno
Formula: F2-F1 Chebychev
Roughness: 0
Details: 0

Filter Forge
Techno
Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan
Roughness: 0
Details: 0
Mapped

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Manhattan Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped

Filter Forge
Techno
Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan
Roughness: 50
Details: 40
Mapped

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Manhattan Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped w. Fractal

Filter Forge
Techno
Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan
Roughness: 0
Details: 0
Profile: Layered

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Manhattan Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped

Blocks
Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Chebychev Distance Metric
Info: Good for spaceships.

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev

Filter Forge
Blocks
Formula: F1
Roughness: 0
Details: 0

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F2: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F4: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F1: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev
Clamped

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Values Clamped

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F4: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev
Mapped with Gradient Ramp

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F4, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Values Mapped

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F4: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev
Mapped with Gradient Ramp

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F4, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Values Mapped at Edge

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F4: 1.0
Distance: Chebychev
Mapped with Gradient Ramp

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F4, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Values Mapped

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F2: 1.0, Distance: Chebychev
Fractal Type: Fractal, Level: 6
Distorted w. Perlin Fractal

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Distortion from Fractal (Rock)

Bercon (3dsmax plugin)
BerconNoise Map
Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi)
F2: 1.0, Distance: Chebychev
Distorted w. Perlin Turbulence

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Distortion from Turbulence (Rock Formations)

Darktree
Manhattan
Roughness: 50, Lacunarity: 25
Density: 6, Block Size: 50
Brightness: 50, Contrast: 70

Darktree
Manhattan
Roughness: 20, Lacunarity: 25
Density: 6, Block Size: 100
Brightness: 50, Contrast: 80

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Values Mapped

Darktree
Manhattan
Roughness: 30, Lacunarity: 25
Density: 6, Block Size: 37
Brightness: 50, Contrast: 70
Mapped

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Values Mapped

Darktree
Manhattan
Roughness: 30, Lacunarity: 25
Density: 6, Block Size: 55
Brightness: 44, Contrast: 70
Warped, Density: 50, Turbulence: 50, Distortion: 50

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2, Chebychev Distance Metric Distorted with a second noise. This is fantastic for creating really large rock formations, because it retains some of the jagged hard lines of the Vornoi Noise, while still being organic

Filter Forge
Blocks
Formula: F2
Roughness: 0
Details: 0

Filter Forge
Blocks
Formula: F2
Roughness: 70
Details: 10

Filter Forge
Blocks
Formula: F1
Roughness: 65, Contrast: 60
Details: 50
Profile: Contours

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Fractal w. Values Mapped

Filter Forge
Blocks
Formula: F1
Roughness: 0, Contrast: 0
Details: 0
Profile: Impulse

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped

Filter Forge
Blocks
Formula: F1
Roughness: 0, Contrast: 0
Details: 0
Profile: Impulse

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F4, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped

Filter Forge
Blocks
Formula: F4
Roughness: 64, Contrast: 0
Details: 0
Profile: Flat

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F4, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped

Filter Forge
Blocks
Formula: F4
Roughness: 64, Contrast: 0
Details: 40
Profile: Flat

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F4, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Fractal w. Values Mapped

FIlter Forge
Blocks
Formula: F2
Roughness: 10, Contrast: 0
Details: 100
Noise Distortion, Distortion: 50, Roughness: 45

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2, Chebychev Distance Metric Distorted with a second noise.