Noise reference
Note: This tool is only available in the Terrain Tools package.
The noise feature, both as part of the Noise height sculpting tool and as a mask on other brush-based tools, always uses the same property set.
Noise Field Preview
The Noise Field Preview is interactive. It both shows and changes the noise output.
Preview colors
The Noise Field Preview uses color coding to display the status of each point in the noise output. The values of a correct output are between 0 (black) and 1 (white); if your values are under 0 or over 1, you need to adjust your settings.
| Color | Output value |
|---|---|
| Cyan | Under 0: change settings to correct this. |
| Black, Gray, or White | From 0 to 1. |
| Red | Over 1: change settings to correct this. |
Change the output
Zooming in and out, or panning the texture, changes the noise output:
- Translation and Panning: Click on the preview to pan the noise field, and drag the cursor to change the translation of the noise field.
- Scale and Zoom: To change the scale of the noise field, place the cursor on the preview, and scroll to zoom in or out.
You can use the Transform Settings fields instead of the preview; they perform the same operations, and include a rotation option.
Export
To export the noise output as a texture, select Export. Refer to Other way to use noise for more information.
Coordinate Space
There are two ways to use the noise output:
- Brush fits the noise output into the brush. The smaller the brush, the more detail you get with each brush stroke.
- World maintains the same output regardless of the brush size.
Noise Settings Asset
Save your noise settings to reuse or share them. For more information, refer to Other way to use noise.
Transform Settings
The Unity Editor uses input points to calculate the noise output. The Transform Settings change the position, rotation, and scale of these points, which changes the output.
Tip: You can also change the noise output by panning and zooming in the Noise Field Preview.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Translation | Move the center point of the noise. |
| Rotation | Rotate all inputs around the center point of the noise. |
| Scale | The size of the field of input points; changing the scale zooms the output in or out. |
| Flip Scale | Inverts the noise output.] |
Domain Settings
The properties of the Domain Settings are calculated in order. For example, Lacunarity is calculated after Frequency.
| Property | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Noise Type | For details of noise types, refer to Noise and fractal types. | |
| Fractal Type | For details of fractal types, refer to Noise and fractal types . | |
| Strata | These options are only available if you select Strata in Fractal Type. They default to 0, which gives a plain field. To generate detailed noise, change the values. | |
| Offset | Move each point in the output higher (positive values) of lower (negative values). | |
| Scale | The size of the field of input points; changing the scale zooms the output in or out. | |
| Octaves | The number of noise layers. Each octave has a higher frequency and a lower amplitude than the previous one, and applies on top of all previous octaves. More octaves generate a more detailed noise. | |
| Amplitude | For each octave: the height of the peaks and the depth of the valleys in the generated noise. A higher amplitude gives more variation, and a lower amplitude gives a smoother noise. The values of Amplitude and Persistence are multiplied for each octave. | |
| Persistence | For each octave: how much it impacts the noise output. A higher value gives each octave a greater impact on the final pattern, which creates a more detailed noise. A lower value gives a smoother noise, because the higher octaves have less influence. The values of Amplitude and Persistence are multiplied for each octave. | |
| Frequency | How often a noise pattern repeats. This determines the scale and level of detailThe Level Of Detail (LOD) technique is an optimization that reduces the number of triangles that Unity has to render for a GameObject when its distance from the Camera increases. More info See in Glossary of the generated noise. A higher frequency gives a more tightly packed and smaller-scaled pattern, while a lower frequency leads to a larger-scaled and more spread-out pattern. The values of Frequency and Lacunarity are multiplied for each octave. |
|
| Lacunarity | Adds a layer, with a pattern that’s a multiplication of the output after Frequency is calculated. A value between -1 and 1 decreases the scale of the noise at each octave while a value under -1 or over 1 increases the scale of the pattern. A value of 1 has no impact. |
Warp Settings
Warp Settings apply turbulence to the noise.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Iterations | How many turbulence runs to perform. Higher values creates a more detailed noise. The value range is from 0 to 8. 0 applies no noise, even if the Strength** value is greater than 0. |
| Strength | How much impact each turbulence iteration has. The value range is from –2 to 2. 0 applies no warp, even if the Iteration value is greater than 0. The higher and lower values create more movement, in opposite directions to each other. |
| Offset | Move the output in 4D to move through variations without changing the Iteration and Strength properties. The W value is time. |
The image below display the noise output for a value noise with and without warp.
