There are many applications in cg for creating procedural noise. This lesson, rather than a tutorial discussing the code behind generating these noises, is going to show off some of the more commonly used noises in production, and then I'll give you a bit of background on each noise, and software you can use to generate that noise type. 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 for photoshop, along with a few misc 3dsmax plugins.

3dsmax Noise Noise Type: Regular

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

Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Fractal Roughness: 0, Lacunarity: 50

Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Perlin Noise Roughness: 0 Details: 100

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 (3dsmax plugin) Fractal Roughness: 60, Lacunarity: 50 Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Perlin Noise Roughness:50 Details: 100

3dsmax Noise Noise Type: Turbulence, Levels: 4

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

Perlin Variations Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Values Clamped 3dsmax Stucco Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Clamped 3dsmax Noise Noise Type: Fractal, Levels: 5 High: 0.66, Low: 0.63 Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Clamped & Really Small 3dsmax Speckle Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Turb, identical to Noise Map set to Turbulence 3dsmax Smoke Iterations: 5, Exponent: 1 Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Turbulence, Values Inverted 3dsmax Noise Noise Type: Turbulence, Levels: 4 Inverted Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Mapped 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 Blur (3dsmax plugin) Electric Type: Fractal, Width: 0.2 Levels: 5, Center: 0.5 Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Rough, Lacunarity & Contrast Control Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Rough Roughness: 64, Lacunarity: 60 Brightness: 55, Contrast: 80 Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal w. Values Mapped Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Perlin Noise Roughness: 60 Details: 100 Mapped: Impulse Real Name: Perlin Noise w. Fractal Distorted with a second noise Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Perlin Noise Roughness: 100, Details: 100 Stretch: 40 Noise Distortion: Distortion: 100 Roughness: 60, Stretch: 15, Details: 100

3dsmax Cellular Map Cell Characteristics: Circular

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

Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Lumps Lump Size: 80, Density: 50

Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Cells Formula: F1 Roughness: 0 Details: 0

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 3dsmax Cellular Map Cell Characteristics: Circular Fractal Iterations 6 Bercon (3dsmax plugin) BerconNoise Map Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi) F1: 1.0 Distance: Linear Fractal Type: Fractal, Levels: 6 Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Clouds Roughness: 40 Lacunarity: 50 Density: 6, Puff Size: 40 Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Cells Formula: F1 Roughness: 70 Details: 20

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

Cellular Round Variations Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Values Clamped 3dsmax Cellular Map Cell Characteristics: Circular Spread 0.02 Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Values un-Clamped 3dsmax Cellular Map Cell Characteristics: Circular Spread 1.0 Fractal Iterations 6 Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Roughness 3dsmax Cellular Map Cell Characteristics: Circular Fractal Iterations 7, Roughness 0.7 Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Values Clamped 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 Inverted 3dsmax Cellular Map Cell Characteristics: Circular Spread 1.4 Fractal Iterations 6 Inverted Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Solid, Good For Galvanized Metal Bercon (3dsmax plugin) BerconNoise Map Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi) F1: 1.0 Distance: Square Solid: True Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1 with Turbulence, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Values Inverted 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, 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. Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Clouds Roughness: 46 Lacunarity: 40 Density: 6, Puff Size: 23 Brightness: 50, Contrast: 50 Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Values Clamped Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Clouds Roughness: 50 Lacunarity: 50 Density: 6, Puff Size: 40 Brightness: 52, Contrast: 97 Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Roughness & Lacunarity Controls. Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Pumice Roughness: 40 Lacunarity: 50 Pit Depth: 50, Pit Size: 25 Density: 3 Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Fractal w. Roughness w. Values Mapped Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Cells Formula: F1 Roughness: 50 Details: 50 Mapped: Impulse 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. Filter Forge (pshop plugin) 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

3dsmax Cellular Map Cell Characteristics: Chips

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

Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Stones Formula: F2-F1 Roughness: 0 Details: 0

Cellular Square Variations Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1, Euclidean Distance Metric w. Values Clamped. Good for Flagstone roads. 3dsmax Cellular Map Cell Characteristics: Chips

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

Filter Forge (pshop plugin) 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 Bercon (3dsmax plugin) BerconNoise Map Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi) F1: -1.0, F2: 1.0 Distance: Chebychev Low: 0.0, High: 0.4 Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Techno Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan Roughness: 0 Details: 0 Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Techno Formula: F2-F1 Chebychev Roughness: 0 Details: 0

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

Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Techno Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan Roughness: 0 Details: 0 Solid Fill: True

Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Techno Formula: F2-F1 Chebychev Roughness: 0 Details: 0 Solid Fill: True

Tech Edge Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1 Edge Clamped, Manhattan and Chebychev Distance Metrics Info: Good for spaceships. 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 Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Tech Roughness: 0 Lacunarity: 25 Density: 2, Tracesize: 10 Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Techno Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan Roughness: 0 Details: 0 Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Techno Formula: F2-F1 Chebychev Roughness: 0 Details: 0

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1,  Manhattan Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped 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,  Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped w. Fractal Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Tech Roughness: 40 Lacunarity: 25 Density: 2, Tracesize: 10 Mapped

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1,  Manhattan Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Techno Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan Roughness: 0 Details: 0 Mapped

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2-F1,  Manhattan Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped w. Fractal Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Techno Formula: F2-F1 Manhattan Roughness: 50 Details: 40 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 (pshop plugin) 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

Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Manhattan Roughness: 50, Lacunarity: 25 Density: 6, Block Size: 50 Brightness: 50, Contrast: 70

Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Blocks Formula: F2 Roughness: 0 Details: 0

Blocks Oddly Shaped w. Fractal Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2 with Fractal, Chebychev Distance Metric Info: A little too busy for spaceships, but interesting just the same. Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Blocks Formula: F2 Roughness: 70 Details: 10

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Values Clamped Bercon (3dsmax plugin) BerconNoise Map Noise Type: Worley (Voronoi) F1: 1.0 Distance: Chebychev Clamped

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) F4: 1.0 Distance: Chebychev Mapped with Gradient Ramp

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Values Mapped Darktree (3dsmax plugin) 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 (3dsmax plugin) Manhattan Roughness: 30, Lacunarity: 25 Density: 6, Block Size: 37 Brightness: 50, Contrast: 70 Mapped

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Fractal w. Values Mapped Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Blocks Formula: F1 Roughness: 65, Contrast: 60 Details: 50 Profile: Contours

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F1, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Blocks Formula: F1 Roughness: 0, Contrast: 0 Details: 0 Profile: Impulse

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F4, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Blocks Formula: F1 Roughness: 0, Contrast: 0 Details: 0 Profile: Impulse

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F4, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Values Mapped Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Blocks Formula: F4 Roughness: 64, Contrast: 0 Details: 0 Profile: Flat

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F4, Chebychev Distance Metric, w. Fractal w. Values Mapped Filter Forge (pshop plugin) Blocks Formula: F4 Roughness: 64, Contrast: 0 Details: 40 Profile: Flat

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 Fractal Type: Fractal, Level: 6 Distorted w. Perlin Fractal

Real Name: Worley Voronoi F2, Chebychev Distance Metric w. Distortion from Turbulence (Rock Formations) 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 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 Vornoid Noise, while still being organic Darktree (3dsmax plugin) Manhattan Roughness: 30, Lacunarity: 25 Density: 6, Block Size: 55 Brightness: 44, Contrast: 70 Warped, Density: 50, Turbulence: 50, Distortion: 50

Turbulent Real Name: Musgrave's Ridged Multifractal Info: Great for electrical effects, and as a displacement map for mounatins due to the sharp peaks and valleys. Cebas (3dsmax plugin) Fury Map Michael Spaw (3dsmax plugin) Turbulent Map Noise Type: Tendril Levels: 1 Power: 3, Frequency: 8 Darktree Enhanced (3dsmax plugin) Turbulent Octaves: 6 Darktree Enhanced (3dsmax plugin) Ridged Octaves: 6

Real Name: Musgrave's Ridged Multifractal, same settings as above, different phase Cebas (3dsmax plugin) Fury Map

Real Name: Musgrave's Ridged Multifractal, w. far fewer fractal levels than other examples Michael Spaw (3dsmax plugin) Turbulent Map Noise Type: Tendril Levels: 1 Power: 8, Frequency: 2

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: 8, Frequency: 8

Real Name: Musgrave's Ridged Multifractal, lots of fractal iterations and clamped Michael Spaw (3dsmax plugin) Turbulent Map Noise Type: Tendril Levels: 4 Power: 3, Frequency: 8