Learning how to use Perlin noise
Perlin noise is an algorithm to define digital noise developed by Ken Perlin in 1983. It quickly became the de facto algorithm to generate natural-looking patterns in a considerable number of procedural content generation algorithms. For example, Perlin noise is used to create 3D landscapes, 2D textures, procedural animations, and much more.
Figure 10.3 – The difference between Perlin noise (left) and white noise (right)
But what makes Perlin noise different from other noises? The short answer is that it looks more natural. This answer, however, just changes the question into what does it mean to be more natural? Let's imagine standard non-Perlin noise, for instance, a sequence of random numbers between 0 and 1. The sequence may be something like 0, 0.9, 0.2, 0.3, 0.95, and so on.
As you can see, the numbers can jump up and down without any criteria. If these numbers represent the position of a character in the...
