LibNoise, How to use it?

Question

Okay, so I was trying to make a Procedually generated voxel terrain. So yesterday i found this library which i tried to implement but,I couldnt, If anyone could explain me on how to implement it or has a better way to complete my goal. I will thank them very much.

Any pointers, links, a base code to start off, or simple information is useful

Thank you

Answer 1

For future readers who find this question and want to use the LibNoise library for Unity, I have written C# scripts for the tutorial series on the LibNoise official 'site.

First step would be to grab the LibNoise library. I have posted a comment with the package I used when writing these scripts.

Follow the guide on the LibNoise site, then look at the code I have written. This shall hopefully give insight on how to use these classes for yourself.

For each script, I used a cube placed in the scene. When the noise is calculated, it generates a Texture2D which is applied to the cube renderer for an immediate visual output. Parameters can be modified in the inspector while playing the scene, then Left-Clicking in the scene window will update the texture and show on the cube.

Tutorial 3: Generating and rendering a terrain height map

 //------------------------------//
 //  Tutorial_3.cs               //
 //  Written by Alucard Jay      //
 //  2014/6/29                   //
 //------------------------------//
 
 //  http://libnoise.sourceforge.net/tutorials/tutorial3.html
 
 
 using UnityEngine;
 using System.Collections;
 
 using LibNoise.Unity;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Generator;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Operator;
 
 
 public class Tutorial_3 : MonoBehaviour 
 {
     public int mapSizeX = 256; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     public int mapSizeY = 256; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     
     public float sampleSizeX = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     public float sampleSizeY = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     
     public float sampleOffsetX = 2.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile across would be 6.0f
     public float sampleOffsetY = 1.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile up would be 5.0f
 
 
     public Renderer cubeRenderer; // renderer texture set for testing
 
     private Texture2D texture; // texture created for testing
     
     
     //  Persistant Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
 
     void Start() 
     {
         Generate();
     }
     
     
     void Update() 
     {
         if ( Input.GetMouseButtonDown(0) )
             Generate();
     }
     
     
     //  Other Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     void Generate() 
     {
         Perlin myPerlin = new Perlin();
 
         ModuleBase myModule = myPerlin;
 
 
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         
         // - Generate -
         
         // this part generates the heightmap to a texture, 
         // and sets the renderer material texture of a cube to the generated texture
         
         
         Noise2D heightMap;
 
         heightMap = new Noise2D( mapSizeX, mapSizeY, myModule );
 
         heightMap.GeneratePlanar(
             sampleOffsetX,
             sampleOffsetX + sampleSizeX,
             sampleOffsetY,
             sampleOffsetY + sampleSizeY
             );
 
         texture = heightMap.GetTexture(GradientPresets.Grayscale);
 
         cubeRenderer.material.mainTexture = texture;
     }
 }

Tutorial 4: Modifying the parameters of the noise module

 //------------------------------//
 //  Tutorial_4.cs               //
 //  Written by Alucard Jay      //
 //  2014/6/29                   //
 //------------------------------//
 
 //  http://libnoise.sourceforge.net/tutorials/tutorial4.html
 
 
 using UnityEngine;
 using System.Collections;
 
 using LibNoise.Unity;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Generator;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Operator;
 
 
 public class Tutorial_4 : MonoBehaviour 
 {
     public int mapSizeX = 256; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     public int mapSizeY = 256; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     
     public float sampleSizeX = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     public float sampleSizeY = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     
     public float sampleOffsetX = 2.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile across would be 6.0f
     public float sampleOffsetY = 1.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile up would be 5.0f
     
     public int octaves = 6;
 
     public float frequency = 1.0f;
     
     public float persistence = 0.5f;
 
 
     public Renderer cubeRenderer; // renderer texture set for testing
     
     private Texture2D texture; // texture created for testing
     
     
     //  Persistant Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     void Start() 
     {
         Generate();
     }
     
     
     void Update() 
     {
         if ( Input.GetMouseButtonDown(0) )
             Generate();
     }
     
     
     //  Other Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     void Generate() 
     {
         Perlin myPerlin = new Perlin();
 
         // modify the number of octaves
         myPerlin.OctaveCount = octaves;
 
         // modify the frequency
         myPerlin.Frequency = frequency;
         
         // modify the persistence
         myPerlin.Persistence = persistence;
 
 
         ModuleBase myModule;
         
         myModule = myPerlin;
 
 
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         
         // - Generate -
         
         // this part generates the heightmap to a texture, 
         // and sets the renderer material texture of a cube to the generated texture
 
 
         Noise2D heightMap;
 
         heightMap = new Noise2D( mapSizeX, mapSizeY, myModule );
 
         heightMap.GeneratePlanar(
             sampleOffsetX,
             sampleOffsetX + sampleSizeX,
             sampleOffsetY,
             sampleOffsetY + sampleSizeY
             );
 
         texture = heightMap.GetTexture( GradientPresets.Grayscale );
 
         cubeRenderer.material.mainTexture = texture;
     }
 }

Tutorial 5: Generating more complex terrain

 //------------------------------//
 //  Tutorial_5.cs               //
 //  Written by Alucard Jay      //
 //  2014/6/29                   //
 //------------------------------//
 
 //  http://libnoise.sourceforge.net/tutorials/tutorial5.html
 
 
 using UnityEngine;
 using System.Collections;
 
 using LibNoise.Unity;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Generator;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Operator;
 
 
 public class Tutorial_5 : MonoBehaviour 
 {
     public int mapSizeX = 256; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     public int mapSizeY = 256; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     
     public float sampleSizeX = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     public float sampleSizeY = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     
     public float sampleOffsetX = 6.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile across would be 6.0f
     public float sampleOffsetY = 1.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile up would be 5.0f
 
 
     public Renderer cubeRenderer; // renderer texture set for testing
     
     private Texture2D texture; // texture created for testing
 
 
     //  Persistant Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     void Start() 
     {
         Generate();
     }
     
     
     void Update() 
     {
         if ( Input.GetMouseButtonDown(0) )
             Generate();
     }
     
     
     //  Other Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     public float baseflatFrequency = 2.0f;
     
     public float flatScale = 0.125f;
     public float flatBias = -0.75f;
     
     public float terraintypeFrequency = 0.5f;
     public float terraintypePersistence = 0.25f;
 
     public float finalTerrainEdgeFalloff = 0.125f;
 
     
     void Generate() 
     {
         // - Mountain Terrain -
 
         //module::RidgedMulti mountainTerrain;
 
         RidgedMultifractal mountainTerrain = new RidgedMultifractal();
 
 
 
         // - Base Flat Terrain -
 
         //module::Billow baseFlatTerrain;
         //baseFlatTerrain.SetFrequency (2.0);
         
         Billow baseFlatTerrain = new Billow();
 
         baseFlatTerrain.Frequency = baseflatFrequency;
 
 
 
         // - Flat Terrain -
         
         //module::ScaleBias flatTerrain;
         //flatTerrain.SetSourceModule( 0, baseFlatTerrain );
         //flatTerrain.SetScale (0.125);
         //flatTerrain.SetBias (-0.75);
         
         ScaleBias flatTerrain = new ScaleBias( flatScale, flatBias, baseFlatTerrain ); // scale, bias, input
         
         
         
         // - Terrain Type -
 
         //module::Perlin terrainType;
         //terrainType.SetFrequency (0.5);
         //terrainType.SetPersistence (0.25);
 
         Perlin terrainType = new Perlin();
 
         terrainType.Frequency = terraintypeFrequency;
         terrainType.Persistence = terraintypePersistence;
         
         
         
         // - Final Terrain -
 
         //module::Select finalTerrain;
         //finalTerrain.SetSourceModule (0, flatTerrain);
         //finalTerrain.SetSourceModule (1, mountainTerrain);
 
         Select finalTerrain = new Select( flatTerrain, mountainTerrain, terrainType ); // input A, input B, Controller
 
 
         // finalTerrain.SetBounds (0.0, 1000.0);
         finalTerrain.SetBounds( 0.0, 1000.0 );
 
         //finalTerrain.SetEdgeFalloff (0.125);
         finalTerrain.FallOff = finalTerrainEdgeFalloff;
 
 
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         
         // - Compiled Terrain -
 
         ModuleBase myModule;
 
         // each of these are used in each chapter after the above variables are declared and assigned
         //myModule = mountainTerrain; // testing base flat terrain (Generating the rough mountainous terrain)
         //myModule = baseFlatTerrain; // testing base flat terrain (Generating the base values for the flat terrain)
         //myModule = flatTerrain; // testing flat terrain (Generating the flat terrain)
         //myModule = terrainType; // testing terrain type (Generating the terrain-type map)
         myModule = finalTerrain; // testing final terrain (Generating the final terrain)
 
 
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         // - Generate -
 
         // this part generates the heightmap to a texture, 
         // and sets the renderer material texture of a cube to the generated texture
         // (this part never changes, always here since the start of the tutorial page) 
         // (only myModule changes, so this part remains the same)
 
         
         Noise2D heightMap;
         
         heightMap = new Noise2D( mapSizeX, mapSizeY, myModule );
         
         heightMap.GeneratePlanar(
             sampleOffsetX,
             sampleOffsetX + sampleSizeX,
             sampleOffsetY,
             sampleOffsetY + sampleSizeY
             );
         
         texture = heightMap.GetTexture(GradientPresets.Grayscale);
         
         cubeRenderer.material.mainTexture = texture;
     }
 }

Tutorial 6: Adding realism with turbulence

 //------------------------------//
 //  Tutorial_6.cs               //
 //  Written by Alucard Jay      //
 //  2014/6/29                   //
 //------------------------------//
 
 //  http://libnoise.sourceforge.net/tutorials/tutorial6.html
 
 
 using UnityEngine;
 using System.Collections;
 
 using LibNoise.Unity;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Generator;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Operator;
 
 
 public class Tutorial_6 : MonoBehaviour 
 {
     public int mapSizeX = 256; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     public int mapSizeY = 256; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     
     public float sampleSizeX = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     public float sampleSizeY = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     
     public float sampleOffsetX = 6.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile across would be 6.0f
     public float sampleOffsetY = 1.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile up would be 5.0f
 
 
     public Renderer cubeRenderer; // renderer texture set for testing
     
     private Texture2D texture; // texture created for testing
 
 
     //  Persistant Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     void Start() 
     {
         Generate();
     }
     
     
     void Update() 
     {
         if ( Input.GetMouseButtonDown(0) )
             Generate();
     }
     
     
     //  Other Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     public float baseflatFrequency = 2.0f;
     
     public float flatScale = 0.125f;
     public float flatBias = -0.75f;
     
     public float terraintypeFrequency = 0.5f;
     public float terraintypePersistence = 0.25f;
 
     public float terrainSelectorEdgeFalloff = 0.125f;
     
     public float finalterrainFrequency = 4.0f;
     public float finalterrainPower = 0.125f;
 
     
     void Generate() 
     {
         // - Mountain Terrain -
 
         //module::RidgedMulti mountainTerrain;
 
         RidgedMultifractal mountainTerrain = new RidgedMultifractal();
 
 
 
         // - Base Flat Terrain -
 
         //module::Billow baseFlatTerrain;
         //baseFlatTerrain.SetFrequency (2.0);
         
         Billow baseFlatTerrain = new Billow();
 
         baseFlatTerrain.Frequency = baseflatFrequency;
 
 
 
         // - Flat Terrain -
         
         //module::ScaleBias flatTerrain;
         //flatTerrain.SetSourceModule( 0, baseFlatTerrain );
         //flatTerrain.SetScale (0.125);
         //flatTerrain.SetBias (-0.75);
         
         ScaleBias flatTerrain = new ScaleBias( flatScale, flatBias, baseFlatTerrain ); // scale, bias, input
         
         
         
         // - Terrain Type -
 
         //module::Perlin terrainType;
         //terrainType.SetFrequency (0.5);
         //terrainType.SetPersistence (0.25);
 
         Perlin terrainType = new Perlin();
 
         terrainType.Frequency = terraintypeFrequency;
         terrainType.Persistence = terraintypePersistence;
         
         
         
         // - Terrain Selector -
 
         //module::Select terrainSelector;
         //terrainSelector.SetSourceModule (0, flatTerrain);
         //terrainSelector.SetSourceModule (1, mountainTerrain);
 
         Select terrainSelector = new Select( flatTerrain, mountainTerrain, terrainType ); // input A, input B, Controller
 
 
         // terrainSelector.SetBounds (0.0, 1000.0);
         terrainSelector.SetBounds( 0.0, 1000.0 );
 
         //terrainSelector.SetEdgeFalloff (0.125);
         terrainSelector.FallOff = terrainSelectorEdgeFalloff;
         
         
         
         // - Final Terrain -
 
         //module::Turbulence finalTerrain;
         //finalTerrain.SetSourceModule (0, terrainSelector);
 
         Turbulence finalTerrain = new Turbulence( terrainSelector );
         
         //finalTerrain.SetFrequency (4.0);
         finalTerrain.Frequency = finalterrainFrequency;
         
         //finalTerrain.SetPower (0.125);
         finalTerrain.Power = finalterrainPower;
 
 
 
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         
         // - Compiled Terrain -
 
         ModuleBase myModule;
 
         myModule = finalTerrain;
 
 
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         // - Generate -
 
         // this part generates the heightmap to a texture, 
         // and sets the renderer material texture of a cube to the generated texture
 
         
         Noise2D heightMap;
         
         heightMap = new Noise2D( mapSizeX, mapSizeY, myModule );
         
         heightMap.GeneratePlanar(
             sampleOffsetX,
             sampleOffsetX + sampleSizeX,
             sampleOffsetY,
             sampleOffsetY + sampleSizeY
             );
         
         texture = heightMap.GetTexture(GradientPresets.Grayscale);
         
         cubeRenderer.material.mainTexture = texture;
     }
 }

Tutorial 7 : Using the data and applying it to terrain data heights

This is not part of the series, but something I wrote to demonstrate how to get the height data and apply it to a terrain.

 //------------------------------//
 //  Tutorial_7.cs               //
 //  Written by Alucard Jay      //
 //  2014/6/29                   //
 //------------------------------//
 
 //  using information from data to apply to terrain heightmap
 
 
 using UnityEngine;
 using System.Collections;
 
 using LibNoise.Unity;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Generator;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Operator;
 
 
 public class Tutorial_7 : MonoBehaviour 
 {
     public int mapSizeX = 513; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     public int mapSizeY = 513; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     
     public float sampleSizeX = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     public float sampleSizeY = 4.0f; // perlin sample size
     
     public float sampleOffsetX = 6.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile across would be 6.0f
     public float sampleOffsetY = 1.0f; // to tile, add size to the offset. eg, next tile up would be 5.0f
 
 
     public Terrain terrain; // terrain to apply values to heightmap
 
 
     //  Persistant Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     void Start() 
     {
         Generate();
     }
     
     
     void Update() 
     {
         if ( Input.GetMouseButtonDown(0) )
             Generate();
     }
     
     
     //  Other Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     public float baseflatFrequency = 2.0f;
     
     public float flatScale = 0.125f;
     public float flatBias = -0.75f;
     
     public float terraintypeFrequency = 0.5f;
     public float terraintypePersistence = 0.25f;
 
     public float terrainSelectorEdgeFalloff = 0.125f;
     
     public float finalterrainFrequency = 4.0f;
     public float finalterrainPower = 0.125f;
 
     
     void Generate() 
     {
         // - Mountain Terrain -
 
         //module::RidgedMulti mountainTerrain;
 
         RidgedMultifractal mountainTerrain = new RidgedMultifractal();
 
 
 
         // - Base Flat Terrain -
 
         //module::Billow baseFlatTerrain;
         //baseFlatTerrain.SetFrequency (2.0);
         
         Billow baseFlatTerrain = new Billow();
 
         baseFlatTerrain.Frequency = baseflatFrequency;
 
 
 
         // - Flat Terrain -
         
         //module::ScaleBias flatTerrain;
         //flatTerrain.SetSourceModule( 0, baseFlatTerrain );
         //flatTerrain.SetScale (0.125);
         //flatTerrain.SetBias (-0.75);
         
         ScaleBias flatTerrain = new ScaleBias( flatScale, flatBias, baseFlatTerrain ); // scale, bias, input
         
         
         
         // - Terrain Type -
 
         //module::Perlin terrainType;
         //terrainType.SetFrequency (0.5);
         //terrainType.SetPersistence (0.25);
 
         Perlin terrainType = new Perlin();
 
         terrainType.Frequency = terraintypeFrequency;
         terrainType.Persistence = terraintypePersistence;
         
         
         
         // - Terrain Selector -
 
         //module::Select terrainSelector;
         //terrainSelector.SetSourceModule (0, flatTerrain);
         //terrainSelector.SetSourceModule (1, mountainTerrain);
 
         Select terrainSelector = new Select( flatTerrain, mountainTerrain, terrainType ); // input A, input B, Controller
 
 
         // terrainSelector.SetBounds (0.0, 1000.0);
         terrainSelector.SetBounds( 0.0, 1000.0 );
 
         //terrainSelector.SetEdgeFalloff (0.125);
         terrainSelector.FallOff = terrainSelectorEdgeFalloff;
         
         
         
         // - Final Terrain -
 
         //module::Turbulence finalTerrain;
         //finalTerrain.SetSourceModule (0, terrainSelector);
 
         Turbulence finalTerrain = new Turbulence( terrainSelector );
         
         //finalTerrain.SetFrequency (4.0);
         finalTerrain.Frequency = finalterrainFrequency;
         
         //finalTerrain.SetPower (0.125);
         finalTerrain.Power = finalterrainPower;
 
 
 
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         
         // - Compiled Terrain -
 
         ModuleBase myModule;
 
         myModule = finalTerrain;
 
 
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         // - Generate -
 
 
         Noise2D heightMap = new Noise2D( mapSizeX, mapSizeY, myModule );
         
         heightMap.GeneratePlanar(
             sampleOffsetX,
             sampleOffsetX + sampleSizeX,
             sampleOffsetY,
             sampleOffsetY + sampleSizeY
             );
 
         // both of these will return normalized values
         //float[,] heights = heightMap.GetData( true, 0, 0, true );
         float[,] heights = heightMap.GetNormalizedData( true, 0, 0 );
         
         // NOTE :
         // terrainData HeightMapData is actually [ y, x ]
         // so tiling is done in the Z-axis for X, and X-axis for Y
         // you could loop through x and y of heights
         // and return correctly sorted values using
         // heights[ y, x ] = heightMap[ x, y, true ];
 
 
         TerrainData terrainData = terrain.terrainData;
 
         terrainData.SetHeights( 0, 0, heights );
     }
 }

Tutorial 8: Creating spherical planetary terrain

For this one, use a sphere instead of a cube :)

 //------------------------------//
 //  Tutorial_8.cs              //
 //  Written by Alucard Jay      //
 //  2014/6/29                   //
 //------------------------------//
 
 //  http://libnoise.sourceforge.net/tutorials/tutorial8.html
 
 
 using UnityEngine;
 using System.Collections;
 
 using LibNoise.Unity;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Generator;
 using LibNoise.Unity.Operator;
 
 
 public class Tutorial_8 : MonoBehaviour 
 {
     public int mapSizeX = 512; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     public int mapSizeY = 256; // for heightmaps, this would be 2^n +1
     
     public float south = -90.0f;
     public float north = 90.0f;
     
     public float west = -180.0f;
     public float east = 180.0f;
     
     
     public Renderer sphereRenderer; // renderer texture set for testing
     
     private Texture2D texture; // texture created for testing
 
     
     
     //  Persistant Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     void Start() 
     {
         Generate();
     }
     
     
     void Update() 
     {
         if ( Input.GetMouseButtonDown(0) )
             Generate();
     }
     
     
     //  Other Functions
     //    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     void Generate() 
     {
         Perlin mySphere = new Perlin();
         
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         
         // - Compiled Terrain -
         
         ModuleBase myModule;
         
         myModule = mySphere;
 
         
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         
         // - Generate -
         
         // this part generates the heightmap to a texture, 
         // and sets the renderer material texture of a sphere to the generated texture
         
         
         Noise2D heightMap;
         
         heightMap = new Noise2D( mapSizeX, mapSizeY, myModule );
         
         heightMap.GenerateSpherical( south, north, west, east );
 
         
         texture = heightMap.GetTexture(GradientPresets.Grayscale);
         
         sphereRenderer.material.mainTexture = texture;
     }
 }

I hope these scripts have been of some help =]

Answer 2

Answer by HumanSquid · Feb 13, 2015 at 05:05 AM

You can also get tutorials for this at github:

https://github.com/ricardojmendez/LibNoiseTutorials

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Answer 3

Answer by relinwar · Nov 01, 2017 at 03:40 PM

Hey guys, when I try out the script, it says GradientPresets does not exist in current context. Has it been changed?

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KingHandspider · Oct 11, 2018 at 01:36 PM 0

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Remove the .Unity from the LibNoise namespace declarations. I know this is answer is almost a year late, but I solved the problem so I thought I'd mention it :)

LibNoise, How to use it?

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