Noise in Creative Coding
Noise is an indispensable tool for creative coding. We use it to generate all kinds of organic effects like clouds, landscapes and contours. Or to move and distort objects with a more lifelike behaviour.
On the surface, noise appears to be simple to use but, there are so many layers to it. This post takes a deep dive into what noise is, its variants, how to use it on the web and its applications. And lot’s of examples. So many examples!
Imagine you want to move an object around the screen. Animators will use keyframes and tweens to describe the exact motion. Generative artists instead rely on algorithms.
What we need is a smoother, more organic randomness. That is what the noise function generates (the yellow ball). Much more aesthetically pleasing!
This idea of organic randomness appears again and again in creative coding. For example, when generating textures, moving objects or distorting them. We often reach for the noise function.
