Dent Noise*

Introduction
Key Features
Parameters
Quick Recipes

Dent Noise is a procedural 3D surface imperfection generator designed to simulate tiny dents, pitting, and worn irregularities. Internally, it is a dense, inverted 3D spot noise that uses a distance-to-feature approach to carve small cavities instead of raising spots. With a smooth exponential falloff and adaptive contrast control, it produces natural micro-indentations ideal for metals, plastics, and aged surfaces, maintaining stable detail across 3D space.

Performance Cost 🟢 Low

Space 2D/3D - UV/World/Object

Implementation Native Compiled C++

Devices (Cycles) CPU / GPU (1:1)

Usage & Behavior

With default values

With high density

Mapping density with a NoiseClouds

Used to erode NoiseShards borders

Unlike gradient noise (like Perlin) which creates undulating hills, Dent Noise divides 3D space into discrete cells. It calculates the distance to the nearest random "seed" point in that cell. This creates a Voronoi-like pattern, but the output is shaped using an exponential curve to create soft, concave depressions rather than sharp geometric crystals.

Best Used For: Hammered copper/gold, micro-pitting on steel, pores on synthetic skin, orange peel texture on paint, and worn plastic casing.

Key Features

Cellular Basis: Models natural inclusions via spatial statistics.
Exponential Falloff: Creates soft, rounded cavities instead of sharp cones.
Isotropic: Uniform distribution without directional artifacts.

Parameters

Coords Vector

The input texture coordinates. If left unconnected, this defaults to the global Position field (P) of the shading point.

Scale Vector (default: 2.0, 2.0, 2.0)

Global scaling factor. Since this is a cellular noise, scaling defines the grid size where the dents appear.

Size (default: 0.5)

Controls the radius or "fatness" of the individual dents.
- High values: Create broad, shallow depressions.
- Low values: Create sharp, tiny pin-pricks.

Density (default: 0.3)

Controls the falloff steepness (contrast) of the dent edges. Lower values result in a tighter gradient, making the dents appear smaller and more isolated from each other.

Quick Recipes

Use these settings for common surface imperfections.

Hammered Copper

Scale: 5.0
Size: 0.8
Density: 0.4

Large scale and high size create the broad, overlapping impact marks of a hammer.

Steel Pitting

Scale: 15.0
Size: 0.2
Density: 0.25

High scale and small size create tiny, sharp imperfections typical of rust or age.

Orange Peel

Scale: 8.0
Size: 0.6
Density: 0.3

Moderate settings mimic the subtle, uneven clear-coat texture on car paint.

Technical Note: The noise uses a hash-based jittered lattice where each voxel contains one pseudo-random point. The brightness is calculated using an exponential decay function: exp(-distance * density), raised to a power controlled by the Size parameter.

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