Phasor Noise creates spatially-coherent oscillating patterns by synthesizing collections of oriented Gabor kernels. Unlike traditional noise functions (Perlin, Simplex) that produce smooth, isotropic gradients, Phasor Noise generates controllable, oriented frequency patterns. This makes it ideal for materials with intrinsic directional structure, such as wood grain, fabrics, fingerprints, or interference patterns, where precise control over frequency, bandwidth, and orientation is required.
Usage & Behavior
The output of Phasor Noise is an oscillating signal (like a sine wave) that moves through space. By varying the Orientation parameter, you can make these waves flow like a river. By changing the Profile, you can instantly change the character of the wave from a smooth undulation to a hard geometric stripe or a chaotic turbulent flow.
Key Features
- Gabor Kernels: Synthesizes noise using oriented sinusoidal impulses.
- 14 Wave Profiles: Extensive library of wave shapes for different looks.
- Directional Flow: Pattern orientation is explicitly controllable.
Wave Profiles
The Profile parameter is the heart of Phasor Noise. It re-shapes the underlying oscillating signal into different waveforms:
- SIN: Standard sine wave. Gentle, natural oscillation.
- SIGMOID: S-curve gradient. Smoother than sine.
- PARABOLIC: Soft arches. Very organic.
- SQUARE: Hard binary stripes. High contrast.
- TRIANGLE: Linear ramps with sharp peaks.
- SAWTOOTH: Asymmetric one-way ramps.
- STEPPED: Quantized, posterized levels.
- ABS-SINE: Absolute sine. Creates ridges (wood grain).
- PULSE: Sharp spikes with decay. Cellular/Halo looks.
- TURBULENT: Chaotic, multi-frequency distortion.
- PWM: Pulse Width Modulation. Variable stripe width.
Parameters
While the core Phasor logic is 2D-based (oriented kernels), this mode projects it into 3D space, which is faster because it uses a fixed orientation strategy.
- High values: Narrow frequency range, very regular pattern.
- Low values: Wide frequency range, more chaotic/noisy.
- Low values: Kernels align more uniformly (laminar flow).
- High values: Kernels rotate rapidly, creating swirls and eddies.
Quick Recipes
Use these settings for directional materials.
Fingerprints
Frequency: 80.0
Orientation: 12.0
Bandwidth: 20.0
Barcode / Scanlines
Width: 0.2
Frequency: 40.0
Orientation: 0.0
Alien Muscle
Orientation: 5.0
Frequency: 60.0
Use 3D: True
Gaussian(x) * cos(2πf(x·d) + φ). The implementation ensures deterministic results across CPU and GPU by using Morton-encoded seeds and custom hashing logic, avoiding platform-specific floating point drifts.