OpenSimplex in Go

OpenSimplex noise is a random noise algorithm by Kurt Spencer, made as a patent-free alternative to Perlin and Simplex noise. This Go port is based on Kurt's Java implementation.

For an introduction to OpenSimplex noise, see Kurt Spencer's post announcing it. If you're not familiar with random noise, the Wikipedia post on Perlin noise is a good introduction.

Why not Perlin noise?

As Kurt explains in his post, Perlin noise tends to generate noise with noticeable axis-aligned artifacts. Simplex noise fixes these artifacts, but it's patented. OpenSimplex noise is for people who don't want to deal with Simplex's patent.

The difference between Perlin and OpenSimplex noise is easiest to see in pictures. This is Perlin noise, with a noticeable bias towards vertical and horizontal artifacts:

Here's what OpenSimplex noise looks like:

Tests

This implementation of OpenSimplex's tests verify its output against the output of the reference Java implementation. I haven't run these tests on different architectures, so results may vary.

License

This code is under the same "license" as Kurt's OpenSimplex - the public domain "unlicense."

Next Steps

• More documentation
• Benchmarks