Perlin Noise in Visualizations
Perlin Noise can be very useful in animation but is rarely employed because of its complexity and the difficulty of visualizing what the BitmapData Method's Parameters will actually produce.
The applet below is useful for developing a fundamental understanding of what Octaves, Random Seed, and Channel Operators actually do. Change the various Parameters then click the "Generate" button to view the results.
This is a simplified exercise in Perlin Noise construction. Within the actual Method one has the ability to combine or separate Color Channels-functionality which is not included in this visualization. Additionally, the offsets Parameter is ignored here: it is very complex and typically a matter for experimentation.
Another interesting aspect of Perlin Noise within ActionScript is the fact that Perlin Noise resides in a the BitmapData Property of a Bitmap Object, meaning that it participates nicely with a variety of Display Object Methods and Properties such as Blending Modes, Filters, and Transforms. The use of Perlin Noise does not obviate the use of the Bitmapdata.noise() Method, nor does it frustrate any of the Flash Drawing API's Methods. Perlin Noise is very effective at adding an organic nature or randomized texture to animations.
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