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Auburn / FastNoiseLite

Fast Portable Noise Library - C# C++ C Java HLSL GLSL JavaScript Rust Go
http://auburn.github.io/FastNoiseLite/
MIT License
2.78k stars 328 forks source link

Simplex noise patent issue #2

Closed Zylann closed 8 years ago

Zylann commented 8 years ago

Simplex noise is protected by patents, however another implementation exists, which is OpenSimplex. The only one I found so far in C is this one: https://github.com/smcameron/open-simplex-noise-in-c Could it be possible to have the OpenSimplex alternative in FastNoise as well?

Auburn commented 8 years ago

The simplex noise patent only covers its use in generating images, since FastNoise is aimed more at 3D implementations such as terrain generation I don't feel OpenSimplex is necessary.

Zylann commented 8 years ago

by doing more research I found a reddit post and the patent itself (https://www.google.com/patents/US6867776). You're right! I didn't knew it was limited to image generation. I'm not used to software patents :) So, are 2D and 4D generation fine too as long as it's not purely for image generation? Aren't terrains generated with Simplex Noise "images" once they are drawn on screen?

Note: I ended up here from this thread on Godot Engine: https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/1268 I made a FastNoise module for it :)

Auburn commented 8 years ago

If the data generated using simplex noise is used to create meshes not textures as specified in the patent

The apparatus includes a mechanism for producing images with texture that do not have visible grid artifacts.

https://www.google.com/patents/US6867776 I don't see terrain generation being an issue. Also the patent only covers 3 dimensions and above, 2D is not covered.