Fast Noise Node

Fast Noise is "a very fast and flexible Perlin Noise generator" according to the documentation. It is one of the most used nodes for motion graphics and VFX in Fusion.

Unlike bitmap textures (which tile with visible repetition), Perlin Noise is procedural - you can scale it, animate it and combine it without repetition artifacts.

• Effects Library: Tools > Generator > Fast Noise
• Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > Generator > Fast Noise

Fast Noise (this node)

2D generator. Produces a 2D image you can use anywhere (merge, blur, displace, etc.). Can be animated with Seethe.

Fast Noise Texture

3D material. Used as the input of a 3D shader (Blinn, Cook Torrance). Can be 2D (with the object's UVs) or 3D (UVW coordinates, no seam artifacts).

Rule: Fast Noise 2D for 2D compositing. Fast Noise Texture to texture a 3D object.

• Noise Detail Map - optional. A map that controls the detail intensity per pixel (through soft-edged masks).
• Noise Brightness Map - optional. Modulates the brightness of the noise or replaces it entirely.
• Effect Mask (blue) - optional. Limits the generation to an area.

No input is required - Fast Noise generates its result on its own.

Fast Noise → Merge 2D (or Displace, Vari Blur input, etc.)

Detail

Level of detail of the noise. Higher = more frequency octaves added (fractal look). Also increases render time.

Brightness

Overall brightness before color mapping.

Contrast

Tonal range. Raise it to exaggerate the noise contrast, lower it to smooth it.

Scale (X / Y)

Noise frequency. Low = a big pattern (wide clouds), high = a fine pattern (grain). Unlock X/Y for directional variation (stretch the noise horizontally or vertically).

Discontinuous

Enables hard edges (hard discontinuity lines). Gives a "topographic map" or "marbling" look instead of the standard smooth noise.

Seethe

See the dedicated section.

Seethe Rate

See the dedicated section.

Seethe

Interpolates between different noise patterns to create a "crawling" movement - the pattern changes gently. Can be keyframed.

Seethe Rate

Animates the noise automatically, no keyframes. The pattern evolves frame by frame on its own at the set speed. 0 = static, 1 = standard movement, > 1 = fast.

Key tip: Seethe Rate = 1 gives you an animated noise with no effort. For something more "alive", combine a moderate Seethe Rate + moving the pattern through the canvas Size or a downstream Transform.

• Animated clouds - moderate Contrast + Seethe Rate 0.5 + a Screen Merge 2D over a background. Clouds drifting without keyframes.
• Stylized fire - red/orange Fast Noise + Vertical Wave distortion + Screen Merge. The classic basis for 2D fire.
• Bump map source - grayscale Fast Noise → Bump Map texture → Blinn Bump input. Instant procedural relief.
• Displace map for a Displace 3D - terrain or an organic surface: Fast Noise → Displace 3D on a subdivided plane.
• Heat distortion / mirage - an animated Fast Noise → connected to the horizontal input of a Displace 2D = a rippling heat effect.
• Film grain noise overlay - a very fine Fast Noise (high Scale) + low Contrast + Overlay Merge → subtle grain over the whole image.
• Animated mask for transitions - Fast Noise + Threshold = an evolving organic mask, useful for non-geometric transitions.
• Particle source - Fast Noise as a pEmitter spawn map so the particles are emitted following the noise pattern.

• Seethe Rate 0.5-1.0 as a default for natural movement. A high Seethe Rate gives fast movement that can look noisy.
• Unlock Scale X / Y to break the isotropy. Example: high Scale X + low Y = noise stretched horizontally (simulates movement in one direction).
• Discontinuous for style - a "cartoon" look with hard edges. Worth testing for stylized special effects.
• Detail is expensive - each level adds an octave of computation. 3-4 is enough for most uses; 6+ = slow renders.
• Combine several Fast Noises with different Scales and a Merge = a custom multi-octave noise with individual control over each layer.
• For a deterministic source (the same result on every render), skip Seethe animation and set the Random Seed carefully in Common Controls.