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I posted a question about procedural noise (one of two example questions about noise from the Definition phase which received 10 upvotes), and got a close vote "because it doesn't pertain to computer graphics programming specifically". So a meta discussion it is...

Are questions about procedural graphics generation in general and noise functions in particular on topic for this site?

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    $\begingroup$ Yes, why not. However the question you point to has a quality that can not be answered. $\endgroup$
    – joojaa
    Aug 4, 2015 at 19:54
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    $\begingroup$ @joojaa What is that quality? The Wikipedia post concisely lists 5 (objective) advantages of Simplex noise over Perlin noise. I'm asking if there are any such bullet points the other way round. I think that's a very specific, objectively answerable question. $\endgroup$
    – Martin Ender
    Aug 4, 2015 at 19:56
  • $\begingroup$ yes but the hidden advantages are not of computational, its more about historical innertia $\endgroup$
    – joojaa
    Aug 4, 2015 at 19:59
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    $\begingroup$ Absolutely this is a computer graphics topic! $\endgroup$
    – Octopus
    Aug 4, 2015 at 20:23
  • $\begingroup$ It's absolutely on topic, the trouble with the question is that you'll only get responses if the answer is "yes". The answer in this case is probably no, but maybe that's only because nobody has thought of a "yes" answer - thus there are no responses. Three logicians walk into a bar... $\endgroup$
    – Jorge Rodriguez
    Aug 4, 2015 at 20:52

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Yes, noise generation is very common in computer graphics and questions about noise generation algorithms for graphics are certainly on-topic here.

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The reason why I raised a VTC flag is because it doesn't ask a question regarding computer graphics, specifically. Noise generation is useful in many fields, not just computer graphics (or programming in general). It's a mathematical algorithm that isn't graphics specific.

That being said, Perlin (and now, I suppose, simplex) noise is very common throughout the computer graphics field (Minecraft, anyone?). A slight rewording of the question would definitely make it on-topic.

That being said, the question as it stands, arguably on/off topic, is still a good question that I'd personally love to see answered.

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    $\begingroup$ Noise generation is useful in many fields. Perlin noise generation OTOH was specifically invented for the purpose of texturing computer graphics. Its not just some abstract bit of mathematics that turned out to be very useful in CG, and IMHO even if it was it would still be on topic. $\endgroup$
    – Simon Jenkins
    Aug 5, 2015 at 2:01

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