# Tile Providers (Samples)

Tile Providers decide **which prefab** to spawn for each grid cell managed by `ProceduralTileManager`. They are **deterministic** (given the same seed and cell coordinates, you get the same result), so streaming in/out won’t cause visible popping inconsistencies.

All providers implement:

```csharp
public interface IProceduralTileProvider
{
    GameObject GetPrefabForCell(Vector2Int cell);
}
```

Create them via **Assets → Create → Runtime Navmesh Baker → …** and assign the asset to `ProceduralTileManager → Provider Asset`.

> Tip: For the best experience with runtime baking, set **`NavMeshBakeProfile.Bake Mode = Grid Cells`** and match **`Profile.Cell Size XZ`** to **`ProceduralTileManager.Tile Size XZ`**.

***

### 1) Weighted Hash Tile Provider

**Menu:** `Runtime Navmesh Baker / Weighted Hash Tile Provider`\
**Use when:** You want **deterministic random** variety with simple weighting (e.g., 70% grass, 25% dirt, 5% rock), no noise fields needed.

#### How it works (high level)

* Computes a **stable 32-bit hash** from `(cellX, cellY, seed)`.
* Converts that hash into a float `r ∈ [0,sum)` where `sum` is the total weight of all entries.
* Walks your list of **(Prefab, Weight)** entries and picks the prefab whose cumulative range contains `r`.

#### Key fields

* **Entries (Prefab, Weight):** List of candidates; non-negative weights.
* **Seed:** Changes the arrangement while preserving weights.

#### Characteristics

* **Deterministic:** Same seed → same layout.
* **Even distribution:** Over large areas, frequencies approach weights.
* **No spatial coherence:** Adjacent cells are independent (which can be desirable for patchy variety).

#### Tips

* Use **larger weights** for common tiles, tiny weights (e.g., 0.05) for rare “interest” tiles.
* For **biomes / clusters**, use a Noise provider instead (below) or layer this with a biome map that gates which entries are eligible.

***

### 2) Improved Noise Tile Provider

**Menu:** `Runtime Navmesh Baker / Improved Noise Tile Provider`\
**Use when:** You want **organic, coherent regions** (biomes/bands) with controllable chaos and detail.

#### How it works (high level)

* Starts with **domain-warped fractal noise (fBM)**:
  * Optional **domain warp** perturbs the input before sampling (adds swirls/eddies).
  * **fBM** sums multiple Perlin octaves (frequency ↑, amplitude ↓) for rich detail.
* The final value `n ∈ [0,1]` is **remapped** (via curve) and **jittered** (small per-cell offset).
* Maps `n` into a **band index** to choose a prefab from your array.

#### Key fields

* **Prefabs\[]:** Ordered bands across 0..1 (e.g., \[water, sand, grass, rock, snow]).
* **Base Frequency:** Size of the broad features (lower = larger landmasses).
* **Octaves / Persistence / Lacunarity:** fBM detail and roughness controls.
* **Warp Amplitude / Warp Frequency:** Strength and scale of domain warp (more warp → twisty patterns).
* **Remap (AnimationCurve):** Re-shape the 0..1 distribution (e.g., bias toward mid/ends).
* **Band Jitter:** Tiny per-cell variation to break band edges.
* **Seed:** Controls the global pattern deterministically.

#### Characteristics

* **Spatial coherence:** Neighboring cells tend to match, forming natural regions.
* **Highly tunable:** From smooth continents to noisy patchwork.
* **Deterministic:** Same seed/params → same map.

#### Tips

* Start simple: **Octaves=3**, **Persistence≈0.5**, **Lacunarity≈2.0**.
* Increase **warpAmplitude** slightly (0.5–1.0) to avoid obvious Perlin “ridges”.
* Use **Remap** curve to emphasize certain biomes (e.g., lower half as “plains”).
* Ensure **Prefabs\[]** ordering matches your intended bands (0=lowest noise, last=highest).

***

### 3) Simple Noise Tile Provider

**Menu:** `Runtime Navmesh Baker / Noise Tile Provider`\
**Use when:** You want **fast, lightweight** coherent regions without the extra warp/fBM controls.

#### How it works (high level)

* Samples plain **Perlin noise** at `(cell + small hashed offset) * frequency`.
* Maps noise `n ∈ [0,1]` directly into a **band index** to pick a prefab.

#### Key fields

* **Prefabs\[]:** Ordered bands across 0..1.
* **Frequency:** Controls feature size (lower = broader regions).
* **Seed:** Changes the arrangement deterministically.

#### Characteristics

* **Very cheap** and simple.
* **Coherent** regions, but less control than “Improved Noise”.
* Great for **prototypes** and **mobile** targets.

#### Tips

* If you see noticeable grid alignment, reduce **Frequency** or increase the internal offset by tweaking `frequency` and your cell size.
* For more variety, move up to **Improved Noise** (adds octaves, warp, and remap).

***

### Choosing a Provider

| Goal                                         | Best Choice        | Why                                                    |
| -------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Simple weighted randomness (no regions)      | **Weighted Hash**  | Exact frequency control, deterministic, no noise setup |
| Natural biomes / bands with artistic control | **Improved Noise** | fBM + warp + remap + jitter → most flexibility         |
| Lightweight coherent regions                 | **Simple Noise**   | Minimal parameters, fast, good defaults                |

***

### Performance & Determinism Notes

* All providers are **stateless** and **deterministic** given `(cell, seed)`. You can stream tiles in/out safely.
* Prefab lookups are **O(1)** for noise providers and **O(N)** for the weighted list (N = number of entries).
* Keep prefab counts reasonable, especially for mobile. Use **pooling** in the `ProceduralTileManager`.

***

### Quick Start (Recommended Defaults)

* **Weighted Hash**
  * 3–6 entries, weights add up to any positive number.
  * Seed = any integer (change to shuffle globally).
* **Improved Noise**
  * Base Frequency: `0.25`
  * Octaves: `3`
  * Persistence: `0.5`
  * Lacunarity: `2.0`
  * Warp Amplitude: `0.75`, Warp Frequency: `0.5`
  * Band Jitter: `0.05–0.1`
* **Simple Noise**
  * Frequency: `0.1–0.2`
  * Prefabs: order bands intentionally (low→high noise).