patternfour

Patternfour is a term used in generative design and algorithmic composition to describe a modular pattern framework that combines four elementary subpatterns to create a larger motif. It defines four base templates (A, B, C, D), a tiling rule for placing them, and a blending function that transitions between templates across the final pattern. The approach emphasizes symmetry, locality, and scalability, allowing complex textures and animations to be produced from compact parameters.

In a typical implementation, a patternfour system specifies the four templates, a layout rule (often a 2x2 grid but adaptable to recursive subdivision), a transition or blending function (such as linear interpolation, noise-based weighting, or modular switching), and a random seed for variation. The resulting pattern can be deterministic with a fixed seed or probabilistic with controlled randomness.

Applications include generative art, textile or surface design, procedural content in games, and data visualization where repeating modules convey structure while remaining varied.

Variants explore different tiling strategies, such as expanding to 3x3 grids, embedding the pattern in hierarchical levels, or integrating rule-based transitions. Patternfour can be used with vector or raster templates and is valued for producing diverse outputs from a small parameter set.

The term arose in discussions of modular design within early 2010s generative art literature and has since circulated in design tooling and academic contexts as a flexible family of techniques. See also related concepts such as pattern, tiling, and procedural generation.