diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a403f91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+    "lua.targetVersion": "5.2"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/map_gen/shared/noise_tools.lua b/map_gen/shared/noise_tools.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3528eee3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/map_gen/shared/noise_tools.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+
+-- Noise tools that were originally developed for diggy, but I have moved to shared folder to make them available to other mods
+
+local Perlin = require 'map_gen.shared.perlin_noise'
+local Simplex = require 'map_gen.shared.simplex_noise'
+
+local Noise_tools = {}
+
+-- source of noise for resource generation
+-- index determines offset
+-- '-1' is reserved for cluster mode
+-- compound clusters use as many indexes as needed > 1
+local base_seed
+function Noise_tools.seeded_noise(surface, x, y, index, sources)
+    base_seed = base_seed or surface.map_gen_settings.seed + surface.index + 4000
+    local noise = 0
+    for _, settings in pairs(sources) do
+        settings.type = settings.type or 'perlin'
+        settings.offset = settings.offset or 0
+        if settings.type == 'zero' then
+            noise = noise + 0
+        elseif settings.type == 'one' then
+            noise = noise + settings.weight * 1
+        elseif settings.type == 'perlin' then
+            noise = noise + settings.weight * Perlin.noise(x/settings.variance, y/settings.variance,
+                        base_seed + 2000*index + settings.offset)
+        elseif settings.type == 'simplex' then
+            noise = noise + settings.weight * Simplex.d2(x/settings.variance, y/settings.variance,
+                        base_seed + 2000*index + settings.offset)
+        else
+            Debug.print('noise type \'' .. settings.type .. '\' not recognized')
+        end
+
+    end
+    return noise
+end
+
+return Noise_tools