DynaWave

User Manual

If you right click on the Arrows on any spinner control on the interface, it will return to its default value. This can be a simple way to go back to the basic settings of a given parameter.

Using the load and save buttons on the animation panel, you can save and retrieve your current settings. This allows you to build a library of personal settings for different types of fluid behavior.

The main panel has an erase animation button. This allows you to wipe out all the animation on a water object. It can be useful if you need to change something in the water object and don't want the animation to hinder your workflow.

Another useful feature in DynaWave is the Information panel. This panel you can access by clicking on the 'i' button on the lower right corner of the interface.

This panel contains information that will let you determine how long a simulation will take and will also show information you can use to streamline your scene so that you get a faster simulation.

The effectors panel has a special feature that will allow you to select in the effector list objects that have a specific name. Suppose you have named your effectors 'Stone...'. Click on the Select by Name button and enter the word 'Stone' and click OK. DynaWave will enable as effectors all the objects that start with that name. If you always create effectors using DynaWave you might never use this feature, but you might need it someday.

Tips

Realistic Water Surfacing

To make a realistic water simulation takes more than simulating the motion of the fluid. You need to create a convincing water texture. I have included a few materials you can try in the DWwater.mlb file, just make sure you have RAYTRACING on (perhaps RAYCAST too). It is best to use the material to paint just the top part of the water surface and have the bottom to have a different texture (rocks, sand, tiles, etc).

For ocean water use a greenish tint and Frank Ramsey's Crumple Shader:

http://fjramsay.simplenet.com/

Look under his shader section. I highly recommend this shader for water surfacing.

Odd Shaped Water Surfaces

To make odd shaped water surfaces you can either deform your geometry or paint the stuff you don't want with a transparent texture that won't show up at render time.

Splashes

To make water splashes you can animate a metaball object coming out from the center of the splash (or even just a deformed sphere).

Wakes

Remember to place your effectors ahead of a moving object when making wakes at fast speeds. This will ensure that your object is always behind the water it is pushing.

Faster Response

If you want a faster reaction time while experimenting try the following:

1. Set your scene to wireframe (in D3D mode it's the fastest).
2. Close unnecessary display views (each redraw slows it down).
3. Set your step to 3 or 4.
4. Uncheck Record Keys.
5. Reduce the Life Span to perhaps 20 or 30.

When you are ready to simulate the final version you might want to go back to the original settings to get the accurate results back. Note that when you use the parameters above, the amplitude of the water disturbance will diminish, so when you go back to normal settings you might see a larger amplitude than expected.

Smart Subdivision

When you need to have a large water area but only part of it will have wakes and ripples, you can subdivide your mesh accordingly. Select the faces on the area that will need greater detail and subdivide those. That way your water surface will have areas of different mesh density and you can spare some processing power on the areas that don't need it.

Expand your mind!