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With this daemon it is possible to translate the information of an ocean statistical spectrum or a displacement map into forces. An ocean statistical spectrum, or just OSS, is a method of creating absolutely realistic waves structures. The main purpose is to apply waves of different sizes to a Hybrido fluid surface, but “Ocean Force” also affects standard SPH particles, Hybrido secondaries, and rigid/soft bodies.

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This parameter field is only accessible when “Force type” is set to “Image”. To load an image (sequence), right-click on the small chess board, and choose “Load image”. Then, a new dialogue appears. For a detailed description of the features and parameters of this panel, please take a look at the “Mapped Parameters” chapter below.

 Time Factor

If you have already worked with RealFlow's Graphs system or one of the demo scenes, e.g. “apply_stat_spectrum” then you have most probably already seen the “Time factor” setting. This parameter allows you to control the wave surface's speed. Values greater than 1.0 will accelerate the waves, while values smaller than 1.0 can be used to decelerate them. The advantage is that the waves' speed can be adjusted without changing any other parameter. Another plus is that the “Ocean Statistical Spectrum” settings from RealFlow Graphs, Hybrido, and RealWave have been unified as far as possible. This way, you will be able to get exactly the same results with identical settings in all three environments. "Time factor" is a dimensionless value and accepts floats – it works as a multiplier.

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This parameter affects the dispersion of the waves and is only noticed if the length of the wave is close to the value of the depth. In these cases this parameter has a decelerating effect on the wave's dispersion. In most cases you will not see any effects or changes, because depth is normally rather high compared to the length of the waves. The parameter's unit is metres [m].

Dimension

With this parameter it is possible to change the appearance of the fluid surface. This value can be seen acts like a scaling factor and is given in [m]. When you, for example, enter metres. With a value of 500, the distribution and scale of the waves will look as if the domain covers an a squared area of 500 m x 500 m, although the physical dimensions of the domain did not change at all. Please note that you can enter only one value, because the shape of the displacement is always considered as squared. When you change “Dimension” you will most probably have to modify “@ preview height scale”. “Dimension” and “Resolution” are directly connected:

Level of detail [m] = Dimension [m] :

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Resolution

An example: Let’s assume you have created a surface with a “Quality” “Dimension” of 1024 400 m and a “Resolution” of 400 m1024. The smallest structures you can observe on this ocean will have a size of 0.39 m according to the formula above:

400 m (Dimension) : 1024 (Resolution) = 0.39

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m

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Wind speed

You can enter any positive or negative value, including 0. “Wind speed” can strongly influence and affect the look of the surface. The parameter's unit is metres per second [m/s].

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With small values only waves which are totally perpendicular to the waves' direction are removed. When “Wind alignment” is increased, RealFlow will remove more and more waves; waves which are less perpendicular. If the value is very high, only those waves which are absolutely parallel to the wind direction will remain.

Min Wave Length

With “Min Wave Length” the amount of details on the surface can be controlled. Higher values flatten the surface and create fewer ripples. Please keep in mind that the parameter is connected to “Dimension”. When entering lower values, this parameter should be decreased, too, to guarantee that the RealWave object still shows enough structures. 

Weight Against Wind

This is a weighting parameter for waves which are moving to some extent in the opposite direction to the wind. If “Weight Against Wind” is 0.0 then all waves against the wind are eliminated. If it is set to 1.0 then its normal strength is used. Values between determine the amount of waves being eliminated. 

Seed

A seed value is used to generate different initial conditions. This helps you to create different looks of the waves with a single click. You might already know this feature from RealWave's “Fractal” modifier. There you can also influence the waves with a new seed. This value is dimensionless and accepts integers.

Repeat U/V

Since the displacement is calculated from a texture map it is also possible to define the number of repetitions both in U and V direction of the mesh grid. U and V coordinates are related to the UV grid that is created with the mesh. Displacement maps are seamless, though very high values are very likely to create regular patterns on the surface. This value is dimensionless and accepts integers.

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