RW - Gerstner

Franz Joseph von Gersnter (1756-1832), a mathematician from Bohemia, invented a theory about the creation of waves based on simple trigonometric functions. The theory assumes a circle-shaped movement of waves, creating a sharp wave with a certain wavelength and amplitude: a trochoid-shaped wave. With small amplitudes the result is very close to a sine curve, but higher amplitudes create sharper waves and clearly visible crests. The modifier’s source-code can also be found under RealFlow’s “plugin” folder.

Since “Gerstner” waves are based on simple functions like sine and cosine, which are summed up over the entire number of mesh vertices, this type is calculated very fast. The disadvantage is the rather uniform look of the waves, so the “Gerstner” modifier is better suited as an underlying displacement for more complex setups.

Active

You can choose between “Yes” and “No”. The active switch is normally only needed with more than one modifier or other sources of wave creation, e.g. travelling objects. Under such circumstances you can disable the appropriate modifier and evaluate the underlying wave structure for fine-tuning.

Weight

With “Weight” it is possible to define a kind of mixing strength. By default, each set of waves contributes to the final result at equal strength and weight. To reduce the influence of a certain modifier, simply decrease its weight. The range starts with 0.0, while 1.0 stands for 100%.

Dir Wave

To change the wave’s direction, enter a value in degrees [deg].

AmpWave

You can adjust the wave’s height with this setting in metres [m]. It is a very sensitive parameter and values of around 0.4 will create intersecting “loops”, showing you the trochoids, mentioned in the introduction. Higher settings create “sharper” waves with more distinctive crests, but this is also dependent on “LengthWave”.

LengthWave

This is simply the distance in metres [m] between the wave crests. Lower values create a denser sequence of waves, while larger ones give you wider gaps.

Speed

Here you can adjust the waves' velocity in metres per second [m/s]