Whitewater

[zoot]

The purpose of this thread is to discuss how visually accurate whitewater may be rendered. Whitewater is the frothy, turbulent water that is seen in waterfalls and rapids:

I guess the main issue to address is where the whitewater should be rendered and secondly how it should be done.

[zoot]

We can assume that we'll eventually have a deformable water plane, like discussed by myconid here.

In this case, it should be safe to say that we'll at least want whitewater at places where the water surface is very steep (i.e. in waterfalls) and in areas where water splashes from above:

[zoot]

This is the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls in Venezuela:

Note particularly, in the end of the video, how the water completely disperses into a smoke-like spray, even without hitting anything. Not that we will need to depict a waterfall of this height, but our water should still tend towards this appearance when falling, if it can.

[Wijitmaker]

I saw this the other day and I was pretty impressed with their water:

http://dear-esther.com/?page_id=37

[Gen.Kenobi]

I saw this the other day and I was pretty impressed with their water:

http://dear-esther.com/?page_id=37

That's Source, my friend. Quite old, yet, amazingly powerful.

[zoot]

I saw this the other day and I was pretty impressed with their water:

http://dear-esther.com/?page_id=37

There is a brief sequence in the video (about 0:55 seconds in) showing falling water. Looks like flat, texture animated polygons:

They have the benefit of a static gameworld, though. It's much trickier for us because we have to make a solution that looks good on any terrain.

Edited July 23, 2012 by zoot

[Sonarpulse]

you know, honestly the best whitewater I was was the little creeks in Skyrim. And a swear it was just a couple layers of animated textures with only specular highlights as an effect. This only applies to splashes and rapids, not waterfalls proper or any bigger waterway, but it's a start.

Look about minute 8

[Sturm]

Hello dear skilled folks...

Anyone dealing with waterfalls nowadays? Is there any way that a non skilled designer could help with the game art, like building paintings or waterfalls?

[Lion.Kanzen]

1 hour ago, Sturm said:

Hello dear skilled folks...

Anyone dealing with waterfalls nowadays? Is there any way that a non skilled designer could help with the game art, like building paintings or waterfalls?

What you mean ?

all can try to help, the project is open.

[Enrique]

5 hours ago, Sturm said:

Hello dear skilled folks...

Anyone dealing with waterfalls nowadays? Is there any way that a non skilled designer could help with the game art, like building paintings or waterfalls?

There's already some waterfalls actors in Atlas under geology/waterfalls

[wackyserious]

A demo on how you can use the waterfalls actor files (water = water terrain)

[Sturm]

I know that anyone can help, but I mean... Is there any boring but useful task that even a non-designer or a non-developer can do to help the project? For example, a 3D model that still needs some texture / painting...

[Stan`]

The question you must ask yourself is what can you do ? And then what do you want to do ? It's always better to work on something you like for you generally produce better work. There are trees to be made animals... Mods need some models to =)

If you are more specific I will be able to find you something. There are Tasklists around to =)