Game Development Community

Water Ripple when Rain

by Andrea Magini · in Torque Game Engine · 02/08/2003 (4:09 am) · 8 replies

Someone know how to implements (or if it is just been implemented) the water ripple on fluids when it rains?

#1
02/08/2003 (4:25 am)
I have a similar question.
I played Rune last week, and I noticed that the rain in that game works similar to what I have in my game, except for one crucial feature. When the rain in Rune touches the ground there's a little splash particle/sprite. I really don't think this would be too hard to do, and with this effect you wouldn't really need a riple on the water, becuase this is already looking good enough (but thats probably just my opinion)
#2
02/08/2003 (9:06 am)
How'bout this. How important is it that it is accurate for your game? If it's not that important, do this: take a look at the water code and you'll want to apply a ripple decal to that water in random locations when it is raining. Every n seconds scale that water decal so it gets bigger simulating the ring expanding. This shouldn't be too-too hard to do if you want to do it.

If it is important that it is accurate, than I would do the following: there is already a splash effect when the player hits the water, if this is a global thing for all ShapeBase objects, modify it so that it does the splash and adds rings that expand like I said above. Then you could have the rain be shape base objects (kind of wasteful in my opinion but if youw ant to do it more power to you) The other way is to look at how the rain is displayed and see if you can make them match up.
#3
02/08/2003 (9:11 am)
I am just wondering if that would cause problems with FPS due to all those rain drops hitting the water and all the ripples...
I guess it would depend on how much water there is..
sounds interesting tho.. : )
#4
02/08/2003 (9:22 am)
Well what you'd want to do is put in some kind of culling, you'd only want to do those ripples inside the players viewable area. Look at Melv's foliage replicator code and see how he did it. I'm sure that uses culling.

As far as FPS hit, I'd say it wouldn't even be noticeable unless you were doing an obcene amount of calculations to determine randrop hits. All you are adding is one quad per raindrop which is just 2 triangles.

Actually, why not modify the foliage into an fxRainStorm or something. Make it make little teeny splashes if it hits the ground, and make ripples if it his the water. Then you've already got his culling and I'm sure it's pretty well optimised as far as object creation etc. It already uses billboards which is what you'd want for the splashes, you'd just need to align the ripple ones with the surface of the water.
#5
02/08/2003 (9:31 am)
You would also most definitely NOT want to make the ripples synch'ed across the network! Doing it all client-side might save you some effort, anyway...
#6
02/08/2003 (9:57 am)
Pat,

Maybe make it so it plays an IFL or a small series of graphics? If particles can already have collision, it would only make sense they could be applied to rain, wouldn't it?

-Eric, MRT
#7
02/08/2003 (10:30 am)
Is rain particles though? I honestly haven't looked into that at all. These were just kind of off the cuff ideas.
#8
02/09/2003 (2:41 am)
great ideas:) thanx guys..
ps: i saw in a melv post about his fluidimprovments, a reply of a guy that wrote "thanx melv, now it ripple when it rain"....
what does this guy mean?