animating water

[cristoforo]

Perhaps a very simple question, but I have never had to animate water, so have never faced the problem. With which parameters do I need to work to animate the water? I put a noise in the bump map slot, correct? Then, I work with that noise controller in the curve editor of the object? Though, I do not understand how to have control of this noise? Or maybe I am not doing it correctly?

[instinct]

if you put a noise in the bumpmap slot, then you can animate it by animating the "Phase" Parameter

[joconnell]

What type of water? If it's a river, ocean etc I think the handiest thing to do is apply a uvwmap modifier to your ocean object, make all of your noises use explicit mapping channels (the size you use for the noise will be quite small - try size around 0.1 - 0.01 to start) and then animate the uvmap gizmo to make it slide along - If you set two keyframes and then use the out of range curve types set to linear you'll get a constant animation of the water. Then you can turn the map on in the viewport and see how quickly it's moving to gauge the water speed. Also animate the phase of the noise so it undulates a wee bit.

[cristoforo]

I'm looking more for that simple rippling effect than actual moving water. Perhaps animating the phase parameter will do it. Though, this is the confusing part. What exactly do I have to do with that parameter? I have to assign it what type of controller?

[Da_elf]

actually the phase peramiter alone always leaves the view thinking "something just looks off but i cant tell why" its because ripples dont just move up and down they have direction. so yes do animated the phase. however also animate the offset of the noise map. your going to need to do test renders to see what figures work will with your scale

[joconnell]

As da elf mentioned you really need the offset so get a bit of stock footage of water at the scale you want it to be at and see how it looks - try and "trace" the movement of the water in terms of speed of offset and the amount of rippling.

[DaForce]

tie in some ripple/wave modifiers as well... especially if you have water falling into the main water body.. adds a nice effect.