# Caustics **URL:** \ **Category:** Help Required\ **Created:** [July 31, 2023, 9:04pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381 "2023-07-31T21:04:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dj\_buckley\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@dj\_buckley\_1](https://forums.chaos.com/u/dj_buckley_1)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 9:04pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381/1 "2023-07-31T21:04:56Z")
Whenever I render pool caustics I always get these odd looking areas. I don’t really know how to describe other than it looks like the same effect you’d get on texture on the sides of a box if you applied texture mapping in planar mode rather than box. I don’t see them in any references photos of swimming pools etc. The water is simply a flat piece of geometry displaced with Phoenix FD Ocean Tex. So I’m wondering if its an artifact caused by Corona’s displacement? ![CAUSTICS.JPG](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/8/b/8bd7422a4e608dbdd2e66f9649168f9b5780bed7.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![beanzvision](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/beanzvision/32/235528_2.png) [@beanzvision](https://forums.chaos.com/u/beanzvision)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 5:35am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381/2 "2023-08-01T05:35:53Z")
Isn’t this how it works in real-life too? 😉 ![caustics.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/4/6/463176a570628c5a2b0ab2afa89c6468fef8c2c1.jpeg) ![caustics.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/4/6/463176a570628c5a2b0ab2afa89c6468fef8c2c1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![dj\_buckley\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@dj\_buckley\_1](https://forums.chaos.com/u/dj_buckley_1)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 6:08am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381/3 "2023-08-01T06:08:59Z")
Not sure. I guess that’s what I was trying to ask ---
**Author:** ![dj\_buckley\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@dj\_buckley\_1](https://forums.chaos.com/u/dj_buckley_1)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 6:37am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381/4 "2023-08-01T06:37:44Z")
Maybe they just look really artificial in Corona because I’m struggling to find an example that looks like the render ![18_gh3-NSP-pool_towards_entry.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/b/c/bcaeba2e53f3b4438c1b3fc269e756e4658a959d.jpeg) ![refraction-sunlight-swimming-pool-water-footage-088264078_prevstill.webp](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/4X/f/1/f/f1fb2bf17d41eb5a4c372ad84fd22e994e5ab7ab.webp) ![62566986-swimming-pool-underwater-with-sunlight-light-refractions.webp](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/0/a/0a2dc6a6fb132fa985801cea909748f3e6422e29.webp) ![6492133f31fb4.image.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/f/2/f2c8e2ac6d830de3b6cde5c4be4bbf8bfc7c3aaf.jpeg) ![83654269-aerial-top-view-of-woman-in-swimming-pool-water-from-above-tropical-vacation-holaday-concept.webp](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/4X/d/9/0/d905399854f908dc75b27524c017b8a5258eacc4.webp) ![7ffa45b7ced869bf7c0f3885bdc328a257a48e76.jpeg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/7/7/77b6e758582efb9859506835d108a6f94857413a.jpeg) ![woman-relaxing-mattress-pool_23-2147814746.avif](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/1/f/1f1ba0941475253b27d96f3c95f7ffa2be1e2a38.avif) ![woman-relaxing-mattress-swimming-pool_23-2147814744.avif](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/2/a/2aef94e48f4573e8a65e7eb6f2e4e271dab5154b.avif) ---
**Author:** ![beanzvision](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/beanzvision/32/235528_2.png) [@beanzvision](https://forums.chaos.com/u/beanzvision)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 7:43am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381/5 "2023-08-01T07:43:47Z")
There are plenty of examples out there 😉 ![caustics4.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/4/0/40b3f73a65f9634cd9ca2c7ea61b0362618a3cf9.jpeg) ![caustics3.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/e/4/e446fe744c4540c147f8eb1ec7ba41573afa37e1.jpeg) ![caustics2.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/e/5/e57d4af6351a97b1001e87713fa8dd9f661d390f.jpeg) ![caustics4.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/4/0/40b3f73a65f9634cd9ca2c7ea61b0362618a3cf9.jpeg) ![caustics3.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/e/4/e446fe744c4540c147f8eb1ec7ba41573afa37e1.jpeg) ![caustics2.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/e/5/e57d4af6351a97b1001e87713fa8dd9f661d390f.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![dj\_buckley\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@dj\_buckley\_1](https://forums.chaos.com/u/dj_buckley_1)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 7:46am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381/6 "2023-08-01T07:46:28Z")
I can’t help but notice all of the samples you’ve posted are really shallow water with uneven ground below the surface. Maybe that makes a difference ---
**Author:** ![AltoR](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/altor/32/33160_2.png) [@AltoR](https://forums.chaos.com/u/AltoR)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 7:54am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381/7 "2023-08-01T07:54:48Z")
Hi, @dj_buckley your render doesn’t look odd to me. It looks pretty realistic actually. I mean, if I hadn’t read this post and I saw your render, I wouldn’t say caustics look fake. And given all the examples posted here it looks like there’s nothing wrong with your render, but that’s just my point of view. ---
**Author:** ![dj\_buckley\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@dj\_buckley\_1](https://forums.chaos.com/u/dj_buckley_1)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 7:56am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381/8 "2023-08-01T07:56:58Z")
I’m happy to accept that. I think I just found them distracting and now it’s a case of, what has been seen can’t be unseen 😃 ---
**Author:** ![beanzvision](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/beanzvision/32/235528_2.png) [@beanzvision](https://forums.chaos.com/u/beanzvision)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2023, 8:05am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/caustics/156381/9 "2023-08-01T08:05:23Z")
Good ole’ fashioned optical distortion 😃