Rendering Natural Waters

Abstract

Creating and rendering realistic water is one of the most daunting tasks in computer graphics. Realistic rendering of water requires that the sunlight and skylight illumination are correct, the water surface is modeled accurately and that the light transport within water body is properly handled. This paper describes a method for wave generation on a water surface using a physically‐based approach. The wave generation uses data from the oceanographical observations and it is controlled by intuitive parameters such as wind speed and wind direction. The optical behavior of the water surfaces is complex but is well‐described in the ocean science literature. We present a simple and intuitive light transport approach that is easy to use for many different water types such as deep ocean water, muddy coastal water, and fresh water bodies. We demonstrate our model for a number of water and atmospheric conditions.