VFX Artist Zheng shares his technique for creating realistic ocean waves that lap up on a beach. Zheng offers a step by step look into creating beach waves in Houdini, using the FLIP Tank and WhiteWater tools in Houdini 13.
Many asked me how I made the beach simulation. So I decide to create this step by step tutorial to share my techniqueZheng
The water is generated with the Houdini FLIP Tank. The FLIP Tank will generate the node network to create a box that is half filled with FLIP fluid material, containing the fluid in the box.
In getting a realistic wave simulation going, much of the look of waves on a beach are the foam and bubbles that are created by the motion of the waves. This is where the Houdini Whitewater solver comes in. The Whitewater solver simulates foam, spray and bubbles based off of a liquid simulation.
Carlos Parmentier also had a great look at creating continual beach waves in Houdini, using some similar methods. Check out the post Creating Continuous Beach Waves With Houdini Fluids.
