Water ripples via bump map

n.jmurov

I'm trying to create a water surface with a shark fin showing above it and it looks somewhat unrealistic without ripples behind it. As I need some pretty subtle ripples, I think it can be achieved via a bump map. But how can I find the place on the map where the ripples should be applied to? It's a rather huge object with waves so it can be rather hard to find and position precisely, I think.

Thanks.

SickleYield

If you have a 3d paint program, you can export the whole scene to it and paint the bump there. If you were hoping to do it with just a 2D program then yes, it's going to be harder.

Many products come with a template you can download from your Products section of your DAZ account. You can back up the ocean piece's existing bump map, then experiment with painting on it on the template around where you think the shark fin is until you narrow it down.

n.jmurov

SickleYield said:

a 3d paint program

Can it be done in Blender or Sculptris?

SickleYield

n.jmurov said:

SickleYield said:

a 3d paint program

Can it be done in Blender or Sculptris?

Sure, I use Blender. In that case you should use displacement, or a morph, not bump.

Export the scene from DS as obj. Don't use Blender scale, the rotation is messed up; use Poser instead.

Import to Blender. Select the obj and tab into edit mode.

Select a vert on the water and ctrl L, then P to separate it. This way you can still see where the shark fin is when you sculpt. I'm assuming here that the water is its own mesh piece in DS; if it's part of a land or other piece this won't work.

On the imported and isolated ocean piece, go to modifier--multirez. Add at least 3 multirez and set preview to 1.

Sculpt the ripples around the fin area.

Go to the Bake panel and choose Displacement and check From Multirez on its options. Bake. You can find your new map on the UV image editor screen (you'll need to create a window for that in Blender if you don't normally have one). Use those options to save it out.

Now you can load this displacement map and use it in DS, applying it in your surface tab. If the water already has a displacement map you may need to combine them in a 2D image editor first (give it a new name so you don't overwrite the old one).

n.jmurov

Thanks SickleYield. Sounds like a rather advanced technique but I'll give it a go.

Szark

Man I wish I new how to do it that way many years ago when I did this http://itiseyemeeszark.deviantart.com/#/art/Gone-Fishing-289430807?hf=1 It was long winded matching up the wake with the birds beak, back and forth from Photoshop and DS until I had it right. Done with a displacement and bump map.