That's how you can do it but it does take some careful finessing.

That was quick Mark. Thanks.
Have you any "easier" suggestions?

 I saw a trick that is used in Bryce that could be something.
The idea was to duplicate the ocean primitive and adjust the height so it just pops through at the highest point (make primitive higher and lower the whole thing). Then shade with a nifty foam-like shader (I imagine 'cells' in the bump map).

As I am typing this, I realise that this system only works if there is no transparancy.
The workaround is of course to render the foam in a seperate version, where the ocean is 100% black, and then put the foam render on top of the render in Photoshop, with the blending mode set to 'lighten'.
But then you should have Photoshop...

Another way I can imagine is Boolean substraction, but I have no idea if that works with the ocean primitive, and if it brings a computer to a screeching stop...

Hope this helps. Not sure though... :-)

 A height map is a good solution because it's dynamic and you can can adjust the blend with noise.

However, the easiest solution (meaning that there is no fiddling with numbers) is to convert the ocean primitive to a vertex mesh, UV map it, export the texture map and then paint your ocean with foam and import it as a texture map in the shader room.

... with a little handy photoshopping you could also create an alpha map and a displacement map to create 'real' 3D foam (that was what I was imagining).

But just painting it on the waves could be all one needs for most shots you can imagine using the ocean primitive.

Making stuff unneccesairly (?) complicated is best to avoid. I should now by now :-)

Thank you both. Using the duplicate primitives "poke through" leads to a very sharp diferrence which is unreal.
Marks vertex method sound a realistic alternative but may be just as time consuming as the first idea?
Still, will investigate both.
Brian

Hi. I dont have experience with that shader. What I usually do in these instances is use a bright color in the Color channel to experiment. Start at zero for a height. Then raise it until you see something. Eventually the color should rise up on the object and you can find the right "height". This should be done on a dummy shader. Once you have that height to where you just see color at the very top of the object, copy the channel. Then paste it to the appropriate channel in your "real" shader. I know that is much harder than it sounds, but that is the only way I have found to get that effect. I have an image I did a couple of years ago here that has a shoreline foam. That is the technique I used on that. http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1098481 Of course this water has no height. It was just a flat plane. I actually placed the foam on the terrain object. But I believe you can use the same technique on the ocean object. I look forward to seeing your progress on it. If I get some time this weekend I will see if I can come up with something as well.

The DCG shader plugins which give (edge) shoreline foam effects are brilliant and I have posts elswhere. That is the principle, using those plugins, that are the subject of my first post.

I am just experimenting with a (?) shortcut possibility before I go back to the original discusion.

In this latest fiddle I do not seem to be getting the height effects I want--mabe the whole shader tree layout is wrong?

http://tinyurl.com/2ys3wl

Here's a simplistic version of whitecaps I made using just elevation.

It's possible you may have to be a member of Yahoo DAZ Carrara group to access this link.

Quote - http://tinyurl.com/2ys3wl

Here's a simplistic version of whitecaps I made using just elevation.

It's possible you may have to be a member of Yahoo DAZ Carrara group to access this link.

Patrick- I get a "document not found" and I'm a DAZ Carraga group member....

Maybe you have to be logged in, sorry. You can always access it from the  Yahoo DAZ Carrara Group files under Patrick210 stuff, whitecaps avi.

That's probably it. Thanks :)

Thanks Patrick

Sounds like a fun challenge for Anything Goos.

HEY!, what a novel concept Shonner!
Lead off-----

I'm 600 miles from my studio at the moment.  Should be back tomorrow.

Attached Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXRb0aSqqBU

Here's another ocean primitive anmation, larger scale, no foam. I used absorption around the island. YouTube kind of blurred it out in the middle, but you get the idea of using the primitive on a large scale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgZCW_IsB-4

 Ok, real foam stays on the surface and floats around.  Aren't you after a "spray" or something? - I lack the word - but I've seen foam that floats around and wraps up in things.  I've seen it stick to my nets when I've fished, and cling to my gloves.

Could you use a surface replicator to put something with substance on the surface?  It would move with the waves, but not just limited to the crest of the waves - 

Nice video Patrick.

If you want just the wave crests, it would need to be elevation - mentioned earlier - maybe with AG on the elevation channel.  

Can't wait to the see what you come up with.

Keep up with the solutions--any help to my slow old brain is always welcome.

Brian, did you download the file? The movie is okay, just shows how the elevation works - but I've been playing with it and it makes pretty good crest disturbances -

Yes I have downloaded it but have not opened it yet.
By coincidence?, a Digital Tuters post about RealWave in Real Flow was posted between your posts. I have just downloaded the four free movies.
I have the light version of RealFlow but, watching the movies just slightly as they were downloading, I can see the potential for a lot of approaches which could possible be applied in Carrara.

Digital-Tutors Newsletter [webmaster@digitaltutors.com]

WOW, you have all given me hours of experiments to work on.
Thanks.
Brian

http://www.digitaltutors.com/newsletter/03_07_08.html

This might be better--see a little lower in the page for the RealFlow stuff.

Looks great Brian - makes me want to go sailing.

Hope you did not drive that 600miles!
Any chance of seeing  the shader set up please Shonner.

Attached Link: http://www.shonner.com/drafts/water.car

Here is the file.
http://www.shonner.com/drafts/water.car

Do you have Enhance:C listed 4 times like I do?

Yes, I think thats normal?

I just now noticed it.  The lists are different though for the dupes.  So I guess it is normal.

There is only the one Enhance C file in the C6 Extensions folder.
You may want to highlight the duplication to Eric.

You must be selecting a slot that allows topmost shaders and normal channel shaders. You're seeing the groups of Enhance:C top most shaders (stuff that works like multichannel or layers) and the stuff that works at the channel level (things that work like multiply and color).

Regards,

 Great that you are keeping a fatherly eye on us Eric. Thanks.

However, this dumb one can not clearly understand what you are saying?

(I have a suspicion that, if you can be more explanatory, a lot of other puzzles will be cleared up!)

PS--Ahhhh?---I have the preferences set so shaders are seen regardless of context--it goes way ,way back to a landscape tute by Cajomi that could not be done untill after pleading for an answer to the difficulty, ----Johannes told me of the need to make that change.

Quote - You must be selecting a slot that allows topmost shaders and normal channel shaders. You're seeing the groups of Enhance:C top most shaders (stuff that works like multichannel or layers) and the stuff that works at the channel level (things that work like multiply and color).

Regards,

I figured that's what I was doing.  Normally I'm inbetween a bump and a grout texture and don't see the extra ones.

Quote -  Great that you are keeping a fatherly eye on us Eric. Thanks.

However, this dumb one can not clearly understand what you are saying?

(I have a suspicion that, if you can be more explanatory, a lot of other puzzles will be cleared up!)

PS--Ahhhh?---I have the preferences set so shaders are seen regardless of context--it goes way ,way back to a landscape tute by Cajomi that could not be done untill after pleading for an answer to the difficulty, ----Johannes told me of the need to make that change.

To me it means that Enhance:C can be master of an entire shader, or be mastered by a shader's channel's operator.  Some parts of a shader tree allow Enhance:C to do either role.

My version (.avi file, 2MB, needs XViD codec):

ciadasideias.com.br/noviski/imagens/ocean_foam_test.avi

I made it without plugins. Looks fine in a still image, but doesn't in animation. Keep trying...

Thats brilliant Noviski! Thanks.

Any chance of having a copy of the file or .the .cbr please?

With the DCG plugins you could have a wow foam attached to the motor boats movements as well!

Thank you, Brian!

Sure, you can download the .cbr here:

Ocean Foam

The .car file you can get here:

Ocean Scene

The cool thing about this shader is, you can play around with the Color Channel, at the Gradient Color, to create the foam's amount, depending the size of your ocean primitive. Just it! Don't needs to touch at the other channels. ;)

Keep us updated about your progress.

Here in South Australia we are having the longest Heat Wave in recorded history EVER!. (Days consistently over 35C)--and it's supposed to be Autumn!
Will it make, again, over 40 today?
I have not done any serious 3D stuff over the last 10 days--the minds a real mush!

Great thanks for those files mate--will play with when the temp is down to 30C!

Brian

What is a .cbr file? I downloaded the .car file and it is a nice mix of shaders - simple is best. I didn't think to use the gradient - snow already applies to elevation... good thinking. Has anyone seen a 3D puffin?