NVIDIA WaveWorks

Cinematic-Quality Ocean Simulation

NVIDIA WaveWorks enables developers to deliver a cinematic-quality ocean simulation for interactive applications. The simulation runs in the frequency domain using spectral wave model for wind waves and displacements plus velocity potentials for interactive waves. A set of inverse FFT steps then transforms to the spatial domain ready for rendering. The NVIDIA WaveWorks simulation is initialized and controlled by a simple C API and the results are accessed for rendering as native graphics API objects. Parameterization is via intuitive real-world variables, such as wind speed and direction. These parameters can be used to tune the look of the sea surface for a wide variety of conditions - from gentle ripples to a heavy storm-tossed ocean based on the Beaufort scale.

PlatformsPC, Linux
DependenciesDX11, DX12, Vulkan
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WaveWorks 2.0 Download

For source or alternative licensing contact your friendly local NVIDIA developer relations representative

Key Features

NVIDIA WaveWorks features include:

  • Spectral wind wave model, based on dual JONSWAP spectra
  • Interactive waves simulation, with dispersion relation
  • Dynamic PBR-ready anisotropic BRDF
  • Foam simulation
  • Multiple simulation LOD settings
  • Quad-tree tile-based geometry generator
  • Host readbacks for in-game physics
  • DX11, DX12, Vulkan
  • A "no graphics" path for clients & servers