Animating 3D water Ripples

[macievelli]

SHout out to the 3D heads out there. I''m trying to figure out how to solve this particular modeling dilemna. This is a Pshop mock-up of what the modeled scene should look like:

What I am attempting to do is to have the eye/sphere thing lift up out of the flat grey surface, then have a drop or two of the grey liquid drip into the surface, causing a few small ripples to extend out in a ring for a small ways. I've tried looking through the several apps I have (TrueSpace 6.6, Max 6, Swift 3D v3) and cannot find any tutorials for functionality for this. I can handle the modeling aspects, but the fluid dynamics are driving me nuts.

I've been modeling and rendering for years, just never gotten into animation. I can't seem to find any tutorials on this either. Just for reference, this is the site entry point for my company Artist@Large, so please, if you snag it don't reproduce it. This is my life and my work. (Not to imply that it's all that spectacular or anything...)

I know this might seem to some to be shameless self promotion, but I honestly need help with this problem. Any help or links you can offer are greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[Black Morty Rackham]

It's actually really simple, if your 3D application has either a ripple deformation tool or a ripple texture and textured displacement.

Create a polygon, or spline, or whatever, a bunch of vertexes (fairly high-resolution mesh), starting at origin and heading out to either left and right. Lathe it. Apply the deformation. With a lathed surface instead of a simple rectangular mesh, the ripples will look a lot better. Use sub-division surfaces or NURB-surfaces for smoother results. Make sure the logo thing is exactly in the middle of the lathed surface.

No dynamics is needed. Simply animate the period or length of the waves.