Classic Trick To Fake Flowing Water Without Fluid Simulation

Some of the most creative ideas come from finding ways to work within limitations, especially when dealing with low-end hardware or technical restrictions. Art doesn't have to be realistic to be effective either, as this claymation-style Blender scene of a bathroom sink by Glum_Glaw shows.

The artist used the same idea old games used for water, fire, and more, even facial expressions: animated textures. Here, they utilized procedural clouds and musgrave textures to create displacement, then animated empties to move the texture. In addition to better performance, this setup allows for a more stylized and controlled result.

Animated textures are still everywhere today, they're definitely not a forgotten trick. But if you're curious how older games dealt with water aside from using a simple static texture, employing animated or scrolling textures (that's how the Water Temple water in Ocarina of Time was made, for example), and beyond, check out Digital Foundry's videos:

For those looking for more retro game dev techniques, here's an article on some visual tricks. This article by David Reinig, former Lead Senior 3D Programmer at Ubisoft, on the rendering technology used in Tomb Raider III, is also an interesting read.

And while you're at it, don't miss Lucas Piazzini's fantastic Forgotten Metal Knowledge video:

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