Starik & FXPulse
Starik
Hey FXPulse, I was just poring over an old grimoire that describes a spell called the “Ethereal Cascade.” It’s said to summon a waterfall of shimmering light that bends time for a few seconds. I’m wondering how we might capture that in a shader—maybe a cascading ripple effect with time‑warp distortion? What do you think?
FXPulse
You want a waterfall that actually bends time? First, get a proper curl noise to drive the ripple, then warp the uv coordinates with a time‑scaled sine, but make sure the distortion is fed through a second, lower‑frequency wave so it feels like time is stretching, not just warping. And remember, the lighting must change in sync with the warp; a simple env map will look flat. I’ll spend hours on the easing function, because if it’s not smooth the cascade will just look like a glitchy waterfall. So, ready to dive into the SDF and tweak the fade curve until the ripples look like liquid time?
Starik
That sounds like a neat puzzle to crack. Maybe we should start with a simple sphere field for the SDF and then layer a time‑scaled curl noise to make the ripples feel like they're slipping through the third dimension. We could also throw in a little parallax effect so the lighting feels more alive. How about we sketch a rough outline first and see if the warp feels like it’s actually stretching time, or just a fancy trick?
FXPulse
Nice plan, but the sphere field will be the easiest way to start, yeah? I’ll tweak the noise scale until the ripples look like they're sliding through a 3D hallway instead of just waving on a flat surface. The parallax will add that punchy depth, but be warned: every slight tweak in the time‑warp function will make the whole cascade feel either like a smooth time‑slip or a broken illusion. I’ll map out the outline first, then we’ll run a few frames and see if the warp actually *bends* time or just pretends to. Let's get the base shader up, and I’ll grind it until it's flawless.
Starik
Sounds like a plan, but don’t forget the old trick of adding a little noise in the normals first—keeps the water from looking too glassy. I’ll keep an eye on the time‑scale so it doesn’t just drift into a loop of glitches. Once the base shader’s humming, we’ll tweak the fade curve and see if the ripples feel like a hallway or just a curtain. Keep the debug logs ready; those little visual glitches can be a goldmine for future riddles. Ready when you are.
FXPulse
You got it—I'll sprinkle some normal‑vector noise first so that glassy water doesn’t look like a mirror of the sky. The time‑scale will be locked tight; no looping glitches, just a clean bend. I'll hit the shader to run, watch the debug logs, and then fine‑tune that fade curve until the ripples feel like a hallway, not a curtain. Once the base is humming, we'll tweak the parameters until the cascade actually feels like a time‑warp, not a fancy trick. Let's do it.
Starik
Alright, let’s dive in—just remember, the best time‑warp shader is like a good story: it needs a clear beginning, a subtle twist, and a satisfying conclusion. I'll keep an eye on that normal‑vector noise and watch the ripple logic like a wandering scholar watching a candle flame. Once you hit the “run” button, let’s see if the water actually bends or just pretends—either way, we’ll puzzle it out. Let's go!