Sierpinski Ocean Wave

About

Each frame, the simulation follows a simple flow to update the water. It begins by generating the base waves using a layered, fractal approach, where multiple smaller wave patterns are combined to create a more natural, irregular surface. Then, each point on the water updates its stored energy, spreading some of it to neighboring points while slightly reducing it so motion propagates outward and gradually fades. Next, external forces are applied: wind adds directional energy and shapes the waves, while tide slowly shifts the overall water level and introduces a longer, slower wave beneath the surface motion. As waves move toward shore, depth-based effects take over, causing them to slow down, steepen, and sometimes break, which reduces their energy and pushes motion forward. Near the shoreline, swash and backwash come into play, with water running up the beach storing energy and then releasing it as it flows back down, feeding into the next incoming wave. After all forces and interactions are applied, the system enforces physical limits to keep everything stable and within bounds. The surface is then smoothed slightly across neighboring points to remove jitter and improve visual flow, and finally the updated geometry is rendered in SceneKit in sync with the display refresh.