RenderWave – Scalable Ocean System

Need ocean water that can cover large open worlds without jumping into heavy simulation, complex setup, or expensive rendering? RenderWave is built for practical, scalable ocean water in Unity URP.

2. What RenderWave Is

RenderWave is a production-oriented ocean system for Unity URP, designed around chunked ocean rendering, data-driven water zones, synchronized CPU/GPU wave logic, and clean runtime/editor workflows. It focuses on game-ready results, not physically accurate simulation.

3. Key Benefits

• Built for large visible ocean coverage at low cost
• Stable water height queries for gameplay systems
• Underwater support with optional enhanced presentation
• Lightweight wake system for boats and moving actors
• Lightweight buoyancy support for floating props and demo boats
• Practical setup workflow with presets, validation, and editor tooling
• Clear architecture suitable for real production use

4. Main Features

• Chunked ocean rendering centered around the active camera
• Optional far-field horizon coverage for open infinite ocean
• Data-driven water zone system
• Runtime water queries for surface height, normal, and signed distance
• URP HLSL ocean shader with Classic and Enhanced modes
• Optional contact/intersection foam for water-to-geometry readability
• Underwater state handling with stable transitions
• Lite underwater mode plus optional enhanced underwater visuals
• Lightweight pooled wake system with emitters
• Buoyancy Lite with Single Point and optional Four Point sampling
• Lake and Pool contained-water profiles
• Custom inspectors, quick setup menu items, and validation helpers

5. Use Cases

• Open-world ocean environments
• Retro-inspired or stylized games
• Large exploration scenes
• Boats, floating props, and simple water gameplay hooks
• Teams that need practical water without FFT or simulation-heavy systems
• Lakes and pools using the same practical water workflow

6. What Is NOT Included

• No FFT ocean simulation
• No full shoreline simulation
• No full fluid interaction system
• No realistic naval buoyancy or boat physics package
• No ocean-wide crest foam simulation
• No river workflow
• No HDRP support
• No Built-in Render Pipeline support

7. Pipeline Compatibility

RenderWave is URP only. It is not built for HDRP or the Built-in Render Pipeline.

RenderWave is for developers who want scalable, game-ready ocean water with strong visual value, clear constraints, and a production-friendly workflow.