The Caustic Pool

Disturb a pool's surface and watch light refract through the ripples, casting focused caustic patterns on the floor below.

Tool

Water

Light

View

Surface energy: 0.00 | Max height: 0.00

How to Play

  • Click/drag on the pool to create ripples and disturbances
  • Ripple mode creates point splashes; Wave creates continuous oscillation; Calm smooths the surface
  • Adjust wave speed and damping to control how ripples propagate and fade
  • Change sun elevation and azimuth to shift the light direction — watch caustic patterns change
  • Water depth controls how far below the surface the pool floor sits, affecting caustic spread
  • Refraction index controls how strongly light bends at the water surface (1.33 = real water)
  • Toggle between Caustics (pool floor view), Surface (top-down water), and Split (both)
  • Try the presets: Rain for random drops, Stone Drop for a big splash