Waves & Moire
Sinusoidal poetry in plastic. Waves & Moire lays down parallel sine waves that push and pull the surface in smooth, rhythmic undulations. On their own, they're elegantly simple. But stack two instances with slightly different wave counts and you unlock moire interference -- those shimmering phantom patterns that appear where the waves overlap, creating an optical illusion that seems to move as you rotate the print.
Preview
Effect Controls
Interactive preview is available in the interactive reader.
Parameters
Wave Count- Number of sine waves across the texture. Higher counts pack more ridges closer together for a fine, corrugated surface.
Fill- How much of the texture the waves cover. Lower fill concentrates waves into bands with flat space between.
Amplitude- Wave height -- how far peaks rise and troughs dip. The visual drama dial.
Thickness- Width of each individual wave band. Thin waves feel like etched grooves; thick waves become rolling dunes.
Blur- Softens the wave edges for gentler, more fluid transitions between peaks and valleys.
Seed- Randomizes wave placement when Fill is below 1.0, and affects orientation (horizontal vs. vertical).
Resolution- Texture resolution in pixels. Smooth sine curves need decent resolution to stay smooth.
Ratio- Aspect ratio of the texture map. Stretching compresses the waves in one direction.
Depth (mm)- Displacement depth. Positive = raised ridges, negative = carved grooves.
Tile U / Tile V- Tiles the wave field around (U) and along height (V). Increase for dense, corduroy-like coverage.
Rotation- Rotates the wave direction. 0° = horizontal waves, 90° = vertical, any angle for diagonal surf.
Width Gain- Varies line width with wave brightness -- crests get thicker extrusion for tangible ridges.
Flow Gain- More material at wave peaks for physically raised ridges you can feel with your fingertip.