Water and Visual Effects

Koi 3D is the most advanced screensaver on the market.

We use the 3D graphics capabilities built into modern computers to make a lifelike world that looks so real, you feel like you are actually there.

Our revolutionary water effects are similar to those you might see in films and advertisements, only drawn in realtime. This means that unlike "prerendered" 3D graphics effects in the movies, which are created in advance at a production studio, the water in Koi 3D is rendered by your computer at the moment it is displayed on your screen. This means the water moves and ripples in different patterns every time you watch it.

What makes you know water when you see it? The mirrored look of a distant lake or pond, rippling images of objects moving underneath the water, and the shimmering caused by a breeze blowing across the surface. These effects, particularly reflection and refraction (or bending) are key to making water that looks so real you could reach out and splash it.

Koi 3D uses advanced computer graphics techniques, like cube mapping and projective texture mapping to create the lifelike water surface you can see and enjoy, even if you never give a thought to the complex calculations going on behind the scenes.

If you want to know how it's all done, then by all means, read on (this will definitely get a bit technical).

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