Oceanology Legacy — Presets

Last updated: 2025-12-06

Overview

Presets in Oceanology Legacy allow you to save and reuse complete ocean configurations. A preset stores all visual and behavioral settings for your ocean — including wave parameters, surface properties, foam, caustics, underwater effects, and more — in a reusable Data Asset.

This system enables you to:

• Save ocean configurations — Capture your perfect ocean look as a reusable asset
• Share between projects — Export presets and import them into other projects
• Quick iteration — Switch between different ocean styles instantly
• Team collaboration — Artists can create presets for developers to use
• Multiple water types — Create presets for different environments (tropical, arctic, stormy, calm)

How Presets Work

1. Create a Preset Asset — Use the Content Browser to create a new Oceanology Preset Data Asset.
2. Configure the Preset — Open the asset and adjust all ocean parameters.
3. Assign to Ocean — Reference the preset in your ocean actor.
4. Select Inclusion Groups — Choose which parameter groups the preset should control.

Presets are Data Assets, meaning they exist as standalone files in your project that can be duplicated, shared, and version-controlled.

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Prerequisites

• Unreal Engine 5.6 or newer.
• Oceanology Legacy installed and configured.
• A BP_OceanologyInfiniteOcean or BP_OceanologyLake actor in your level.

Notes

• Oceanology provides two preset types: Ocean Preset (for infinite oceans) and Lake Preset (for bounded lakes).
• Presets use an Inclusion Groups system that lets you selectively apply only certain parameter categories.
• Changes to a preset asset automatically update all ocean actors using that preset.
• You can override individual parameters on the ocean actor even when using a preset.

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Step-by-step

1. Create a new Preset asset

In the Content Browser, right-click to open the context menu. Navigate to: Miscellaneous → Search for ocea to filter the options.

You will see two preset types:

• Oceanology Lake Preset — For bounded lake water bodies (BP_OceanologyLake).
• Oceanology Ocean Preset — For infinite ocean water bodies (BP_OceanologyInfiniteOcean).

Select Oceanology Ocean Preset to create a new ocean preset asset.

2. Name and locate your Preset asset

After creating the preset, a new Data Asset appears in your Content Browser.

Asset Properties:

• Name — Give it a descriptive name like NewOceanPreset, TropicalOcean, StormyNorthSea, etc.
• Type — Data Asset (specifically an OceanologyOceanPreset)
• Thumbnail — Shows a preview of ocean water to help identify the asset.

Organization Tips:

• Create a dedicated folder for presets (e.g., Content/Ocean/Presets/)
• Use descriptive names that indicate the ocean style
• Consider prefixing with OP_ (Ocean Preset) for easy searching

Double-click the asset to open it and configure its parameters.

3. Configure the Preset parameters

Open the preset asset to access all configurable ocean parameters. The Details panel shows all available categories:

Shoreline Wetness:

Property	Description
Enable Wetness	✅ Toggles shoreline wetness effect
Wetness	Wetness intensity and parameters

Gerstner Waves:

Property	Description
Summarize	Wave complexity preset (e.g., Waves 8)
Gerstner Waves (Global)	Global wave parameters affecting all waves
Gerstner Waves (Custom)	Individual wave layer configurations

Surface:

Property	Description
Surface Scattering	Light scattering through water surface
Caustics	Underwater light caustic patterns
Refraction	Water refraction settings
Normal Calculation	Surface normal generation method

Foam:

Property	Description
Foam	Main foam parameters (color, intensity, coverage)
Folding	Wave folding foam settings

Procedural:

Property	Description
Procedural	Procedural detail noise and variation

RVT:

Property	Description
RVT	Runtime Virtual Texture heightmap settings

Mask:

Property	Description
Mask	Water masking parameters

GGX:

Property	Description
GGX	GGX specular reflection model settings

Underwater:

Property	Description
Underwater Mode	Underwater rendering mode (e.g., Underwater)
Underwater	Underwater fog and color settings
Mask Underwater	Underwater masking parameters
God Rays	Volumetric light shafts underwater
Bubbles Settings	Underwater bubble particle configuration

Caustics:

Property	Description
Water Projection	Caustic projection settings

Each category can be expanded to reveal detailed parameters. Configure these to create your desired ocean appearance.

4. Assign the Preset to your Ocean actor

Select BP_OceanologyInfiniteOcean in the Outliner. In the Details panel, locate the Preset category:

Actor Hierarchy:

• BP_OceanologyInfiniteOcean (Self)
  • Default Scene Root
  • Underwater Box Volume Component
  • Underwater Post Process Component

Available Categories on Ocean Actor:

• Underwater
• Default
• Infinite
• Caustics
• Material Instance Dynamic
• Quad Tree
• Preset ← Configure here

Preset Settings:

Property	Value	Explanation
Preset	NewOceanPreset	Select your preset asset from the dropdown. The thumbnail preview helps identify the correct preset.
Preset Mode	Use Preset Directly	How the preset is applied. Options include direct use or blending.
Preset Inclusion Groups	25 Array elements	Which parameter groups from the preset should be applied. See Note 5 for details.

Preset Mode Options:

• Use Preset Directly — Applies all selected inclusion groups from the preset immediately.
• Blend With Current — Interpolates between current ocean settings and preset values.

Once assigned, the ocean actor will use the parameters defined in your preset.

5. Configure Preset Inclusion Groups

The Preset Inclusion Groups array controls which parameter categories the preset affects. Expand this array to see all 25 available groups:

Index	Group Name	Controls
[0]	SurfaceScattering	Light scattering through water surface
[1]	Caustics	Caustic light patterns
[2]	Refraction	Water refraction effects
[3]	HorizonCorrection	Horizon line adjustment
[4]	Flipbook	Animated texture flipbooks
[5]	Foam	Foam color, intensity, coverage
[6]	Folding	Wave folding foam
[7]	Procedural	Procedural noise and detail
[8]	Mask	Water masking
[9]	GGX	GGX specular reflections
[10]	UnderwaterMode	Underwater rendering mode
[11]	Underwater	Underwater fog and color
[12]	VolumetricFog	Volumetric fog settings
[13]	MaskUnderwater	Underwater masking
[14]	BubblesSettings	Bubble particles
[15]	WaterProjection	Water projection settings
[16]	GlobalDisplacement	Global wave displacement
[17]	BaseOffset	Base height offset
[18]	Wave_1	First wave layer parameters
[19]	Wave_2	Second wave layer parameters
[20]	Wave_3	Third wave layer parameters
[21]	Wave_4	Fourth wave layer parameters
[22]	Summarize	Wave summary/complexity
[23]	EnableWetness	Wetness toggle
[24]	Wetness	Wetness parameters

How Inclusion Groups Work:

• Included — Parameters from this group are loaded from the preset.
• Excluded — Parameters from this group use the ocean actor's own values (allowing manual override).

Use Cases:

Scenario	Include	Exclude
Full preset application	All groups	None
Custom waves with preset look	Surface, Foam, Underwater	Wave_1-4, GlobalDisplacement
Preset waves with custom foam	Wave_1-4, Summarize	Foam, Folding
Only underwater from preset	Underwater, UnderwaterMode	Everything else

This system provides granular control over which aspects of the preset are applied, enabling powerful customization workflows.

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Creating Custom Presets — Workflow

Starting from Scratch

1. Create a new Oceanology Ocean Preset asset.
2. Open the asset and configure all parameters manually.
3. Save the asset.
4. Assign to your ocean actor.

Starting from Existing Ocean

1. Configure your ocean actor to look exactly how you want.
2. Create a new Oceanology Ocean Preset asset.
3. Copy values from the ocean actor to the preset.
4. Save the preset for reuse.

Duplicating Presets

1. Right-click an existing preset in Content Browser.
2. Select Duplicate.
3. Rename the new preset.
4. Modify parameters as needed.

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Preset Organization Best Practices

Naming Convention

[Type]_[Environment]_[Variation]

Examples:
OP_Tropical_Calm
OP_Tropical_Stormy
OP_Arctic_Frozen
OP_Mediterranean_Clear
OP_DeepOcean_Dark
LP_MountainLake_Clear    (LP = Lake Preset)
LP_Swamp_Murky

Folder Structure

Content/
└── Ocean/
    └── Presets/
        ├── Tropical/
        │   ├── OP_Tropical_Calm
        │   ├── OP_Tropical_Stormy
        │   └── OP_Tropical_Sunset
        ├── Arctic/
        │   ├── OP_Arctic_Calm
        │   └── OP_Arctic_Frozen
        └── Lakes/
            ├── LP_MountainLake_Clear
            └── LP_Swamp_Murky

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

Problem	Likely Cause	Solution
Preset not applying	Preset not assigned	Select preset in ocean actor's Preset property
Only some settings apply	Inclusion groups filtered	Check Preset Inclusion Groups array
Changes to preset not visible	Asset not saved	Save the preset asset after editing
Ocean looks different than preset preview	Lighting/environment difference	Preset only controls water, not scene lighting
Can't find preset in dropdown	Wrong preset type	Use Ocean Preset for ocean, Lake Preset for lake
Preset overriding manual tweaks	Inclusion group enabled	Remove the group from Inclusion Groups array

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Summary

In this guide, you learned how to:

1. Create a Preset asset — Use Miscellaneous menu to create Ocean or Lake presets.
2. Configure preset parameters — Set all ocean visual properties in the preset asset.
3. Assign presets to ocean actors — Reference presets in the Preset category.
4. Use Preset Inclusion Groups — Selectively apply only certain parameter categories.
5. Organize presets — Follow naming conventions and folder structures for maintainability.

Presets are powerful tools for managing ocean configurations across your project. They enable rapid iteration, easy sharing, and consistent water appearance throughout your game.

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Quick Reference

Preset Types

Type	Use For	Actor
Oceanology Ocean Preset	Infinite oceans	BP_OceanologyInfiniteOcean
Oceanology Lake Preset	Bounded lakes	BP_OceanologyLake

Inclusion Groups Summary

Category	Groups
Waves	Wave_1, Wave_2, Wave_3, Wave_4, Summarize, GlobalDisplacement, BaseOffset
Surface	SurfaceScattering, Refraction, HorizonCorrection, GGX
Foam	Foam, Folding
Underwater	Underwater, UnderwaterMode, MaskUnderwater, VolumetricFog, BubblesSettings
Effects	Caustics, WaterProjection, Flipbook, Procedural, Mask
Shoreline	EnableWetness, Wetness

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End of Presets Guide