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Hidden Gems: Features You Might Not Know About

· 4 min read
Galidar
Galidar
Founder, Galidar Studio

Our plugins have many features that even experienced users sometimes miss. Let's uncover them!

🔮 Hidden Gem #1: Blueprint Wave Access​

You can query wave data from anywhere in your game!

Get Water Height​

// In any Blueprint
float Height = OceanologyManager->GetWaterHeightAtLocation(MyLocation);

Use cases:

  • AI navigation around water
  • Spawning objects at water level
  • Camera clipping prevention
  • Dynamic audio (splash sounds)

Get Wave Direction & Velocity​

FVector WaveVelocity = OceanologyManager->GetWaveVelocityAtLocation(Location);
FVector FlowDirection = WaveVelocity.GetSafeNormal();
float WaveSpeed = WaveVelocity.Size();

Use cases:

  • Align boat wakes with waves
  • Particle system directions
  • Floating debris movement

🎨 Hidden Gem #2: Dynamic Water Colors​

Change water color in real-time for gameplay effects!

Blueprint Method​

// Reference your Ocean actor
OceanActor->SetWaterColor(FLinearColor(0.1, 0.3, 0.8, 1.0));
OceanActor->SetFoamColor(FLinearColor(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0));

Ideas:

  • 🩸 Blood red during combat
  • 🧪 Toxic green for pollution
  • 🌅 Golden during sunset
  • 🌊 Stormy dark during events

Smooth Transitions​

// Lerp between colors over time
CurrentColor = FMath::Lerp(CurrentColor, TargetColor, DeltaTime * TransitionSpeed);
OceanActor->SetWaterColor(CurrentColor);

🌧️ Hidden Gem #3: Weather Integration​

Link weather systems to water behavior:

Storm Mode​

// Gradually increase wave intensity
OceanActor->SetWaveScale(FMath::Lerp(1.0, 2.5, StormIntensity));
OceanActor->SetWindSpeed(FMath::Lerp(5.0, 25.0, StormIntensity));
OceanActor->SetFoamAmount(FMath::Lerp(0.2, 0.8, StormIntensity));

Rain Ripples​

// Enable rain ripples effect
OceanActor->SetRainIntensity(RainAmount);  // 0.0 to 1.0

🔊 Hidden Gem #4: Spatial Audio Hooks​

Our audio system provides events you can hook into:

Available Events​

EventTrigger
OnWaveCrestWave peak passes location
OnEnterWaterActor enters water
OnExitWaterActor exits water
OnSubmergeActor fully underwater
OnSurfaceActor emerges

Example: Dynamic Ocean Sounds​

// In your audio manager
OnWaveCrest -> Play(WaveCrashSound, WaveLocation);
OnEnterWater -> Play(SplashSound, ActorLocation);

🗺️ Hidden Gem #5: Level Streaming Support​

Our plugins work with World Partition!

Setup​

  1. Place OceanologyManager in Persistent Level
  2. Ocean actor can be in any streaming level
  3. Water queries work across level boundaries

Best Practice​

Persistent Level:
├── OceanologyManager
├── Lighting
└── Global Systems

Streaming Levels:
├── Level_Ocean_North (contains ocean chunk)
├── Level_Ocean_South (contains ocean chunk)
└── Level_Island_1 (no water)

📸 Hidden Gem #6: Screenshot Mode​

Get cinematic-quality captures:

Enable High Quality Mode​

// Console command
Oceanology.HighQualityMode 1

// Or in Blueprint
OceanActor->SetHighQualityScreenshotMode(true);

What it does:

  • Maximum FFT resolution
  • Full tessellation
  • Enhanced reflections
  • No LOD reduction
Performance

Only use for screenshots/cinematics. Not for gameplay!

🔬 Hidden Gem #7: Debug Visualization​

See what's happening under the hood:

Console Commands​

Oceanology.ShowPontoons 1       // Visualize buoyancy points
Oceanology.ShowWaveVectors 1    // Show wave directions
Oceanology.ShowQuadTree 1       // Display LOD grid
Oceanology.ShowWaterPlane 1     // Show water height plane

In Editor​

  • Select Ocean actor
  • Check Debug category in Details
  • Enable visualizations you need

🎭 Hidden Gem #8: Custom Surface Materials​

Override the default water material per-area:

Material Zones​

// Create water zone with custom material
WaterZone->SetOverrideMaterial(SwampMaterial);
WaterZone->SetBounds(SwampBounds);

Examples:

  • Swamp areas (murky, green)
  • Hot springs (steamy, blue)
  • Oil spills (black, less reflective)
  • Magical water (glowing, particles)

🌊 Hidden Gem #9: Riverology Flow Painting​

Paint flow directions directly in editor!

How to Use​

  1. Select your river spline
  2. Enable Flow Painting Mode
  3. Use brush to paint flow vectors
  4. Adjust strength and direction

Use cases:

  • Whirlpools
  • Split currents around rocks
  • Eddies behind obstacles
  • Custom waterfalls

⚡ Hidden Gem #10: Async Everything​

Enable async operations for better performance:

Async Water Queries​

// In your game settings
OceanologyManager->SetAsyncQueries(true);
OceanologyManager->SetQueryBatchSize(100);

Async Buoyancy​

// Per buoyancy component
BuoyancyComponent->SetAsyncMode(true);
BuoyancyComponent->SetUpdateFrequency(0.02f); // 50Hz instead of every frame

🎮 Hidden Gem #11: Preset Interpolation​

Smoothly blend between presets:

Transition Between Presets​

// Calm to Storm transition
OceanActor->InterpolateToPreset("Storm", 5.0f);  // 5 second transition

Time-of-Day Integration​

// In your day/night cycle
if (TimeOfDay == Dawn)
    OceanActor->InterpolateToPreset("CalmMorning", 60.0f);
else if (TimeOfDay == Dusk)  
    OceanActor->InterpolateToPreset("GoldenHour", 60.0f);

🔗 Hidden Gem #12: Actor Interaction Tags​

Mark actors for special water behavior:

Available Tags​

TagBehavior
OceanFloaterAuto-adds buoyancy
OceanIgnoreNo water interaction
OceanRippleCreates surface ripples
OceanSplashSpawns splash effects

Usage​

// In your actor's construction
Tags.Add("OceanFloater");
Tags.Add("OceanSplash");

💡 Bonus Tips​

Quick Preset Switch (Runtime)​

// Number keys for testing (development only)
1 → Calm Ocean
2 → Moderate Waves
3 → Storm
4 → Tsunami (extreme)

Water Volume Query​

// Check if location is in water
bool InWater = OceanologyManager->IsInWaterVolume(Location);
float Depth = OceanologyManager->GetWaterDepth(Location);

Network Optimization​

// Only sync essential data
Deterministic: true
SyncPrecision: Low (for large games)
LocalSimulation: true (clients simulate visuals)

📚 Where to Learn More​

  • Full API Reference: Check the plugin's Documentation/ folder
  • Example Blueprints: Plugins/Oceanology/Examples/
  • Discord Community: Share discoveries in #tips-tricks

🤝 Share Your Discoveries!​

Found a hidden feature we didn't cover? Share it in our Discord!

The community frequently discovers creative uses we never anticipated. Your tip might end up in a future roadmap post!

Happy exploring! 🔍