What is the most realistic way to model freshwater?

[EstevanGalvez]

Just curious.

I've been using clouds textures.

[Vanessa07]

Yes, I would blend a specular with a glossy using a somthing like clouds as blendmap

[Vampyre]

i'd really love to see a freeware water texture generator, rather than just using clouds. i use povray to generate texture maps , using waves with noise i think (its been a while).. but i would like to see something specifically for the purpose. getting realistic ripples and waves is difficult.

[Anthony]

Fluid simulator?

[Musorgki]

Its hard to make good water. A technique I've found useful is using 3 or 4 amplitudes of sine waves, all added together, with just a bit of sharpening applied as a final step. That gives a nice scalloped wave shape. Its not foolproof, but its kinda cool.

[Vampyre]

sine waves? in what app?

sharpening is good, i like erode better though, i think it does a better job of sharpening the tips of the waves. or was it dialate? can't remember now. one of those.

Also, i guess we should ask... what kind of fresh water? is it in a glass? a puddle? a river?

[Kram1032]

Blender Fluid?

[HtechB]

i'd really love to see a freeware water texture generator, rather than just using clouds. i use povray to generate texture maps , using waves with noise i think (its been a while).. but i would like to see something specifically for the purpose. getting realistic ripples and waves is difficult.

I've got your solution, google for Mapzone! its free and lets you fiddle with complex textures allday long. but i warn you its tough to understand at first but even worse later on!