Quick Start

Five minimal recipes: drop these in to get each major DRW system up and running.

Ocean

1. Drag BP_DynamicRealWater into your level. Ocean appears immediately.
2. Assign a WaveDataAsset to change wave behavior, or edit spectrum properties directly on the actor.
3. Assign a VisualDataAsset to change water appearance, or edit visual properties directly.

Making objects float

1. Add a PhysicsBodyComponent to your actor. Set TargetComponentName to your mesh component’s name.
2. Add box / sphere / capsule shapes that approximate your mesh volume.
3. Add a BuoyancyComponent to the same actor. It reads shapes from PhysicsBodyComponent automatically.
4. Enable physics simulation on your mesh.

Tip

Sinking when it shouldn’t? Check the hull approximation guide: material density and shape volume are the two things that decide whether something floats.

Discrete water bodies (pools, lakes)

1. Drag BP_DRW_Pool or BP_DRW_Lake into your level.
2. Set dimensions (Width / Length / Depth for pools, Radius / Depth for lakes).
3. Assign a WBVisualDataAsset for appearance.
4. Objects with BuoyancyComponent automatically detect water bodies via overlap.

Vessels

1. Place a BP_Runabout or BP_Dinghy in your level.
2. Use the DronePawn (BP_Drone) as your player pawn.
3. Press F near the vessel to possess it.
4. WASD to steer once possessed; F again to exit.

Water masking (bridges, docks)

1. Place a WaterMaskingManager in your level.
2. Add a SurfaceMaskComponent to any actor that should mask the water surface.
3. Assign a MaskMesh that defines the mask shape.

Caution

Without a WaterMaskingManager in the level, surface mask components are inert. Place exactly one.

Where to next

• Hull approximation guide: the highest-skill workflow in the plugin
• Reference: full documentation of every actor, component, and data asset
• Troubleshooting: common issues and fixes