Animated Wave Distortion Shader

Wave Distortion Shader

This unshaded spatial shader creates animated sinusoidal wave patterns that distort the mesh surface along its normals. It allows control over the wave frequency, distortion intensity, band height, and animation speed. Perfect for adding dynamic ripple or wave effects on spherical or curved surfaces in your 3D scenes.

Features:

• Adjustable wave frequency for fine control over pattern density

• Control over distortion strength for subtle to dramatic effects

• Customizable band height to shape the wave amplitude

• Smooth animation with speed control to create flowing wave movement

• Unshaded rendering for vibrant and clean visual output

Use this shader to simulate water ripples, energy waves, or abstract flowing textures on your 3D models.

Shader code

shader_type spatial;
render_mode unshaded;

// Controls the frequency of the waves
uniform float amount : hint_range(0.0, 100.0, 0.01) = 20.0;

// Controls the overall distortion intensity
uniform float move = 1.0;

// Base height of the sinusoidal bands
uniform float bandsize = 0.1;

// Speed of wave movement
uniform float speed = 1.0;

void vertex() {
    // Center UV to create symmetrical effect
    vec2 uv = UV - 0.5;

    // Adds movement with time
    uv.y += TIME * speed;

    // Calculates animated sinusoidal value
    float wave = sin(uv.y * amount) + bandsize;

    // Applies distortion along the sphere normal
    VERTEX += NORMAL * wave * move;
}

void fragment() {
    // Center UV to keep the same pattern as vertex shader
    vec2 uv = UV - 0.5;

    // Animates the waves on the Y axis
    uv.y += TIME * speed;

    // Creates the same sinusoidal function to draw the pattern
    float wave = sin(uv.y * amount) + bandsize;

    // Sets the band color based on the sinusoidal value
    ALBEDO = vec3(wave);
}

Live Preview