# Plotting a wave with pstricks

I have been trying to reproduce 3D waves in a tank using pstricks. An example that looks like what I want is depicted in below (except the red thing; I'm not trying to reproduce that)

The only way that I can figure out is to modify the examples in section 5 of the manual to include a sinusoidal curve that I come up with. Although possible, I'm trying to avoid this option because the way the formulas have to be written is extremely convoluted, and other people will have to read and modify this code later.

Is there a simple way to achieve what I want?

• Your question asks for pstricks solution. Are you open on a tikz-pgf solution? or you want exclusively pstricks? – koleygr Jan 24 '18 at 6:02
• @koleygr I would like to see either solution. If the OP wants PSTricks only, I can post a TikZ question for you :). – Phelype Oleinik Jan 24 '18 at 12:50
• @koleygr a pstricks solution is preferable only because I'm more familiar with pstricks (and i want to modify it later). But I guess tikz would be fine too – TomCho Jan 24 '18 at 15:39

An example with PSTricks and pst-solids3d with a command (angular frequency and amplitude)

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pst-solides3d}
\newcommand{\WavesTank}[2]{
\pstVerb{/Pulsation #1 def /Amplitude #2 def}
\psset{lightsrc=50 10 30 rtp2xyz,viewpoint=50 10 20 rtp2xyz,Decran=20,solidmemory}
\defFunction[algebraic]{funcCos}(t){-Amplitude*(1+cos(Pulsation*t))}{t*2.8648}{}
\psSolid[object=ruban,h=8,fillcolor=cyan!10,RotY=90,incolor=cyan!10,
resolution=180,grid,linewidth=0.01,linecolor=cyan!10,
base=-200 deg 200 deg {funcCos} CourbeR2+,
ngrid=1](-4,0,0)
% definition du plan de projection vertical avant
\psSolid[object=plan,
definition=equation,
args={[1 0 0 -4] 0},
base=-10 10 -4 4,
action=none,
name=planVertical1]
\psProjection[object=courbeR2,
plan=planVertical1,
linecolor=blue,
range=-200 deg 200 deg ,resolution=360,
function=funcCos]
% definition du plan de projection vertical arrière
\psSolid[object=plan,
definition=equation,
args={[1 0 0 4] 0},
base=-10 10 -4 4,
action=none,
name=planVertical2]
\psProjection[object=courbeR2,
plan=planVertical2,
linecolor=blue,
range=-200 deg 200 deg ,resolution=360,
function=funcCos]
\psLineIIID[linecolor=blue](-4,-10,Amplitude 1 Pulsation 200 mul cos add mul)(4,-10,Amplitude 1 Pulsation 200 mul cos add mul)
\psLineIIID[linecolor=blue](-4,10,Amplitude 1 Pulsation 200 mul cos add mul)(4,10,Amplitude 1 Pulsation 200 mul cos add mul)
\psSolid[object=parallelepiped,a=8,b=20,c=12,action=draw,,hollow,rm=0](0,0,-4)
\psSolid[object=plan,
definition=equation,
args={[1 0 0 -4] 0},
base=-10 10 -10 10,
action=none,
name=planVertical1]
\psset{plan=planVertical1}
\psProjection[object=polygone,fillstyle=solid,fillcolor=cyan!20,
linecolor=blue,opacity=0.5,
args=-200 1 200 {/iAngle exch def Amplitude neg 1 Pulsation iAngle mul cos add mul iAngle 20 div} for 10 10 10 -10]
}
\begin{document}
\begin{pspicture}(-7,-7)(7,2)
\WavesTank{4}{0.75}
\end{pspicture}

\begin{pspicture}(-7,-7)(7,2)
\WavesTank{2}{0.5}
\end{pspicture}
\end{document}


• Kind of complicated, but looks pretty amazing – TomCho Jan 27 '18 at 18:08

Here is a starting point.

\documentclass[border=5pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{width=12cm,compat=1.15,view={10}{10},
/pgfplots/colormap={blue}{rgb255(0)=(140,156,180) rgb255(10)=(50,114,180)}
}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[declare function={f(\x,\y)=4+0.3*sin(108*\x);}]
\draw[fill=gray,opacity=0.4] (0,2,0) -- (0,2,5) -- (0,0,5) -- (0,0,0) -- cycle;
\draw[fill=gray,opacity=0.4] (0,2,0) -- (10,2,0) -- (10,2,5) -- (0,2,5) -- cycle;
\draw (10,0,0) -- (10,2,0);
\draw[fill=gray,opacity=0.4] (0,0,0) -- (10,0,0) -- (10,0,5) -- (0,0,5) -- cycle;
\shade[top color=blue!50!gray,bottom color=blue!20!white,opacity=0.6] plot[variable=\x,domain=0:10] ({\x},0,{f(\x,0)}) -- (10,0,0) -- (0,0,0) -- cycle;
\shade[top color=blue!50!gray,bottom color=blue!20!white,opacity=0.6] plot[variable=\x,domain=0:10] (10,2,0) -- (10,2,4) -- (10,0,4) -- (10,0,0) -- cycle;
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}


Once I know what the essential features are, i.e. if you really want to have the scattered grays spots, or if you prefer shading for the water, I'll be happy to add this feature. (And I can't wait seeing Phelype Oleinik convert this to PSTricks. ;-)

UPDATE: In the above, I missed the most important ingredient -- the duck!

\documentclass[border=5pt]{standalone} %\duck[book=\scalebox{0.5}{\TeX}]
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{tikzducks}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{width=12cm,compat=1.15,view={10}{10},
/pgfplots/colormap={blue}{rgb255(0)=(140,156,180) rgb255(10)=(50,114,180)}
}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[declare function={f(\x,\y)=4+0.3*sin(108*\x);}]
\draw[fill=gray,opacity=0.4] (0,2,0) -- (0,2,5) -- (0,0,5) -- (0,0,0) -- cycle;
\draw[fill=gray,opacity=0.4] (0,2,0) -- (10,2,0) -- (10,2,5) -- (0,2,5) -- cycle;
\draw (10,0,0) -- (10,2,0);
\coordinate (duck) at (5,1,5);
\coordinate (tl) at (0,0,5);
\coordinate (tr) at (10,0,5);
\coordinate (bl) at (0,0,0);
\coordinate (br) at (10,0,0);
\shade[top color=blue!50!gray,bottom color=blue!20!white,opacity=0.6] plot[variable=\x,domain=0:10] ({\x},0,{f(\x,0)}) -- (10,0,0) -- (0,0,0) -- cycle;
\shade[top color=blue!50!gray,bottom color=blue!20!white,opacity=0.6] plot[variable=\x,domain=0:10] (10,2,0) -- (10,2,4) -- (10,0,4) -- (10,0,0) -- cycle;
\end{axis}
\node at (duck) {\parbox[c][][t]{2cm}{\tikz{\duck}}};
\draw[fill=gray,opacity=0.4] (tl) -- (tr) -- (br) -- (bl) -- cycle;
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

• ooh aquatic marmots :) – Paulo Cereda Jan 24 '18 at 15:07
• @PauloCereda I was using TikZ only to be able to let one of the nice TikZ ducks swim in the waves ;-) – user121799 Jan 24 '18 at 15:23
• woooooooooooooooooooo – Paulo Cereda Jan 24 '18 at 15:38
• Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – CarLaTeX Jan 24 '18 at 16:09
• Oh, how could I miss this answer until now? – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz Mar 14 '18 at 15:06