Plotting a wave with pstricks

Question

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?

Answer 1

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}

Answer 2

Here is a starting point.

\documentclass[border=5pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{shadings}
\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);}] 
\begin{axis}[domain=0:10,domain y=0:2,samples=50,hide axis,shader=interp]
    \addplot3[white] plot coordinates{(0,0,5) (0,0,0)};
    \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);
    \addplot3 [surf] {f(x,y)};
    \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}
\usetikzlibrary{shadings}
\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);}] 
\begin{axis}[domain=0:10,domain y=0:2,samples=50,hide axis,shader=interp]
    \addplot3[white] plot coordinates{(0,0,5) (0,0,0)};
    \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);
    \addplot3 [surf] {f(x,y)};
    \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}