> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://qwertystudio.gitbook.io/calysto-water-engine/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://qwertystudio.gitbook.io/calysto-water-engine/overview.md).

# Overview

## Calysto Water Engine

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/NXwq59pBaCU>" %}

**Procedural, terrain-aware water creation for Unreal Engine.**

Calysto Water Engine helps you create, style, and integrate rivers, lakes, and oceans through one artist-friendly workflow. It combines procedural water creation, automated flow generation, surface rendering, underwater effects, water detection, buoyancy, and audio in a system designed for practical open-world production.

The system prioritizes strong default results, clear controls, and scalable performance. It is designed to leave enough production and performance budget for the rest of your world.

### What you can create

Calysto Water Engine supports multiple water types through a consistent workflow:

* **Rivers** with spline-based drawing, generated flow, and terrain-aware behavior.
* **Lakes** with editable boundaries, shoreline treatment, and calm-water styling.
* **Oceans** with scalable open-water waves, shoreline transitions, and underwater environments.

Water bodies can share the same material framework while adapting their movement, waves, foam, depth, and shoreline behavior to the selected water type.

### Main capabilities

* **Procedural water creation:** Draw and edit water bodies directly in the level.
* **Automated flow generation:** Generate directional flow for rivers and connected water systems.
* **Customizable water materials:** Start from included presets or build a distinct visual style through reusable material functions.
* **Underwater rendering:** Apply underwater color, depth, distortion, and post-process effects.
* **Water detection:** Query water information for Blueprints, materials, Procedural Content Generation (PCG), and gameplay systems.
* **Water interaction:** Connect characters and objects to supported water interaction workflows.
* **CPU and GPU buoyancy:** Add buoyancy to gameplay objects, particles, and visual effects according to the needs of your project.
* **Procedural audio:** Generate contextual water audio based on the surrounding water behavior.
* **Calysto ecosystem integration:** Share water information with Calysto World workflows for terrain-aware vegetation, rocks, and biome placement.

### Built for practical worlds

Calysto Water Engine is intended for artists, designers, and developers who need water to function as part of a larger environment. The workflow emphasizes:

* Fast iteration in the Unreal Engine editor.
* Artist-controlled procedural results.
* Rivers, lakes, and oceans within one system.
* Open-world and World Partition workflows.
* Scalable visual quality and performance.
* Integration with landscapes, meshes, materials, PCG, and gameplay systems.

You can use Calysto Water Engine as a standalone product. Calysto World is not required, but both products provide additional integration workflows when installed together.

### How this documentation is organized

Most feature guides use 3 levels of detail:

1. **Quick Setup** provides the shortest reliable path to a working result.
2. **Customize and Understand** explains the controls and workflows most users need.
3. **Technical Reference** documents exact assets, parameters, dependencies, performance considerations, and limitations.

You can stop after **Quick Setup** when the default result meets your needs, then return to the deeper sections when your project requires more control.

### Support

If the documentation does not resolve your question, use the Calysto support channels:

* **Calysto Discord:** Ask questions, share results, and follow development updates.
* **FAB product page:** Access the product listing, release information, and marketplace support options.
* **Troubleshooting:** Review known symptoms and verified solutions before reporting an issue.

When requesting support, include your Unreal Engine version, Calysto Water Engine version, relevant screenshots, and the steps required to reproduce the issue.