IFFT Water Simulation in Modern Video Games: From Spectral Mathematics to High-Fidelity Real-Time Rendering

Real-time dynamic water surface rendering is an essential component of natural scene simulation in modern interactive media. While earlier computational methods consumed significant CPU resources, the paradigm shift toward programmable GPU pipelines and compute shaders has fundamentally transformed fluid rendering. This paper provides a comprehensive, rigorous overview of the Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) pipeline for ocean simulation. It details the underlying mathematical foundations rooted in the Tessendorf method, empirical spectra distributions, advanced GPU parallelization strategies, and optical rendering techniques governing physical properties like refraction, reflection, and wave breaking. Furthermore, practical integration workflows tailored for modern game engines, including Level of Detail (LOD) management and solid-fluid coupling, are examined.