# Waterfall Tool and Waterfall Tool 2 Differences

The Waterfall Tool and Waterfall Tool 2 are two completely different products offering different solutions. We currently plan on supporting both products going forward as they both have different use-cases for different types of projects.

### Waterfall Tool

* [Fab Link](https://www.fab.com/listings/e42888e7-8dea-4893-874c-f3533ddf49f3)
* [Documentation](https://docs.shadersource.io/assets-and-plugins/waterfall-tool)

The first Waterfall Tool was built way back in UE4.17. It is super simplistic in its approach of using spline mesh planes and has very limited functionality.

<figure><img src="/files/pDXiQVIcOIf6Ib63So2N" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
**Features**

* Spline based Waterfall Tool.
* Automatic ground detection.
* Dynamic Material Object Detection.
* Material Settings: Color, Brightness, Flow Speed, and more!
* All Particle Effects have LODs for better performance.
  {% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
**Pros**

* Super simple and easy to implement
* Good for styalised projects
  {% endhint %}

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Cons**

* Limited to using straight-edged, flat planes
* Limited functionality and flexibility to create more complex waterfalls
  {% endhint %}

### Waterfall Tool 2

* [Fab Link](https://www.fab.com/listings/f44cd11c-4202-4e63-b74d-be09b1749b6e)
* [Documentation](https://docs.shadersource.io/new-assets/waterfall-tool-2)

The Waterfall Tool 2 has been built from the ground up in UE5.2 as a way to create much more realistic and less-stylized waterfalls to cater for the ever-increasing demand for more realistic environments. It provides a full Editor Mode and has many more variables and uses dynamic meshes and spline paths to build geometry from scratch, giving it the ability to bend along a cliff-face, rather than being a simple straight plane.

<figure><img src="/files/LAQNXs9DE9DuHju2QXH1" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
**Features**

* Create a realistic waterfall by dragging and dropping and clicking a couple of buttons!
* Create waterfalls that aren’t just planes but instead bend to conform to the cliff-face!
* Full flexibility when it comes to tweaking variables for how paths, meshes, and FX generate!
* Split into Simple and Advanced Modes to cater for a wide variety of use cases and technical ability!
* Ability to bake the Dynamic Meshes to a single Static Mesh for optimization.
* Includes a Material for each mesh type.
* Includes Niagara System assets for each global VFX Component.
* Includes Audio Components for SFX (SFX Assets not included).
* UI to easily add and modify additional VFX and SFX Components to any of the spline points on any of the paths.
* Most variables are exposed to Blueprints and most functions are virtual, allowing the possibility to add on top of this system!
  {% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
**Pros**

* Provides a full Editor Mode with many parameters to provide flexibility
* Create realistic-looking waterfalls for less-styalised projects
* Generates custom meshes based on an offline particle simulation to create waterfalls that conform to a cliff-face rather than being a simple flat, straight-edged plane
* Ability to bake meshes into a single Static Mesh with an option to also combine same Materials into singular slots, which provides a more optimised version of the waterfall, reducing the number of draw calls and removing all the overhead of the Dynamic Meshes.
  {% endhint %}

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Cons**

* Better to create more realistic waterfalls, rather than styalised waterfalls
* Bigger learning curve
  {% endhint %}


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