I think have a better way, and it's something I haven't heard of anyone else
doing.  If you can get your hands on POV 3.1, a spherical pattern is perfect
for making precise ripples.  For more than one you need to use average, but
try something like:

normal {
average
normal_map {
[1 spherical 1 frequency 5 translate 1*x sine_wave]
[1 spherical 1 frequency 5 sine_wave]
}
}

The pattern type is the replacement keyword for spherical_mapping.  I'm
pretty sure it's spherical, but I can't check it now, so someone correct me
if I got that wrong.  Anyway, it's pretty cool.

Frequency controls how many rings you get.  Sine_wave makes the ripples
smooth like a sine wave.  If I remember right, you can move the waves with
phase.  The pattern is created at the origin and is 1 unit in diameter.

-Mike

Hendrik Knaepen wrote:

>
>
> I'm not sure, but I think you can make the ripples using an average of
> two (or more) wood-patterns with (I think) sine_wave and a little
> turbulence.  If you use the wood-pattern, you can exactly set the
> position of the ripples, because that pattern consists of concentric
> circles around the origin, and the ripples' origin is a random point (at
> least as far as I remember).
> Hope this works.
>
> ZK
>

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