How to Animate Ship Wake and Ocean Paths

Sailing and shipping stories require a different approach to route animation than road trips or flights. In the Mapimator Studio, we use the Draw animation on manual paths to simulate a ships' movement through the water.

Drawing the Aquatic Route

Unlike the road snapping used in driving routes, maritime paths need manual placement.

1. Use the Route Tool in Direct Mode.
2. Place waypoints that follow natural shipping lanes or avoid coastlines.
3. For island navigation, use many small waypoints to creates a smooth, curved path around landmasses.

Creating the "Wake" Effect

The route line isn't just a static graphic.

• Set the Animation Type to Draw.
• Increase the Animation Duration to match the camera transition. This creates the illusion of the ship "unveiling" its path as it moves.
• Set the Stroke Style to Dashed if you want to simulate a GPS breadcrumb trail.

Choosing the Best Water Texture

Water looks best in Satellite Style.

• Pitch the camera (Right Click + Drag) to see the sunlight reflect off the ocean surface.
• Use the Show Labels toggle to turn off land-based POIs, keeping the focus on the vast blue expanse.

Always professional rendering engine before exporting to ensure that the ocean tiles are fully cached, avoiding any "blue-to-gray" flickering in your final high-def maritime story.