Using the VDB’s

The VDB sequences contain 3 channels: density, fuel, and heat. The main channels you’ll be using are density and fuel – these are the only channels used in the promo videos & images. However, incorporating the heat channel in clever ways will allow you to get more variety. For example, you could stack a second volume instance using only the heat channel, and dial in some extra fire inside the smoke.

Depending on your render engine, you may be able to select the channels from a drop-down menu, or you may have to type in the channel names manually. If you’re new to using VDB’s, looking up a tutorial on using VDB’s with your render engine should get you squared away.

An important note is that these simulations were made in Cinema 4D, referencing in Redshift, in a container of 400x400 cm. This is important because not all renderers & 3D applications interpret scale information the same way. You may need to adjust the scale of either your renderer’s entire volume object, or the scale within the volume object’s settings. For example, when I was testing the VDB’s in Arnold for C4D, I needed to change the OpenVDB settings from Meters to Centimeters for proper size.