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We have the biggest collection of VDBs on the internet, so naturally over the years I have received tons of questions about how best to use them. I’ve heard it all, from questions about best practices to questions about troubleshooting VDB issues. Here are the top 5 issues I get e-mails about. Having these tips in your back pocket should solve the vast majority of possible issues when using VDBs!
Mistake: Forgetting to match the scale of the VDB to your scene.
Why it matters: VDBs are often created in a different unit scale (like meters or centimeters). If they’re too small or too large, they won’t interact realistically with lighting or other objects. Our VDBs are almost always built in Meters, so make sure to import at that scale unit.
Tip: Always check and adjust the VDB scale on import when you see the import settings dialogue. Also, VDBs don’t always respond well to scaling up. It’s better to import them at their correct scale, and then build your scene around that scale!
Mistake: Cranking the density multiplier too high or too low.
Why it matters: Too high = pixelated, chunky, and slow to render. Too low = invisible.
Tip: Tweak density settings and remap sliders to balance realism and render speed. Push it too far and you will break the asset!
Mistake: Not adjusting the remapping curve in your volume shader.
Why it matters: Your VDB might look too faint or too dense without proper remapping.
Tip: This also works with the emission remapping. It’s really important to tweak the emission of fire and explosions so they look good!
Mistake: Lighting VDBs like regular geometry.
Why it matters: Volumes need backlighting or rim lighting to show depth and detail. Flat lighting makes them look dull and unconvincing.
Tip: Use area lights or HDRIs positioned to catch the volume’s edges and add subtle light scattering.
Mistake: Ignoring extra data channels and not using them in the correct slots.
Why it matters: Density is the smoke, and temperature is the heat/fire. You have to make sure you plug them into the right slots or you won’t get the correct result.
Tip: You can check the information in the VDB object to see which channels are embedded in the VDB.
Mistake: Not changing the project settings and render settings to match the VDB frame rate.
Why it matters: The animation is baked into the VDB. It is pre-simulated and baked in at a specific frame rate. If you don’t set the frame rate of your project setting and your output render correctly, then the VDB will stutter and have duplicate frames and not be smooth.
Tip: Unless specified elsewhere, almost all of our assets are built at 24fps so use 24fps for your project settings and renders. Then it will be silky smooth!
If you have any questions, just shoot me an e-mail and I can help you out! joren@thepixellab.net
We have over 3,000 VDB assets with categories like clouds, smoke, fire, explosion, nebula, dust, storm, firework, plumes, portals, and much more. Check them out!
Joren Kandel is an Emmy Award winning artist with 15 years of experience in sports motion design. He is also Founder and CEO of The Pixel Lab, which has become the biggest collection of 3D VFX and VDB assets in the world!