Quick bcf2vdb guide

Technical
1

Overview

The bcf2vdb command line utility converts TFD’s .bcf simulation cache files to .vdb files. The utility is part of the licensed plugin package. It is a transitional solution until the next major release that will make VDB export part of the main plugin functionality.

Windows

Simple Usage

  1. Find the cache base folder you want to convert from the TFD container in your scene. In the shot below the cache base folder is C:\Users\jascha\TurbulenceFD Caches 007.
    cache_shot
    cache_shot984×764 43.7 KB

    Use Windows Explorer to navigate to that folder. It contains one or more cache folders.
    explorer_shot
    explorer_shot1065×567 34.6 KB
    .
  2. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Jawset TurbulenceFD\bcf2vdb
    (TFD v1.0 1472 and older: Navigate to the bcf2vdb folder inside your TurbulenceFD installation. You extracted the TurbulenceFD package somewhere and added the path to C4D’s plugin paths or extracted it into C4D’s plugins folder.)
    explorer_shot2
    explorer_shot21063×571 47.2 KB
  3. Drag the cache folder on the file bcf2vdb.exe s.t. the Open with bcf2vdb.exe tag appears.
    explorer_shot3
    explorer_shot31062×569 60.2 KB
  4. You should see a command prompt showing the progress of the conversion.
    cmd_prompt_shot
    cmd_prompt_shot1293×559 20.6 KB
  5. The converted .vdb files are inside the cache folder you dragged.

Advanced Usage

  1. Open Command Prompt from the Windows start menu.
    Note that Powershell is different from Command Prompt and will not work with the instructions below.
  2. In Finder open /Applications/TurbulenceFD/bcf2vdb
    (TFD v1.0 1472 and before: You extracted the TurbulenceFD package somewhere and added the path to C4D’s plugin paths or extracted it into C4D’s plugins folder. Open the TurbulenceFD folder inside this plugin folder.)
  3. Drag the file bcf2vdb/bcf2vdb.exe from the TurbulenceFD folder to your command prompt.
    The full path of the .exe file should appear in the command line.
  4. Press Return to see a list of options of the bcf2vdb utility.
  5. Press Up Arrow to get the path of the bcf2vdb.exe into the current command line again.
  6. Press Space, drag a cache folder into the command prompt and press Return to start the conversion.
  7. In order to add options to the command, append them separated by spaces to the command line before pressing Return.

MacOS

Simple Usage

  1. Find the cache base folder you want to convert from the TFD container in your scene. In the shot below the cache base folder is /Users/jascha/TurbulenceFD Caches 001.

    06
    06926×908 67.5 KB

    Use Finder to navigate to that folder. It contains one or more cache folders.
    04
    041241×584 76.8 KB

  2. Navigate to the bcf2vdb folder inside your TurbulenceFD installation.
    You extracted the TurbulenceFD package somewhere and added the path to C4D’s plugin paths or extracted it into C4D’s plugins folder.

    08
    081291×569 128 KB

  3. Open Terminal
    Open the dashboard by either pinching on the touchpad, pressing F4 (or Fn+F4). Then type terminal and press Return. Alternatively you can use Finder to navigate to /Applications/Utilities and double click Terminal.

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    371017×252 28.3 KB

  4. Drag the file bcf2vdb from the bcf2vdb folder in the TurbulenceFD folder to the Terminal window.
    The full path of the file should appear in the command line.

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    531014×253 30.8 KB

  5. Drag the cache folder to the Terminal window and press Return to start the conversion.

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    071015×444 60.2 KB

  6. The converted .vdb files are inside the cache folder you dragged.

Advanced Usage

  1. Drag the bcf2vdb file to the Terminal window.
  2. Press Return to see a list of options.
  3. Add options separated by spaces to the command line and drag a cache folder to the Terminal window before pressing Return.
3 Likes
2

Every build of LightWave TFD (for Mac) I have does not include a bcf2vdb tool.
Does this exist on MacOS?

1 Like
3

What sort of size is your project ? Perhaps i could convert for you ?

1 Like
4

Thanks Paul, I am not working on a project.
I was watching a tutorial which used the bcf2vdb tool, and I saw the Mac instructions above. But don’t know how you get it (it’s not in the Mac download).

2 Likes
5

I also can’t find it.

6

C:\Users\daddy\AppData\Roaming\Maxon\Maxon Cinema 4D R21_64C2B3BD\plugins\TurbulenceFD_C4D_v1-0_1462\bcf2vdb

7

Thanks, but looking specifically for it on Mac.

8

So it’s not in your plugin folder ? Do you have a licenced version ? and which version are you using ?

9
  1. Mac OS. Yes it’s licensed. Don’t see it anywhere in my Turbulence folder or in a search. If someone has it for Mac, can it be made available online?
10

Speak to Jascha via email support…i seem to remember some issues with the mac and some latest plugin…you may need to get an older version

11

Did you get a resolution ?

12

Was this ever resolved? I would like to use bcf2vdb on Mac as well.

13

Since v1.0 1474, bcf2vdb gets installed to /Applications/TurbulenceFD/bcf2vdb/bcf2vdb on macOS and C:\Program Files\Jawset TurbulenceFD\bcf2vdb\bcf2vdb.exe on Windows. Otherwise it works like in the guide above.

1 Like
14

half.dll seems to be missing from the bcf2vdb folder

2 Likes
15

Indeed, thanks. Please re-download the fixed installer for v1.0 1477.

1 Like
16

half.dll missing from v1.0-1481

Edit: clean install of the newest version fixed the issue.

1 Like
17

Converting the cache simply doesn’t work for me. I have tried the drag and drop method directly onto the bcf2vdb executable file and the command window pops up for a fraction of a second and goes away.

I have done the command line version, followed multiple tutorials on youtube, double checked command line syntax and no joy. TFD works great if I’m just keeping my project in C4D and using it with Arnold or Redshift without a VDB workflow but if I need to take projects into other DCC’s like Houdini or Clarisse IFX as I do with some of my clients I’m boned.

At this point i’m actively considering just doing even these simpler fluid sims in Houdini even though the setup is longer, or if I have to giving FumeFX a shot which I had passed over in favor of TFD’s GPU accelerated features. Honestly, I can’t imagine why the industry standard VDB output isn’t supported directly in TFD ? I use X-particles for other types of work and it’s sims for fluids are crap but even it natively supports VDB. Sorry I know this sounds like a bunch of whining but at this point i’m pretty frustrated with the experience.

I’m going to take one last crack at this before jumping ship. Any help would be appreciated.

Specs:
TFD v1.0 - 1483, C4D s24.111, Windows 10 Pro 19041.1451
3990x 64 Core CPU
256GB RAM
4x 3090

18

One possible reason for this would be dropping not the folder that contains the .bcf files, but a parent folder that contains more cache folders. For example, the default “TurbulenceFD Caches 001” folder shouldn’t be dropped, but only folders inside it, like “TurbulenceFD Caches 001\Cache 001”. Also, only drop one folder at a time.

I fully agree with your criticism. This external VDB conversion is indeed “not a great solution”. Reactions, the successor to TFD, has it built in and you can convert with a single click or simulate directly to VDB.

1 Like
19

Hey there,

Thank you for the response. Yeah I made sure that there were no nested folders - just the direct folder itself which was sort of self evident from the start because how would bcf2vdb know which folder needed conversion if it wasn’t isolated first.

Not sure what to do at this point other than just switching to another product :confused:

20

Could you try the following?

  • Open Command Prompt
  • Drag&Drop bcf2vdb.exe to the command window
  • Press enter

You should see this:

image
image1213×992 36.8 KB

If some other message appears, pleased post it. Otherwise, the converter works and the problem might be something else. To figure out what, please do the following:

  • Drag the exe to the command window again,
  • Press Space
  • Drag a cache folder to the window
  • Press Enter

You should see the conversion progress similar to this:

image
image1569×992 67.1 KB

Again, if some other message appears, pleased post it.