TFD sims export to VDB?

Workflow
1

Is there away to export the TFD container sim files into a VDB. This way I can open the VDB in C4D 2025 and render in the latest c4d version?

2

Yes use the bcf converter program Quick bcf2vdb guide

3

thanks for the tip!! I am using it now. I dont want to jump to conclusion but is it a slow process or should I expect it to convert automatically like saving? Because I tried it and nothing is happening it seems? I will keep messing with it.

4

It can be slow…but it should work ok…try putting say 20 bcfs into a folder and convert them using the instructions given, tell me if it does not work

5

Not sure about 2025 as my PC will not run it but Arnold in r26 renders bcf files natively

6

ok I will try that… I thought it was the redistributable file was obsolete but when I put in a later version that didnt work… but I will try the smaller count in the folder… I did notice my memory consumption sky rocketed to the max 256gb in the task manager…when it starts… It does something and then stops and the prompt screen dissappears and when i check the folder there is only 1 empty VDB file. Just file number one in the count. I guess there is a chance these files are too big…but its just an up-rezed smoke sim… 260 frames that add up to 300 gigs…

7

Try it with the base no uprzed bcf files…there may be an issue with uprezed files. I assume you want to work with redshift ? Older versions of RS used to be able to render bcf…I doubt if that can now. If you have a link you can put up to say 5 files base and upresed I will see what I can do.Try dropbox ? Huge scenes are best done in Arnold and making use of the massive RAM you can throw at it…I have 128 GB

8

Also Lightwave uses TFD now and I think saves to VDB natively…not sure…check it out. New features - LightWave3D® Edit…no I think it saves to bcf !!

9

They have a section in their docs for BCF2VDB but there is no info…I suspect they use the native conversion program we use. Layout Plugins | 2024

10

Thanks for the feedback… I couldnt get it to work. It was causing a problem with the IPR. It would not render the TFD and VDB together only if one or the other was turned off or I used the picture viewer renderer to render it. So I just had to manage turning things on and off…depending on what I was working on in the moment…

11

Am not sure why you would want both ? Best to just render out the bdc files on arnold if you have them all and not go through the hassle of conv to vdb

12

I had a stock VDB file for rendering and then the TFD sim for rendering… two different elements… the IPR would crash when I had them turned both on. It was a smoke element and then a fire simulation…in the same scene… I would just turn one off and check the scene with the IPR… its ok now I got used to the workflow.

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