V-Ray for 3ds Max
Houdini to 3ds Max Open VDB workflow
This page provides a tutorial for exporting Open VDB caches from Houdini and rendering them in 3ds Max using V-Ray.
Last updated 12 January 2026
This page provides a tutorial for exporting Open VDB caches from Houdini and rendering them in 3ds Max using V-Ray.
Overview
The instructions on the following pages guide you through the process of importing and rendering Houdini simulations in 3ds Max using V-Ray. The tutorial is separated into three chapters:
- Chapter 1 assumes you are somewhat familiar with both Houdini and 3ds Max, and provides information regarding the terminology used in Houdini and V-Ray/Phoenix FD.
- Chapter 2 assumes you've read the first chapter and provides a quick overview of the process of setting up a custom Color field in Houdini which is then exported as VDB and used as the shading color for the smoke simulation.
- Chapter 3 is focused on equalizing the settings between the Pyro shader and the V-Ray Volume Grid.
Want to follow along but don’t have a license?
You can download the corresponding assets from the buttons below or from their respective page: