openvdb

OpenVDB - Sparse volume data structure and tools

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Quick Overview

OpenVDB is an open-source C++ library for efficient storage and manipulation of sparse volumetric data. It provides hierarchical data structures and tools for high-resolution volumetric effects in visual effects and animation, particularly useful for simulations involving smoke, water, and clouds.

Pros

Highly efficient storage and fast random access for sparse volumetric data
Powerful set of tools for manipulating and rendering volumetric effects
Well-optimized for both memory usage and computational performance
Widely adopted in the visual effects industry

Cons

Steep learning curve due to complex API and concepts
Limited documentation for advanced features
Requires significant computational resources for large-scale simulations
Primarily focused on C++, with limited bindings for other languages

Code Examples

Creating a simple fog volume:

#include <openvdb/openvdb.h>

openvdb::initialize();
openvdb::FloatGrid::Ptr grid = openvdb::FloatGrid::create();
openvdb::FloatGrid::Accessor accessor = grid->getAccessor();

for (int i = -50; i <= 50; ++i) {
    for (int j = -50; j <= 50; ++j) {
        for (int k = -50; k <= 50; ++k) {
            float density = std::exp(-(i*i + j*j + k*k) / 1000.0f);
            accessor.setValue(openvdb::Coord(i, j, k), density);
        }
    }
}

Applying a blur filter to a grid:

#include <openvdb/tools/Filter.h>

openvdb::FloatGrid::Ptr grid = // ... create or load grid
int iterations = 3;
float radius = 1.0f;

openvdb::tools::Filter<openvdb::FloatGrid> filter(*grid);
filter.gaussian(iterations, radius);

Raymarching through a volume:

#include <openvdb/tools/RayIntersector.h>

openvdb::FloatGrid::Ptr grid = // ... create or load grid
openvdb::math::Ray ray(openvdb::Vec3f(0, 0, 0), openvdb::Vec3f(1, 1, 1).unit());

openvdb::tools::RayIntersector<openvdb::FloatGrid> intersector(*grid);
openvdb::tools::RayIntersector<openvdb::FloatGrid>::Real t0, t1;

if (intersector.intersects(ray, t0, t1)) {
    std::cout << "Ray intersects volume from " << t0 << " to " << t1 << std::endl;
}

Getting Started

Install OpenVDB and its dependencies (Boost, TBB, etc.)
Include OpenVDB headers in your C++ project
Link against OpenVDB library
Initialize OpenVDB in your code:

#include <openvdb/openvdb.h>

int main() {
    openvdb::initialize();
    // Your OpenVDB code here
    return 0;
}

Compile with C++11 or later standard
Run your program

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README

OpenVDB	AX	Nano	Houdini	License	CII

OpenVDB is an open source C++ library comprising a novel hierarchical data structure and a large suite of tools for the efficient storage and manipulation of sparse volumetric data discretized on three-dimensional grids. It was developed by DreamWorks Animation for use in volumetric applications typically encountered in feature film production.

Development Repository

This GitHub repository hosts the trunk of the OpenVDB development. This implies that it is the newest public version with the latest features and bug fixes. However, it also means that it has not undergone a lot of testing and is generally less stable than the production releases.

License

OpenVDB is released under the Mozilla Public License Version 2.0, which is a free, open source software license developed and maintained by the Mozilla Foundation.

The trademarks of any contributor to this project may not be used in association with the project without the contributor's express permission.

NOTE: OpenVDB is in the process of changing its license from Mozilla Public License Version 2.0 to Apache License, Version 2.0! Please see the file RE-LICENSE_NOTE.txt for more details.

Contributing

OpenVDB welcomes contributions to the OpenVDB project. Please refer to the contribution guidelines for details on how to make a contribution.

Developer Quick Start

The following provides basic installation examples for the core OpenVDB library. Other components, such as the python module, OpenVDB AX, NanoVDB and various executables, may require additional dependencies. See the build documentation for help with installations.

Linux/MacOS

# Linux
# @note If your distribution does not have required versions, consider using
#   apt pinning. See the dependency documentation for more details.
apt-get install -y libboost-iostreams-dev
apt-get install -y libtbb-dev
apt-get install -y libblosc-dev

# MacOS
# @note We are using homebrew in this example to install requried dependencies
#  https://brew.sh/
brew install boost
brew install tbb
brew install c-blosc

git clone git@github.com:AcademySoftwareFoundation/openvdb.git
cd openvdb
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j4 && make install

Windows

Note that the following commands have only been tested for 64bit systems/libraries. It is recommended to set the VCPKG_DEFAULT_TRIPLET environment variable to x64-windows to use 64-bit libraries by default. You will also require Visual Studio (for the MSVC C++ runtime and compiler toolchains), CMake and optionally vcpkg for the installation of OpenVDB's dependencies.

vcpkg install zlib:x64-windows
vcpkg install blosc:x64-windows
vcpkg install tbb:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-iostreams:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-any:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-algorithm:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-interprocess:x64-windows

git clone git@github.com:AcademySoftwareFoundation/openvdb.git
cd openvdb
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<PATH_TO_VCPKG>\scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-windows -A x64 ..
cmake --build . --parallel 4 --config Release --target install

Building OpenVDB AX and NanoVDB

OpenVDB AX depends on the core OpenVDB library. NanoVDB can be built with and without OpenVDB support. Note that NanoVDB has its own build instructions, see the NanoVDB build documentation for details.

The following variables can be passed to the cmake configure command. There are more optional VDB components, see the build documentation for a complete list.

Option	Details
`-D OPENVDB_BUILD_AX=ON`	to enable OpenVDB AX
`-D OPENVDB_BUILD_NANOVDB=ON`	to enable NanoVDB
`-D NANOVDB_USE_OPENVDB=ON`	to use OpenVDB in NanoVDB

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