{"id":192934,"date":"2025-04-19T14:45:30","date_gmt":"2025-04-19T14:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/animation\/get-the-free-version-of-zibravdb-for-unreal-engine-and-houdini\/"},"modified":"2025-04-19T14:45:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-19T14:45:30","slug":"get-the-free-version-of-zibravdb-for-unreal-engine-and-houdini","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=192934","title":{"rendered":"Get the free version of ZibraVDB for Unreal Engine and Houdini"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Originally posted on 16 January 2025, and updated with details of the new Houdini plugin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zibra AI<\/a> has released a new free edition of ZibraVDB<\/a>, its volumetric compression technology for games and virtual production, for Unreal Engine and Houdini.<\/p>\n

The Unreal Engine plugin makes it possible to import, play back and render data in .zibravdb format inside the game engine, and comes with four free smoke and fire effects<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The new Houdini plugin makes it possible to compress as well as play back data, with users able to compress up to five VDB sequences into the .zibravdb format.<\/p>\n

A new AI-based technology for compressing and playing back volumetric effects<\/strong>
Launched commercially last year, ZibraVDB is a new AI-based technology<\/a> for compressing volumetric data in OpenVDB<\/a> format.<\/p>\n

It enables users to compress VDB files, like effects created in software like Houdini<\/a> or EmberGen<\/a>, then decompress and render them at runtime inside Unreal Engine.<\/p>\n

That enables users \u2013 both game developers and VFX and virtual production studios \u2013 to render much more complex effects than would previously have been possible in real time.<\/p>\n

According to Zibra AI, ZibraVDB can compress VDB files \u201cup to 100x\u201d, and render them \u201ctwice as fast\u201d as Unreal\u2019s native SVT system, introduced in Unreal Engine 5.3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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New free Unreal Engine plugin comes with four free stock explosion and tornado effects<\/strong>
The new free Unreal Engine plugin doesn\u2019t include the compression system itself, but it does make it possible to test the quality of the results it generates.<\/p>\n

To do that, you can download four free smoke and fire effects \u2013 three explosions and a fire tornado \u2013 compressed into .zibravdb format, and use it to import them into UE5 for rendering.<\/p>\n

There are no license restrictions on the assets, so once you\u2019ve tested them, you can also use them as stock assets for future projects.<\/p>\n

Now also available for Houdini<\/strong>
Updated 17 April<\/strong>: To coincide with the official rollout of Houdini support in ZibraVDB<\/a>, the plugin is also now available for Houdini.<\/p>\n

As well as decompressing .zibravdb files, Houdini users can compress five VDB sequences into the format for free.<\/p>\n

Price and system requirements<\/strong>
The free edition of ZibraVDB for Unreal Engine is compatible with Unreal Engine 5.3+. <\/p>\n

It is available via Epic Games\u2019 Fab online marketplace under Fab\u2019s Standard license<\/a>, which permits use in commercial projects.<\/p>\n

The free edition of ZibraVDB for Houdini is compatible with Houdini 20.5.550+ running on Windows 10+ only.<\/p>\n

It is available through SideFX Labs<\/a>, the official set of experimental add-on tools for Houdini. You can find instructions for installing it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The full commercial version of ZibraVDB is rental-only, with individual subscriptions now priced at $10\/month or $150\/year, and studio subscriptions priced on enquiry.<\/p>\n

Download the free edition of ZibraVDB for Unreal Engine<\/a><\/p>\n

Read the instructions for installing the free edition of ZibraVDB for Houdini<\/a><\/p>\n

Download four free stock smoke and fire effects for use with the free edition<\/a>
(Requires registering your contact details on the Zibra AI website)<\/p>\n

Read more about ZibraVDB on Zibra AI\u2019s website<\/a><\/p>\n

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