ZibraVDB’s Expansion and How You Can Try It for Free

ZibraVDB is now fully compatible with both Unreal Engine and Houdini, with a free version on Fab.com. These updates introduce new ways to integrate high-quality volumetric effects into your workflow.

Introducing ZibraVDB for Unreal Engine and Houdini

ZibraVDB seamlessly integrates into both UE and Houdini, making it easier than ever to render massive volumetric effects in real time. The key is a proprietary compression method that reduces VDB data size by up to 100x while preserving visual detail. This significantly lowers performance overhead, allowing artists and developers to work with large-scale volumetric effects without compromising quality.

How ZibraVDB Works in Each Platform

In Houdini, ZibraVDB supports procedurally generated VDB volumes, helping VFX artists handle large-scale simulations before compressing them for more efficient reuse.

In Unreal Engine, ZibraVDB is optimized for real-time playback and rendering, making volumetric effects accessible at runtime—eliminating the need for pre-rendered sequences and accelerating iteration cycles.

This dual-platform approach bridges high-end simulation workflows with real-time production, giving creators more flexibility than ever.

Benefits for Virtual Production

• • Enabling use of real-time effects (which was impossible before), enabling In-Camera VFX, use of atmospheric volumetric effects like smoke, fire, dust etc. 
• • Compressed data reduces GPU/CPU demands, minimizing the need for expensive rendering clusters.
• • Seamless scene compositing enables artists to integrate volumetric elements without switching tools or relying on offline pipelines.
• • Drastically reduced waiting periods for heavy renders, no more delays or pauses to interrupt your production timeline.

Benefits for Game Development

• • Enabling the use of high-quality volumetric effects (e.g., spells, explosions) run in real time without affecting frame rates.
• • Adaptive fidelity lets studios adjust resolution based on platform constraints.
• • Optimized storage — compressed volumetric assets can be reused across multiple levels or projects without increasing file sizes.

ZibraVDB allows teams to maintain visual fidelity in large volumetric assets while adapting to performance constraints, making it a powerful tool for both Virtual Production and game development.

For larger companies and established studios, ZibraVDB provides an opportunity to modernize content pipelines, reducing both storage overhead and rendering queues. Traditional CPU-based simulations and offline rendering often require a lot of hardware investment; shifting to a real-time or hybrid workflow frees up valuable resources while still delivering top-tier results.

Meanwhile, our compression technology lightens the load on internal networks and external cloud solutions, offering practical cost and operational benefits for decision-makers aiming to optimize efficiency across multiple projects.

‍

Try ZibraVDB for Free on Fab.com

You can access ZibraVDB’s real-time volumetric rendering for free on Fab.com.

What You Can Do with the Free Version:

• • Import & Render .zibravdb files directly in Unreal Engine with real-time lighting, shadows, and ambient reflection.
• • Full Playback Control — adjust smoke, clouds, and other volumetric effects with precision and ease.
• • Use Ready-Made VDB Effects — drop curated assets straight into your project for fast, high-quality results.

For studios and creators needing more flexibility, the full version unlocks advanced capabilities, including compression, custom shader integration, and complete control over volumetric effects. You can play around with these settings yourself with our free effects available to download here.

‍

Start creating with ZibraVDB

With ZibraVDB now available for Unreal Engine, Houdini, and as a free version on Fab.com, creators have more flexibility than ever to bring high-quality volumetric effects into real-time workflows.

As we continue expanding ZibraVDB’s capabilities, we’d love to see what you create with it. Try it now — download the free version on Fab.com or explore the full feature set on our website.