View source for OpenVDB

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{{Infobox software
| name = OpenVDB
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| developer = [[DreamWorks Animation]], [[Academy Software Foundation]]
| released = {{Start date and age|2012|08|03}}
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| latest release version = 11.0.0
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2023|11|01}}
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| programming language = [[C++]]
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| genre = Software library
| license = [[Mozilla Public License]] 2.0
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| website = {{URL|openvdb.org}}
| repo = {{URL|github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openvdb}}
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'''OpenVDB''' is an [[open source]] software [[Library (computing)|library]] for working with [[Sparse matrix|sparse]] [[Voxel|volumetric data]]. It provides a hierarchical data structure and related functions to help with calculating volumetric effects in [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] applications. Volumetric effects apply to volumes, as opposed to just on surfaces. An example is fog.
Specifically catering for feature film production, the library was originally developed by [[DreamWorks Animation]] and is currently maintained by the [[Academy Software Foundation]] (ASWF). The primary authors are Ken Museth, Peter Cucka, Mihai Aldén, and David Hill. OpenVDB is written in [[C++]] and has [[Python (programming language)|Python]] bindings.
OpenVDB is supported in a wide range of CGI software, such as [[Blender (software)|Blender]] (since April 2016), [[Cinema 4D]], [[Houdini (software)|Houdini]], and [[Pixar RenderMan (software)|RenderMan]]. It was first used in the films ''[[Puss in Boots (2011 film)|Puss in Boots]]'' (2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://artifacts.aswf.io/io/aswf/openvdb/DWA_News_2012_8_3_OpenVDB/1.0.0/DWA_News_2012_8_3_OpenVDB-1.0.0.pdf|title=DreamWorks Animation Releases Proprietary Volumetric Format OpenVDB to Open Source Community}}</ref> and ''[[Rise of the Guardians]]'' (2012).
==What does VDB stand for? ==
Over the years VDB has been interpreted to mean different things, none of which are very descriptive: "Voxel Data Base", "Volumetric Data Blocks", "Volumetric Dynamic B+tree", etc. In early presentations of VDB even a different name was used, "DB+Grid", which was abandoned to emphasize its distinction from similarly named, but different, existing sparse data structures like DT-Grid or DB-Grid. The simple truth is that "VDB" is just a name.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.openvdb.org/documentation/doxygen/faq.html|title=OpenVDB Frequently Asked Questions|access-date=2022-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCt2el3-x3A&t=3144s|title=CppCast Episode 227: OpenVDB with Ken Museth|website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2023-08-16}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website|openvdb.org}}
[[Category:2012 software]]
[[Category:C++ libraries]]
[[Category:DreamWorks Animation]]
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