Academy Software Foundation Announced OpenPBR Volume

Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) has announced a new collaboration between Autodesk and SideFX to create OpenPBR Volume, a new OpenPBR shading model.

With volumetric effects like clouds, smoke, fire, and explosions playing a central role in modern productions, OpenPBR Volume provides a way for users to define the look of these assets. Like the previously released OpenPBR Surface, this open standard will include both a formal specification and a MaterialX reference implementation. This ensures seamless asset exchange between studios, authoring tools, and renderers, while maintaining a familiar interface for artists.

The collaboration between Autodesk and SideFX takes its roots in the Houdini Pyro Shader and the Arnold Standard Volume, with the goal of developing a unified model and draft specification for OpenPBR Volume, which will be publicly released once ready for review.

Anyone interested in contributing to the development of OpenPBR is encouraged to join the discussion on the #OpenPBR channel in the ASWF Slack. Learn more about OpenPBR and OpenPBR Volume by attending in-person or virtual sessions next week at Open Source Days and SIGGRAPH 2025.

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