What it does
EmberGen simulates fire, smoke and explosions for visual effects. Its GPU workflow produces image sequences and flipbooks for games, or VDB volumes for rendering elsewhere. Animated FBX and Alembic meshes can provide moving emitters and collision surfaces. Eligible Indie users can buy a permanent licence with 12 months of updates and optional annual maintenance.
EmberGen's output can be an image effect or a volume. PNG, EXR and TGA sequences serve rendered effects, while VDB retains simulation fields for another renderer. Imported FBX cameras provide a way to align the result with an existing shot.
For a VDB export, connect Export: VDB to the Volume node's VDB output. Set the file location, First Frame and Num Frames, then choose the channels in Controls. Coordinate System and Length Unit match the destination application: choose Z Up Right Handed for Blender or Y Up Right Handed for Maya. Use Export Now to write the sequence.
Volume-processing changes are included, but later shading and lighting are not. With Maya's aiStandardVolume or Blender's Principled Volume, set Temperature Attribute to the flames channel. This is a handoff of volume data, not a fully shaded copy of the EmberGen preview.
The Indie permanent licence includes 12 months of updates; optional maintenance is billed annually, before tax. Renewal starts enabled and can be disabled at checkout. Indie eligibility also considers affiliates and commercial clients, not just personal revenue. The 30-day, no-card trial begins on the first export.
Strengths
- The flipbook inspector previews exported effect animations.
- Several VDB export nodes can be selected and exported together.
Watch out for
- VDB delivery excludes the later lighting and shading setup.
- Multiple graphics cards are not supported for simulation.
Best for
- Game effects artists producing animated fire and smoke textures
- Artists supplying simulation volumes to another renderer
Sources
- EmberGen | Product Features (Oct 28, 2026)
- EmberGen | VDB Export (Oct 28, 2026)
- JangaFX | Pricing and Maintenance (Oct 28, 2026)
- JangaFX | End User Licence Agreement (Oct 28, 2026)
- EmberGen | Free Trial (Oct 28, 2026)