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title: "Input"
canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/VC4D/116853679/Input"
format: markdown
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This page provides information about the Input tab of the V-Ray Volumetric Grid.


## **Overview**

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The Input rollout determines the path of the input files for rendering and preview and the playback effects. Note that some playback settings require a fractional input frame, in which case the frame is blended between the previous and the next.

> Macro (ui-text-box)
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> Field3D files that come from FumeFX must be exported with gzip compression! If they are exported with the default proprietary FumeFX compression, they will not be imported properly in the V-Ray Volume Grid.



## **Input**

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> **$(work_path) **– $(data_dir)/$(scene)_Phoenix_frames/$(nodename)_####.aur  
> **$(data_path)** – $(data_dir)/$(scene)_Phoenix2_frames/$(nodename)_####.aur  
> **$(scene_path)** – $(dir)/$(scene)_Phoenix_frames/$(nodename)_####.aur  
> **$(scene_dir)** – $(dir)/$(scene)_Phoenix2_frames/$(nodename)_####.aur  
> **$(implicit)** – Same as $(data_path).  
> **$(dir)** – The scene directory.  
> **$(data_dir)** – The current workspace data directory.  
> **$(scene)** – The scene file name.  
> **$(nodename)** – The name of the node.  
> **$(fullname)** – The full name of the node.  
> **$(workspace)** – The current workspace directory.  
> **$env(***<variable_name>***)** – An environment variable. *[See more about environment variables.](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VC4D/pages/116853679/Input#Input-environmentVariables)*
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> If you are transferring your scene and assets between Windows and Linux, prefixing your path with the **$(workspace)** or **$env(***<variable_name>***)** macros can make it possible to use the same scene without any manual modifications to the cache path.
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> Pound signs (i.e., hash) can be used to specify the cache frame number with at least as many digits as the pound signs. If the number of frame digits is less than the number of pound signs, the number is padded with zeroes to the left. For example:
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## **Using Environment Variables with Volume Grid Paths**

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There are path [environment variables](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VNS/pages/115605616) in every OS, and they can be used with Volume Grid cache file paths.

For example, to access environment variables in Windows 10 and Windows 8, follow these steps:

1. In Search, search for and then select **System** (Control Panel).
2. Click the **Advanced system settings** link.
3. Click the **Environment Variables...** button.
4. In the **System variables** section, using the **Edit System Variable** (or **New System Variable**) window, specify the value of the PATH environment variable.

Using this, you can create a path (variable), give it a name, and use it for cache files in the V-Ray Volume Grid.

For example, the path *D:\V-Ray\Cache* can be given the environment variable name "*Cache*". In the Volume Grid Input rollout, you can specify the path as the following:

*$env(Cache)\cache_name###.aur*

This will load the cache files in *D:\V-Ray\Cache*.

Note that in order to reference environment variables, the following pattern must be used:

***$env(****<variable_name>****)***