---
title: "V-Ray Frame Buffer"
canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/VRAYHOUDINI/113279173/V-Ray%20Frame%20Buffer"
format: markdown
---
This page provides information on the V-Ray Frame Buffer and its features.
## **Overview**
---
## **VFB Menu**
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| **Menu** | **Menu Options** |
| --- | --- |
| **File** | **Save current channel **– Saves the currently loaded channel to an image file format. Note that color correction layers are not saved.
**Save all image channels to separate files **– Saves all the render elements to separate files. Select the options (> Macro (inline-media-image)
) button to open a menu with more settings.
**Save all image channels to single file **– Saves the image to a single multi-channel EXR or *.vrimg* file.
**Load image **– Opens an image file to be previewed in the V-Ray Frame Buffer.
**Batch image processing** – Allows processing of multiple .*vrimg *files with the same layer tree changes at the same time.
> ⚠️ With V-Ray 7, you can drag files directly onto the V-Ray Frame Buffer window to load them for preview. | **Save all image channels to separate files options**
**Save VFB color corrections to render elements** – When enabled, all color corrections are saved to the render channels (as opposed to only the RGB and effectsResult channels). |
| **Batch image processing**
**Input folder** – Specifies a path to start images.
**Output folder** – Specifies a path for the output images.
**Layer preset** – Specifies a layer tree corrections preset.
**Output filenames suffix** – Specifies a suffix added to the output image filenames.
**Overwrite existing** – Enables overwrite of existing files with the same name in the output folder. |
| **Render** | **Start** **interactive** **rendering **– Starts IPR.
**Stops** **rendering** – Stops the ongoing rendering at its current state. It takes the render's current state as valid to perform all post-rendering tasks such as post-effects or image output saving.
**Abort** **rendering** – Cancels the current rendering.
**Render **– Starts rendering. |
| **Image** | **Follow mouse** – Renders the closest bucket found to the mouse pointer, when using the bucket image sampler. If the progressive sampler is used, V-Ray samples the closest pixels to the mouse pointer.
**Follow mouse** – Drag the mouse over the VFB while rendering to change what part of the image is sampled first;
**Follow mouse (locked**) – Locks the bucket (or sampling) starting point.
**Copy current channel to clipboard** – Copies the current channel to the clipboard. Shortcut: Ctrl+C
**Clear image** – Clears the contents of the frame buffer. This is useful when starting a new render to prevent confusion with the previous image. |
| **View** | **Display color space** –Specifies the color space, in which the image is displayed.
**None** – Does not specify a color space;
**sRGB** – Displays the image in sRGB color space;
**OCIO** – Displays the image in a color space loaded from an OCIO configuration file. *See the **[VFB OCIO Control through Python](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VRAYHOUDINI/pages/113281174)* for more information.
**ICC** – Displays the image in a color space loaded from an ICC configuration file;
**Gamma** **2.2** – Displays the image in Gamma 2.2 color space.
**Zoom VFB** – Zooms in/out the rendered image in the VFB.
**Zoom 50%** – Zooms out to 50%;
**Zoom 100%** – Zooms to 100%. Alternatively, double-click in the VFB with the left mouse button;
**Zoom 150%** – Zooms in to 150%.
**Zoom to fit** – Zooms the current image to fit in the VFB. If **Render** **Region** is active – zooms to the region.
**Channels** – Chooses which channels to see.
**View red channel** – Displays the red channel;
**View green channel** – Displays the green channel;
**View blue channel** – Displays the blue channel;
**Switch to alpha channel** – Displays the alpha channel;
**Monochromatic mode** –Displays the image in monochromatic mode.
**Color clamping** – Opens the color clamping submenu options:
**Force color clamping** – Forces color clamping;
**View clamped colors** – Displays the clamped colors.
**Use pixel aspect** – Enables visualization of the pixel aspect ratio.
**Flip **– Mirrors the image in the VFB. This is a view only option, the flipped image cannot be exported. This function is only active while holding the menu button or the hotkey for the corresponding type of flip. The effect does not interrupt interactive rendering.
**Flip horizontally** – Mirrors the image horizontally.
**Flip vertically** – Mirrors the image vertically.
**Panorama View** – Shows the image in 360° view.
**Show History** – Shows the History panel.
**Show Layers** – Shows the Layers panel. |
| **Options** | **VFB settings** – Opens the VFB Settings window where you can adjusts settings for Render View, Render Region, History, Layers, and Shortcuts. |
## **VFB Toolbar**
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| | |
| --- | --- |
|  | This dropdown gives access to [render elements ](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VRAYHOUDINI/pages/113279255)rendered for the scene. The selected render element is displayed in the VFB. By default, the [RGB color ](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VRAYHOUDINI/pages/113281534)and Alpha render elements are available. Any additional render elements that have been added to the scene also appear in the drop-down. |
|  | Displays the coordinates of the mouse pointer. |
|  | Specifies the sampled area size. Click on the arrow to open a context menu with the available sampled area sizes: 1x1, 3x3, 5x5, and 7x7. |
|  | Specifies the color of the pixel under the current mouse position before applying any color corrections. |
|  | Displays the RGB pixel values at the current mouse pointer position before applying any color corrections. |
|  | Specifies RGB values. Click on the arrow to open a context menu with the available option.
**None** – Does not specify the RGB value.
**HSV** – Specifies the Hue, Saturation and Value of the pixel under the current mouse position.
**Web** – Specifies the HEX of the pixel under the current mouse position.
**8bit** – Specifies the 8bit color palette of the pixel under the current mouse position. |
|  | Displays the Hue, Saturation and Value of the pixel under the current mouse position when **HSV** is selected. |
|  | Displays the HEX of the pixel under the current mouse position when **Web** is selected. |
|  | Displays the 8bit color palette of the pixel under the current mouse position when **8bit **is selected. |
| | |
| --- | --- |
|  | Locks the mouse pointer coordinates and displays information for the selected pixel. |
|  | Shows corrected colors. |
|  | Shows the V-Ray log. |
|  | Displays the red channel. |
|  | Displays the green channel. |
|  | Displays the blur channel. |
|  | Displays the Alpha channel. |
|  | Saves the image to disk. Press and hold the icon to bring up the submenu:
**Save current channel **– Saves the current channel to an image file format;
**Save all image channels to separate files **– Saves all the render elements into separate files;
**Save all image channels to single file **– Saves the image into a single multi-channel EXR or *.vrimg* file. |
|  | Clears the contents of the frame buffer. This is useful when starting a new render to prevent confusion with the previous image. |
|  | Renders the closest bucket found to the mouse pointer, when using the bucket image sampler. If the progressive sampler is used, V-Ray samples the closest pixels to the mouse pointer. With this option enabled, you can right-click on the image and select **Lock bucket starting point** to lock the bucket (or sampling) starting point. |
|  | Allows you to render regions in the VFB. *See the **[Render Region section](#Render-Region)** for more information.* |
|  | Renders multiple polygonal regions in the VFB. *See the **[Region Render](#Render-Region)** section for more information.* |
|  | Starts IPR. If there is more than one camera in the scene, hold left mouse button to display a list of the available cameras. |
|  | Cancels the current rendering. When the render is cancelled, the Denoiser is not applied or saved, equivalent to the behavior of the Cancel button in the Rendering window. |
|  | Stops the ongoing rendering at its current state. It takes the render's current state as valid to perform all post-rendering tasks such as post-effects or image output saving. |
|  | Starts rendering. If there is more than one camera in the scene, hold left mouse button to display a list of the available cameras. |
## **Render History**
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## **Filters**
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## **Layers**
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## **Stats**
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## **Log**
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## **VFB Shortcuts**
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| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| | **Description** | **Shortcut Key** |
| **Global** | Show/hide history | H |
| Show/hide only layers tree | P |
| Show/hide whole right panel | Ctr+L |
| Toggle Full Screen | F11 |
| VFB Settings | S |
| |
| **History/Render View** | Enable history A/B/C/D compare mode | E |
| Enable history A/B horizontal compare mode | Q |
| Enable history A/B vertical compare mode | W |
| Load the respective image from the VFB history (1...9) | 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9 |
| |
| **Layers/Property Panel** | Redo | Ctr+Y |
| Undo | Ctr+Z |
| |
| **Layers** | Delete a layer | Del |
| |
| **Message Log** | Close Search | Esc |
| Find in Log | Ctr+F |
| Find next | Return |
| Find previous | Shift+Return |
| |
| **Render View** | Abort rendering | Esc |
| Copy current channel to clipboard | Ctr+C |
| Flip horizontally | M |
| Flip vertically | Shift+M |
| Load image | Ctr+O |
| Lock pixel info coordinates | L |
| Pan image (up, left, down, right) | Up; Left; Down; Right (arrow keys) |
| Switch to Alpha channel | A |
| View blue channel | B |
| View green channel | G |
| View next channel | PgDown |
| View previous channel | PgUp |
| View red channel | R |
| Zoom 100% | * ; Double-click left button |
| Zoom in | + / = |
| Zoom out | -/_ |
| Zoom to fit | F |
| Zoom in the rendered image | Ctrl+Shift+Left click |
| Zoom out the rendered image | Ctrl+Shift+Right click |
| Symmetric render region resizing | Alt+resize |
> ℹ️ Note that the keyboard shortcuts work only within the VFB window.
> ✅ The shortcut keys can be modified in the VFB's options from VFB > Options > Shortcuts tab > Edit hotkeys.
## **Render Region**
---
| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  | **Region render** | Renders rectangular regions in the VFB. |
|  | **Polygon region render** | Renders multiple polygonal regions in the VFB. |
A right-click context menu is available for the Polygon region render:
### **Saving Files With Render Region**
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Usually, when a render region is used, you would like to save the whole frame instead of the region only.
Saving single channel .*exr *files ignores the render region and always saves the full frame. This applies when saving the .*exr* through **VFB.**
Saving multi-channel .*exr* files writes just the render region data in the file by default but it can be set to save full frame instead. In order to save the render region with the rest of the frame, set its **exr data window** option to **Whole Image**. Saving multi-channel .*exr* files from **VFB** >** Save all channels to single file **saves the render region when it is enabled from the VFB. This happens even if you have selected a render region on top of the already rendered frame, without an actual region used in the rendering process. To save the full frame from VFB, disable the render region.
Find more info at [VFB Render Region](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VRAYHOUDINI/pages/113280304/Interactive+Rendering#VFB%20Render%20Region).
## **Notes**
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- VFB does **not** display the G-Buffer layers (like **Coverage** etc.)
- VFB does **not** work with strip rendering.
- VFB does **not** work with rendering to fields.
- The OpenEXR file format is an open file format for high dynamic range images originally developed by Industrial Light and Magic. The official site of the OpenEXR file format is [http://www.openexr.com/](http://www.openexr.com/)
- If Lens Effects or the [VRayDenoiser ](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VRAYHOUDINI/pages/113279296)render element are enabled, then the RGB Color channel is saved with the name RGB_color and the effectsResult channel is saved as effectsResult when saving all channels from VFB.
- If an 8-bit file is saved through the VFB or the Render Output / Save image settings, the color space (for example sRGB) is embedded and the image appears as in the frame buffer when loaded in an external image viewer. If a 32-bit (exr, hdr, tif) image is saved, it remains linear and relies on the external image viewer to handle the display color space.