---
title: "V-Ray Shelf"
canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/VRAYHOUDINI/113280420/V-Ray%20Shelf"
format: markdown
---
This page provides information on the V-Ray Shelf.   Overview  V-Ray includes a shelf with easy shortcuts to some of the most commonly used V-Ray components. The shelf can be added to the shelf dock the first time you launch Houdini with V-Ray installed. Adding the V-Ray Shelf To add the V-Ray tab into your Houdini UI after the first time you run the batch file/installer, follow the steps below: Click the  +  button at the far right of the Houdini Shelf Dock. Go to the  Shelves  sub-menu and choose  V-Ray  to add a check to that shelf option. For more details on the tools available from the shelf, please see the  Shelf Functions  section.   Shelf Functions   The V-Ray Shelf provides the functions listed below.   Button Icon Description Render Render  – Starts a Production render and launches the VFB window. Note: A camera must be set in the viewport to start the render. Shift +  Left-click  on the button to select a different render. ROP Parm  – Opens the V-Ray Renderer settings. Shift +  Left-click  on the button to select different ROP parameters. IPR (VFB)  –  Starts an Interactive Production Rendering (IPR) session and launches the VFB window. Shift + Left-click on the button to select a different IPR render. Show VFB  – Launches the  V-Ray Frame Buffer  window. Shift + Left-click on the button to select different ROP parameters. Camera Camera Properties  –  Allows you to override some of the  Camera Overrides  in the  Renderer  window on an individual camera-by-camera basis, such as Field of View (FOV) value and camera type. Phys. Camera  – Adds  V-Ray Physical Camera  properties to the active Houdini Camera. Geometry Object Props  – Adds a number of properties on per-object basis. See the  Object Properties  page for more information. Subdivs Props  – Assigns  displacement  properties to a Geometry node. Hair Props  – Assigns V-Ray  Hair Properties  to the selected Geometry node. Cosmos Cosmos  – Opens the  Chaos Cosmos Browser . Import Import Mtl  – Imports material from a .vrscene file. Select the correct file path to import the material in Houdini. Lights Light Direct  – Creates a  V-Ray Direct Light . Light IES  – Creates a  V-Ray IES Light . Light Rect.  – Creates a  V-Ray Rectangle Light . Light Spot  – Creates a  V-Ray Spot Light . Light Sun  – Creates a  V-Ray Sun Light . Light Dome  – Creates a  V-Ray Dome Light . Light Lister  – Opens the  V-Ray Light Lister  window that gives users easy access to all the V-Ray lights in a scene.