docs/user_guides/schemas/usdVol/VolumeFieldAsset.md
% WARNING: THIS FILE IS GENERATED BY genSchemaDocs. DO NOT EDIT. % Generated: 03:26PM on February 19, 2026
(VolumeFieldAsset)=
VolumeFieldAsset is an abstract schema (that
inherits from {ref}VolumeFieldBase) that represents a volumetric field
where the volumetric data is stored outside the layer, e.g. in a file asset.
It is used as a base class for schemas that reference specific volume data
asset types, such as OpenVDB data.
If you need to extend UsdVol with your own custom file-based field schemas, your custom schemas should inherit from VolumeFieldAsset.
:class: note
Like VolumeFieldBase, VolumeFieldAsset is an abstract schema. In practice you
will most likely create prims using one of the field schemas that inherit from
VolumeFieldAsset, such as OpenVDBAsset or Field3DAsset.
:depth: 2
:local:
:backlinks: none
(VolumeFieldAsset_properties)=
(VolumeFieldAsset_fieldDataType)=
USD type: token
The data type of a field, such as "float".
Use this attribute to tell consumers more about the field without requiring the consumer access the asset file directly. The list of allowed tokens is specified with the specific asset type. A missing value is considered an error.
(VolumeFieldAsset_fieldIndex)=
USD type: int
The index of a field within a VolumeFieldAsset asset file. This attribute is optional.
An asset file can contain multiple fields with the same name. This optional
attribute is an index used to disambiguate between multiple fields with the same
name. For example, in an OpenVDB file asset, there might be two Grids named
"density". A fieldIndex of 0 would specify that this Field refers to the first
"density" Grid.
(VolumeFieldAsset_fieldName)=
USD type: token
Represents the name of an individual field within a VolumeFieldAsset asset file.
A VolumeFieldAsset file asset may contain multiple fields in a single asset
file. This attribute specifies the name of field within the asset file. For
example, an OpenVDB file asset might have multiple named Grids, such as
"density", "temperature", etc. fieldName would specify one of the named Grids
in the OpenVDB file asset.
Note that a Volume also provides a way to specify the "name" for a field, via
the field relationship. This name is not associated with asset data and is used
by the Volume for organizing fields for the rendering pipeline. See
{ref}usdVol_understanding_fieldname for more details on how the field's
relationship name differs from fieldName.
(VolumeFieldAsset_filePath)=
USD type: asset
An asset path attribute that points to a file on disk.
The asset pointed to by filePath must be a file type that the VolumeFieldAsset-derived schema supports. For example, for OpenVDBAsset, the file type must be an OpenVDB (.vdb) file. For Field3DAsset, the file type must be a Field3D (.f3d) file.
This attribute's value can be animated over time, as most volume asset formats represent just a single timeSample of a volume. However, it does not, at this time, support any pattern substitutions like "$F".
See {ref}usdVol_using_animated_field_data for an example of using filePath
to refer to animated volumetric data.
(VolumeFieldAsset_vectorDataRoleHint)=
USD type: token
Fallback value: None
Specifies the role of a vector valued field, such as "Color". This can drive the data type in which fields are made available in a renderer or whether the vector values are to be transformed. This attribute is optional.
This token can drive the data type in which fields are made available in a
renderer or whether the vector values are to be transformed. Allowed tokens
include None, Point, Normal, Vector, and Color.
(VolumeFieldAsset_inheritedproperties_Xformable)=
Xformable)(VolumeFieldAsset_xformOpOrder)=
USD type: token[]
(VolumeFieldAsset_inheritedproperties_Imageable)=
Imageable)(VolumeFieldAsset_proxyPrim)=
USD type: rel (relationship)
(VolumeFieldAsset_purpose)=
USD type: token
Fallback value: default
(VolumeFieldAsset_visibility)=
USD type: token
Fallback value: inherited