# Foam / splashes / mist doesnt render after import to new scene

**URL:** <https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [January 29, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466 "2025-01-29T20:28:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chaos\_user](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/0ea827/32.png) [@chaos\_user](https://forums.chaos.com/u/chaos_user)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466/1 "2025-01-29T20:28:04Z")

</div>

I have created a two scenes with same units (inches / feet)  
I have finished my water simulation and saved it to cache folder. Then I took my all phoenix water files from my test scene and imported them to my final scene (identical scenes).

Images are showing:  
1. render from test scene, all works well  
2. render from imported scene. Phoenix shows liquid only, but no foam or mist are visible. It also crashes randomly while rendering.  
What’s happening? Why it lost foam / splashes / mist information?

 ![v2.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/6/9/691ac2d15c534289f8bcc326c97c15dd86383699.jpeg)  
 ![v1.jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/original/3X/f/2/f243312925526b54fe0cd977e7b257390c7ce664.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![georgi.zhekov](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/georgi.zhekov/32/5768_2.png) [@georgi.zhekov](https://forums.chaos.com/u/georgi.zhekov)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 11:15am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466/2 "2025-01-30T11:15:15Z")

</div>

Hello,

Did you change the V-Ray/Phoenix build in the meantime?  
When using Phoenix you need to install the corresponding build for the V-Ray installation. There are specific Phoenix builds for V-Ray 6 and V-Ray 7.  
In case you’re using V-Ray 6 with Phoenix for V-Ray 7 or vice versa there will be crashes or missing foam.

If you’re using the same builds but there is no foam, it could be that the Particle Shader which controls the rendering of the foam is not pointing to the simulator for some reason.  
To fix it, simply select the Particle Shader node in the Scene Explorer and then from its settings press the Add button and select the Phoenix simulator, then pick the Foam particles.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chaos\_user](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/0ea827/32.png) [@chaos\_user](https://forums.chaos.com/u/chaos_user)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 8:40pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466/3 "2025-01-30T20:40:55Z")

</div>

> [@georgi.zhekov](#):
>
> Hello,
> 
> Did you change the V-Ray/Phoenix build in the meantime?  
> When using Phoenix you need to install the corresponding build for the V-Ray installation. There are specific Phoenix builds for V-Ray 6 and V-Ray 7.  
> In case you’re using V-Ray 6 with Phoenix for V-Ray 7 or vice versa there will be crashes or missing foam.
> 
> If you’re using the same builds but there is no foam, it could be that the Particle Shader which controls the rendering of the foam is not pointing to the simulator for some reason.  
> To fix it, simply select the Particle Shader node in the Scene Explorer and then from its settings press the Add button and select the Phoenix simulator, then pick the Foam particles.

I am using Max 2023 with Vray 6 update 1.2 for all scenes.  
I can see particles are in all shaders already added after import, so **I tried to deleted them** all and others too and **I re-assigned them ALL back to particles systems** slot in all shaders.  
There is still NO foam in render.  
During render, it does chaos operations and particles collections…but nothing is rendered except liquid.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![georgi.zhekov](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/georgi.zhekov/32/5768_2.png) [@georgi.zhekov](https://forums.chaos.com/u/georgi.zhekov)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 12:13pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466/4 "2025-01-31T12:13:44Z")

</div>

Could it be that you have Phoenix for V-Ray 7 installed?

Can you try and reinstall the latest veresion of Phoenix for V-Ray 6 from the download section?

If this still doesn’t work, can you send over the scene and we will take a look. You can either attach it here as a zip file or submit a support request if the scene is confidential.

Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chaos\_user](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/0ea827/32.png) [@chaos\_user](https://forums.chaos.com/u/chaos_user)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466/5 "2025-01-31T16:06:33Z")

</div>

> [@georgi.zhekov](#):
>
> Could it be that you have Phoenix for V-Ray 7 installed?
> 
> Can you try and reinstall the latest veresion of Phoenix for V-Ray 6 from the download section?
> 
> If this still doesn’t work, can you send over the scene and we will take a look. You can either attach it here as a zip file or submit a support request if the scene is confidential.
> 
> Thanks!

We dont use Vray 7 at all.

Max 2023, Vray 6 1.2 and Phoenix FD 5.20. We cant update versions due to renderfarms.  
Because I cant share files, I made a new scene with same cache files for you without geometry to be able to fix the foam.  
I also reduced the cache files to 10 frames, there are still huge. Units needs to stay as they are frictional inches and feet.

Attached. Link will be deleted in 48hrs.  
​

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![georgi.zhekov](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/chaosprd/user_avatar/forums.chaos.com/georgi.zhekov/32/5768_2.png) [@georgi.zhekov](https://forums.chaos.com/u/georgi.zhekov)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2025, 8:48am UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466/6 "2025-02-03T08:48:20Z")

</div>

Thanks a lot for the scene!

For some reason the PhoenixFD atmosphere was turned off and without it the foam can’t render.

To turn it on go to the top 3ds Max **Rendering** menu \> **Environment** (shortcut “8” on the keyboard).

Scroll down to the Atmosphere scetion and from the effects menu select PhoenixFD, then turn on the checkbox for **Active**.

If you render after that the foam should show up.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chaos\_user](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/0ea827/32.png) [@chaos\_user](https://forums.chaos.com/u/chaos_user)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466/7 "2025-02-04T15:03:55Z")

</div>

> [@georgi.zhekov](#):
>
> Thanks a lot for the scene!
> 
> For some reason the PhoenixFD atmosphere was turned off and without it the foam can’t render.
> 
> To turn it on go to the top 3ds Max **Rendering** menu \> **Environment** (shortcut “8” on the keyboard).
> 
> Scroll down to the Atmosphere scetion and from the effects menu select PhoenixFD, then turn on the checkbox for **Active**.
> 
> If you render after that the foam should show up.

Thank you Georgi! I don’t know what it was off. Appreciated.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chaos\_user](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/0ea827/32.png) [@chaos\_user](https://forums.chaos.com/u/chaos_user)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://forums.chaos.com/t/foam-splashes-mist-doesnt-render-after-import-to-new-scene/121466/8 "2025-02-13T15:23:38Z")

</div>

I just found out why it was off at Environment window. When I merge Phoenix files to a new scene, and its not actually created at new scene from scratch, the active is off automatically.  
So, every time somebody wants to merge Phoenix files to a new scene, it needs to be turn on manually in Environment window, otherwise it wont render.
