Corona Renderer

Chaos Corona is a production renderer for architectural visualization and design rendering, available for 3ds Max and Cinema 4D. A23D model import is host-specific: use the A23D Asset Importer in supported hosts such as 3ds Max and Cinema 4D, or use the host application's native FBX import workflow where needed. Once the geometry is in the scene, use Corona Converter in 3ds Max or Scene Converter in Cinema 4D to convert supported imported materials to Corona Physical Material.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about using A23D assets with Corona Renderer

Do I need a plugin to use A23D assets in Corona Renderer?

Corona itself is the renderer plugin inside 3ds Max or Cinema 4D. For importing A23D 3D models, use the A23D Asset Importer when your host supports it. If you import manually, use the host application's FBX import tools, then run Corona Converter in 3ds Max or Scene Converter in Cinema 4D before making manual material edits.

Which software option should I select for Corona Renderer?

Select Corona Renderer in the Software dropdown on the asset page. A23D delivers the model package best suited to Corona Renderer workflows, with FBX as the recommended 3D model format for 3ds Max and Cinema 4D host import.

How do I use A23D PBR textures with Corona Physical Material?

Create a Corona Physical Material and load the A23D maps into the matching channels:

• Albedo / Diffuse -> Base Color
• Normal -> Corona Normal Map -> Base Bump
• Roughness -> Roughness
• Metalness -> Metalness
• Ambient Occlusion -> multiply with Base Color only if you want baked contact shadow
• Height / Displacement -> Displacement
• Opacity -> Opacity
• Emissive -> Self-illumination, or Corona Light Material when the surface should emit light

Corona supports both roughness and glossiness workflows; use the roughness workflow for A23D maps.

For imported model materials, run the official Corona conversion tool first, then inspect the converted Corona Physical Materials and repair any missing map connections.

Can I use A23D Height maps as true displacement in Corona?

Yes. Corona supports displacement in both 3ds Max and Cinema 4D. Load the A23D Height map into the material's Displacement slot, then tune the displacement amount and render settings for the scene scale. Use true displacement for close-up surfaces and bump/normal maps for distant materials.

How do I use A23D IES lighting profiles with Corona?

In 3ds Max, create a Corona Light, open its IES rollout, and load the A23D .ies file. Corona also supports native photometric lights with IES profiles. In Cinema 4D, use Corona-compatible light controls and load the IES profile where the light exposes an IES file field.

Can I use A23D Decals in Corona?

Yes. Use Corona Decal where available for projected decals, or place the decal on a thin plane above the target surface and connect the A23D opacity map to the material's Opacity slot.

What texture resolution should I use with Corona?

Use 4K maps for hero materials and close-up architectural surfaces, 2K for general scene assets, and 1K for distant or background elements. Corona is CPU-based and handles high-quality textures well, but tiered resolutions keep large interiors and exterior scenes more responsive.