How to use A23D 3D Models in Corona Renderer

This guide explains how to import A23D 3D models into a Corona Renderer host application. Corona Renderer runs inside 3ds Max and Cinema 4D, so the model is imported into the host application first; after that, use Corona's official conversion tools to prepare materials for Corona rendering. In supported hosts, use the A23D Asset Importer for the import step. The A23D Asset Importer is an importer, not a file converter.

1. Download and Extract the Model

  1. Sign in to your A23D account.
  2. Browse to the asset you want to use.
  3. In the Software dropdown on the asset page, select Corona Renderer.
  • A23D automatically delivers the model package best suited to Corona Renderer workflows. For 3ds Max and Cinema 4D, use the delivered FBX package because it preserves mesh geometry, hierarchy, UVs, normals, and material slots.
  1. Click Download and save the .zip to a known location on your computer.
  2. Extract (unzip) the archive to access the delivered model package.

2. Import the Model in the Host Application

3ds Max + Corona

  1. Use the A23D 3ds Max Asset Importer when available.
  2. If importing manually, go to File > Import > Import.
  3. Set the file type to Autodesk (*.fbx) and select the delivered A23D model file.
  4. In the FBX Import Options dialog, enable normals, smoothing groups, materials, and texture import where available.
  5. Set or confirm units to match your scene. A23D assets are authored at real-world scale.
  6. Click OK to import.

Cinema 4D + Corona

  1. Use the A23D Cinema 4D Asset Importer when available.
  2. If importing manually, use File > Merge Project... or File > Open.
  3. Select the delivered A23D model file.
  4. Confirm unit scale, axis, and material import options in the import dialog.
  5. Click OK to import.

3. Verify Scale and Orientation

  1. A23D models are authored in real-world scale. Confirm the host scene units before final placement.
  2. If the model imports too large or too small, correct the scene unit setup or import scale before assigning final materials.
  3. If the model imports rotated, use the host's up-axis import option or rotate the model once and freeze/apply transforms where appropriate.

4. Convert Materials to Corona

Imported FBX materials may arrive as host-native or standard materials. Before rebuilding anything manually, use the official Corona conversion tool for your host.

3ds Max - Corona Converter

  1. Open Corona Converter from the Corona toolbar icon or the quad menu after right-clicking in a viewport.
  2. Run the conversion. Corona Converter uses Corona Physical Material as the default conversion target.
  3. Review the converted materials. The converter generally preserves supported material data, but some materials may need minor manual adjustments after conversion.

Corona Converter requires Corona and the source renderer/plugin to be installed when converting materials from that renderer. For example, converting V-Ray materials requires both Corona and V-Ray to be installed on the machine.

Cinema 4D - Scene Converter

  1. Open Corona > Convert scene....
  2. In the Scene Converter window, choose whether to convert all supported elements or only selected materials/objects.
  3. Click Convert and wait for the conversion to finish.
  4. Review the converted Corona Physical Materials and any converted lights or shaders.

Corona's Cinema 4D Scene Converter can convert supported elements from V-Ray and the native Standard Cinema 4D renderer to Corona. Unsupported items may still need manual cleanup.

5. Review the Converted Materials

After conversion, inspect the Corona Physical Materials and confirm the A23D maps are connected correctly:

  • Albedo / Base Color -> Base Color
  • Roughness -> Roughness
  • Metalness -> Metalness
  • Normal -> Corona Normal Map -> Base Bump
  • Height -> Displacement
  • Opacity -> Opacity

Only rebuild a material manually if the converter cannot resolve it or if a specific channel is missing.

Render a quick material test before placing the asset into a heavy production scene.

6. Use Host Importers When Available

For the fastest A23D workflow, use the A23D Asset Importer in the host application first, then use the official Corona conversion tool before manual edits.

  • 3ds Max: Use the A23D 3ds Max Asset Importer, then run Corona Converter and review the resulting Corona Physical Materials.
  • Cinema 4D: Use the A23D Cinema 4D Asset Importer, then run Scene Converter and review the resulting Corona Physical Materials.

Additional Resources

Chaos Corona
Chaos Help - Corona Converter for 3ds Max
Chaos Docs - Scene Converter for Cinema 4D
Chaos Help - Corona Physical Material maps

Need some help?

Contact our team at support@a23d.co