Digital update to
CHAOS CORONA 8 and CHAOS CORONA 9
CHAOS CORONA 9 UPDATE
Table of contents
Author: Francesco Legrenzi
INTRODUCTION
Where did I go?
Chaos Corona 8 was released on April 21 2022, and I started writing the new book the following month after testingΒ the beta and final releases.Β Chaos Corona 8 is a huge update, the richest version of added tools. For this reason, writing the new eBook took more than 9 months (Fig. 1).
Fig. 01 – Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9.
The wait was also so long because of the development of as many as 17 professional scenes (Fig. 02). The full page of the new book is availableΒ at this address.
Fig. 02 – These scenes are available in the update for Chaos Corona 8.
I could have made a hasty update and published the eBook after a few months. However, I decided again to write the best Chaos Corona manual I could make. In early October 2022, the update for Chaos Corona 8 was ready, but so was Chaos Corona 9! This update was not as rich as the previous one.
So I continued writing and chose to release the complete package βChaos Corona 8 and Chaos Corona 9β in one go. βUnfortunatelyβ for me, I again decided to write a little gem, attaching additional professional scenes (Fig. 03).
Fig. 03 –Β These scenes are available in the update for Chaos Corona 9.
Writing this new book took a lot of time, as I also started a collaboration with a fantastic foreign company. Besides being the supervisor of the rendering pipeline, I had the opportunity to use their renderfarm, producing more than 30 minutes of animations in Full-HD (Fig. 04).
The full page with all the contents o is available at this link, with many pictures and videos. I ask for your patience, because the page is quite heavy: I am sure your wait will be rewarded.
Fig. 04 – I would not have been able to generate so many animations without the Wonderland studio support.
How to download the eBook
If you already bought “Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE“, you can buy the eBook “Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9” with 50% discount by using the same account you used to purchase the physical book, and typing the coupon code “50_Chaos_Corona_8-9_ENG” at our store‘s checkout page. Once the order is completed, the eBook and related files will be available in the DOWNLOADΒ section of your account.
If you will purchase the physical book “Corona – THE COMPLETE GUIDE“,Β “Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9” will be included in the purchase. Once youβve confirmed the order, the eBook and related files will be available in the DOWNLOAD section of your account and in the USB flash drive attached to the book upon delivery.
For more information, please read the FAQ section.
Files
- 13. CORONA β CHAOS CORONA 8
- 13.1. Download and installation
- 13.2. The licensing system
- 13.3. New tools and improvements
- 13.4. Corona 7 vs Corona 8: the interfaces
- 13.5. CoronaDecal
- 13.6. CoronaSlicerMtl
- 13.7. CoronaCurvature
- 13.8. Chaos Cosmos
- 13.9. Chaos Scatter
- 13.10. Render Element Cryptomatte
- 13.11. Render Element Caustics
- 13.12. Tone mapping
- 13.13. Corona Proxy
- 13.14. CoronaMultiMap
- 13.15. CoronaPhysicalMtl
- 13.16. Corona Converter and the toolbars
- 13.17. Minor improvements
- 14. CORONA β CHAOS CORONA 9
- 14.1. Download and installation
- 14.2. The licensing system
- 14.3. New tools and improvements
- 14.4. Corona 8 vs Corona 9: the interfaces
- 14.5. CoronaSky
- 14.6. CoronaPatternMod
- 14.7. CoronaScannedMtl
- 14.8. ChaosScatterEdgeTrimming
- 14.9. Motion blur β Shutter curve
- 14.10. Out-of-core textures
- 14.11. Minor improvements
The new eBook is inΒ PDF formatΒ as with the update for Corona Renderer 7. Thanks to a handy bookmark, the navigation is it quickly and easily (Fig. 06).
Fig. 06 – Bookmark and some pages.
The eBook
Once you bought the upgrade or the physical book thought our e-commerce, in the yourΒ DOWNLOAD section you can download 6 files. The first file is the eBook, while the otherΒ 5 files of 1.6 GB eachΒ contain the .max projects, textures, and models used in the tutorials available in the book. You will also find 17 high-definition animations. Below is a summary of the contents (Fig. 07).
- Chapter_13_CHAOS_CORONA_8
- Ch13_ANIMATIONS
- Ch13_FILES
- Ch13_MAX_v2019
- Ch13_RENDER
- Ch13_TEXTURES
- Ch13_01_CoronaDecal.max
- Ch13_02_CoronaSlicerMtl.max
- Ch13_03_CoronaCurvature.max
- Ch13_04_ChaosCosmos – Beach
- Ch13_05_ChaosScatter.max
- Ch13_06_ChaosScatter – ScatterSurfaceColor.max
- Ch13_07_Cryptomatte.max
- Ch13_08_Caustics.max
- Ch13_09_ToneMapping_v7.max
- Ch13_09_ToneMapping_v7_Converted.max
- Ch13_10_CoronaProxy.max
- Ch13_11_CoronaMultiMap.max
- Ch13_12_CoronaPhysicalMtl
- Ch13_13_CoronaConverter.max
- Chapter_14_CHAOS_CORONA_9
- Ch14_ANIMATIONS
- Ch14_FILES
- Ch14_MAX_v2019
- Ch14_TEXTURES
- Ch14_01_CoronaSky.max
- Ch14_02_CoronaPatternMod.max
- Ch14_03_CoronaScannedMtl.max
- Ch14_04_ChaosScatterEdgeTrimming.max
Fig. 07 – The files attached to the book Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – updated 8 and 9.
CHAOS CORONA 8
The CoronaDecal object
The new book begins with an in-depth analysis of Corona 8βsΒ new licensing system. AΒ detailed comparison between the Corona Renderer 7 and Chaos Corona 8 tools continues.
The CoronaDecalΒ object is the first element analyzed (Fig. 08). The full transcript of the pages of the bookΒ Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9Β is available on our blogΒ at this link.
Fig. 08 – The scene consists of many CoronaDecal objects.
The CoronaSlicerMtl material
We continue with a tutorial on the long-awaitedΒ CoronaSlicerMtl material (Fig. 09).
The scene I created specially for the book recreates a miniature model of a neighborhood. This effect is often used in architecture. I meticulously analyzed all parameters using dozens of images and renders. You can achieve this miniature animation by studying my design (Fig. 11).
The .max file is animated, as are all the scenes in the book.
Fig. 09 – Complex βat render timeβ sections can be generated with the CoronaSlicerMtl material.
Fig. 10 – A CoronaSlicerMtl applied to an animated object is the star of this video.
The CoronaCurvature map
Corona users have long been asking for the CoronaCurvature map, which allows you to generate a colored or black-and-white gradient based on the geometric curvature of the mesh (Fig. 11).
I created a brand new sci-fi scene using an organic model (a statue) and a mechanical one (a robot) to explain all the parameters of the map. These geometries allow to analyze in detail the behavior of this interesting tool. A nice animation is set up in the attached file (Fig. 12).
A full description of the project is available at this link.
Fig. 11 – The CoronaCurvature map can be used to generate scratches semi-procedurally.
Fig. 12 – Environment, texturing, lighting, and animation of the camera by Francesco Legrenzi. The animated robot is a model found online.
the Chaos Cosmos library
Chaos Cosmos is a library of 3D models, textures, and HDRI maps released in February 2021 for V-Ray. After a year of development, Corona 8 users can also benefit from this collection. In the book I explained all the parameters and a few tricks to make the most of Chaos Cosmos.
I created the scene in Fig. 13 using photographs found on the net just… for fun (Fig. 14). The environment has been enriched by numerous items from Chaos Cosmos. Attached to the book you will find a detailed 5-minute animation with some “behind-the-scenes” footage (Fig. 15). The .max file is not attached to the eBook.
Visit this page for an in-depth analysis of this project, in which I have collected dozens of extra images.
Fig. 13 – Photos.
Fig. 14 – Render.
Fig. 15 – Modeling, texturing, lighting, simulations, and animation by Francesco Legrenzi.
Chaos Scatter plug-in
Let’s continue with Chaos Scatter, a tool borned from the earlier Corona Scatter and developed by Render Legion a.s. before the acquisition by Chaos Group.
I discussed Corona Scatter very extensively on page 360 of the printed book. For this reason, in this new chapter I have mainly focused on the new parameters introduced by Chaos Corona 8. I developed a complex alpine scene, using Chaos Scatter to distribute hundreds of trees (Fig. 16). Many more images and videos are available on the main page of the eBook Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9.
This is not the end of the story. Head to this page for a “behind-the-scenes” look, full of details and extra information.
Fig. 16 – Alpine scene developed for the Chaos Corona 8 and Chaos Corona 9 update.
Cryptomatte Render Element
A tutorial to set up and generate the Cryptomatte Render Element is available in section 13.10. I explained how to use this layer in Photoshop for editing your renders in post-production. Scene and .cxr files are included (Fig. 17).
Fig. 17 – Preview of Render Element Cryptomatte and final render.
Caustics
I covered caustics in detail on page 177 (rollout Performance Settings) and page 270 (Rendering Elements) of the physical book. Corona 8 added the much-requested Object Excluded/Included option to define which objects can receive caustics and added four new tools to the CShading_Caustics Render Element (Fig. 18).
Fig. 18 – CShading_Caustics Render Element (Include direct) and render of the .max file attached to the book.
Corona Proxy object
The useful Sub Meshes Visibility rollout, added to the Corona Proxy object, is a long time requested tool useful to turn ON and OFF parts of the proxy geometry.
Attached to the book is a well-organized scene for practicing, consisting of proxy elements with built-in detached meshes (Fig. 19).
Fig. 19 – You can hide parts of the mesh with a “click.”
CoronaMultiMap map
The CoronaMultiMap map, discussed on page 611 of the physical book, allows multiple operators to be used simultaneously. New functions have been added, and some operators have been renamed: Material has become Material name and Material ID has been changed to Face Material ID. Finally, the Saturation rnd. tool has been added to randomly change the saturation (Fig. 19).
I created a lake environment, using the CoronaMultiMap map to vary the color of the trees to test all these new options. The castle was used as an object to explain the Sub-primitive, Polygon, and Decal parameters.
Fig. 19 – Bushes and trees are textured with the CoronaMultiMap map.
Base tail parameter
In Chapter 13.15 I analyzed the Base tail parameter using a simple scene (Fig. 20). Base tail is found in the CoronaPhysicalMtl material and allows you to control reflections through glossiness decay. In a nutshell, the end of reflections appear softer and smeared over a larger area with high Base tail values.
Although the Base tail may look similar to the Roughness/Glossiness parameter, the effect is very different, as it gives the reflections a more realistic appearance, without affecting the center of the highlights (Fig. 21).
Fig. 21 – Magnification.
Taking advantage of the scene for the Corona Proxy object, I generated two animations using Base tail to build the gold and steel metals (Fig. 22).
Fig. 22 – Gold and steel obtained using the Base tail parameter.
I suggest you visit the Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9Β page if you are interested in more videos and images.
CoronaConverter script
The long chapter about Chaos Corona 8 concludes with a review of: the converter and its new parameters (Fig. 23), the new toolbar, and minor improvements.
CHAOS CORONA 9
CoronaSky map
Chaos Corona 9 chapter begins with an in-depth analysis of the Solo and Premium licenses, followed by a complete list of the new features introduced, and a comparison of the Chaos Corona 8 and Chaos Corona 9 interfaces.
We continue with the new Clouds parameters rollout of the CoronaSky map which allow you to generate clouds of photorealistic quality (Fig. 24). I analyzed all the parameters, with high quality comparisons and an stunning video, showing its full potential.
Fig. 24 – This beautiful animation can be generated with the scene and tutorial attached to the book.
CoronaPatternMod modifier
Without a doubt, the CoronaPatternMod modifier is my favorite Chaos Corona 9 tool. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first, but the more I kept writing the book, the more I realized the potential of this modifier. As you will read in the book, creating repeatable geometric objects is the hardest partΒ (Fig. 27). However, once you create your own 3D library, incredibly complex details can be achieved.
As usual, I explained all the parameters with many examples and easy-to-understand images. For this purpose, I recreated an interior found on the net in 3ds Max (Fig. 25), modeling and texturing all the elements, sofas, and furnishings from scratch (Fig. 26). The attached scene is a simplified version.
High-definition images, technical descriptions, and extra videos are available on this page.
The ability to create microscopic details (Fig. 27), along with the flexibility to manage size and position, makes the CoronaPatternMod a “Swiss army knife” to use when texture and displacement are no longer sufficient.
Fig. 27 – The creation process and use of these seamless geometries are explained in the book.
The images in Fig. 28 show possible uses of the pattern meshes seen in Fig. 27.
Fig. 28 – Real-world examples of using the CoronaPatternMod modifier.
CoronaScannedMtl material
Chaos Group has for years offered a library consisting of physically scanned materials in .vrscan format. Chaos Corona 9 Users are now be able to use the same asset by loading the .vrscan files into the CoronaScannedMtl shader.
All the parameters are explained and analyzed through an ad-hoc created scene. Two types of models are available in the file: a soft chair allows you to observe the behavior of organic shaders, while a motorcycle is more suitable for technical materials (Fig. 29).
Fig. 29 – Geometries are animated to display Chaos Scans shaders in all their glory.
ChaosScatterEdgeTrimming map
The ChaosScatterEdgeTrimming map “trims” the objects generated by the Chaos Scatter plug-in.
Fig. 30 – Using the new ChaosScatterEdgeTrimming map.
Chaos Phoenix plug-in and caustics
We continue by showing part of the video created using Chaos Phoenix. The Chaos Corona 9 Premium license offers this popular plug-in for free. Thanks to full compatibility with Chaos Corona 9, we can now generate explosions, liquid simulations and much more.
I made this project using the Chaos Corona 9 caustics to generate a photorealistic animation of a swimming pool (Fig. 31). The file is not attached to the book.
Fig. 31 – Caustics add a lot of realism, at the expense of rendering time.
Override, motion blur, and fish eye tools
We conclude this long and hopefully enjoyable journey of the book Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9 with some minor, but no less important, improvements introduced by Chaos Corona 9.
1. Three new options for managing bump, opacity, and CoronaSlicerMtl material have been added to the Corona Material Override Settings panel (Fig. 32).
Fig. 32 – Understanding how to best use the Override options will save you a lot of time in rendering tests.
The Motion blur input and output speed values can be changed manually in the Corona Camera (Fig. 33).
Fig. 33 – Motion blur analysis through the volumetric Render Element.
3. Corona Camera Fisheye mode now supports Deep Of Field effect (Fig. 34, Fig. 35).
Fig. 34 – Using the Depth Of Field effect in a fish-eye render.
Fig. 34 – Using the Depth Of Field effect in a fish-eye render.
THANK YOU!
Writing this new book took longer than expected. The reason is simple: I wanted to create a manuscript worthy of your time, which is not the usual video-courses of some “pseudo-guru”, copied from the official YouTube channel of Corona. Analyzing all the parameters of Chaos Corona 8 and Chaos Corona 9, creating hundreds of detailed renders, offering 17 well-organized and user-friendly scenes is an extremely complex task.
If you reached the end of this article and have read the landing page of my new book Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9, you surely understood how much energy I dedicated into creating high-level projects and 30 minutes of quality animations. In thanking you for your support, I wish you all good study.
.
Eng. Francesco Legrenzi
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Need help?
If you will purchase the physical book “Corona – THE COMPLETE GUIDE“,Β “Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9” will be included in the purchase. Once youβve confirmed the order, the eBook and related files will be available in the DOWNLOAD section of your account and in the USB flash drive attached to the book upon delivery.
If you already bought “Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE“, you can buy the eBook “Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – update 8 and 9” with 50% discount by using the same account you used to purchase the physical book, and typing the coupon code “50_Chaos_Corona_8-9_ENG” at our store‘s checkout page. Once the order is completed, the eBook and related files will be available in the DOWNLOADΒ section of your account.
If you buyΒ a physical book of “Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE” after the release of Chaos Corona 8 and Chaos Corona 9 PDF update you will get:
.
- the printed guide for Corona Renderer 6;
- 2 Dual-Layer DVDs with the projects, textures and animations associated with Corona Renderer 6 (18 GB of data);
- links in the DOWNLOAD area of your profile to the same files of the two dual layer DVDs;
- a link to the eBook for Corona Renderer 7 (70 pages);
- a link to the eBook for Chaos Corona 8 (150 pages);
- a link to the eBook for Chaos Corona 9 (100 pages);
- the link to download files, textures and animations associated with the updates for Corona Renderer 7, Chaos Corona, 8 and Chaos Corona 9 (8 GB of data);
- a custom 32 GB USB 2.0 flash drive with the Legrenzi Studio and Corona logos.
In the book package you will find a 32 GB USB flash drive (30 MB/sec read, 15 MB/sec write) containing:
.
- the Corona Renderer 7 updateΒ eBook in PDF format (70 pages);
- the Chaos Corona 8 and 9 update eBook in PDF format (250 pages);
- 26 GB of data (.max projects, textures, 3D models, animation projects for Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop) related to the physical book, updates for Corona Renderer 7, Chaos Corona 8, and Chaos Corona 9.
.
In short, all the files in your DOWNLOAD area are also on the USB flash drive. This option will help users with a slow or metered internet connection.
Yes, of course. The digital book “Corona: THE COMPLETE GUIDE – updated 8 and 9” is available on our store page. Once purchased, you will be able to download it from the DOWNLOAD area of your profile:
.
- the ebook in PDF format (250 pages);
- 8 GB of data;
- 15 professional projects in .max format;
- 17 high definition animations (30 minutes total, Full-HD).
If you purchased the guide on Amazon’s website, you have to send a photo of the code found on the last page of the book and a copy of the receipt to info@francescolegrenzi.com. We will then provide you with a coupon code to purchase the update with 50% discount.
Our files can only be used for educational purposes in institutes, schools, and online or on-site courses, and only when informing students of the origin of the scenes (i.e. www.francescolegrenzi.com). Our designs may not be used in any way for personal (portfolio), professional and/or reselling purposes.
You can pay using PayPal, credit card (Stripe platform), bank transfer, and PostePay (Italian prepaid credit card).
DEMO
50 pages about CoronaLightMtl, CoronaSelectMtl, CoronaVolumeMtl, and CoronaRoundEdges
