Chaos Corona Interior Rendering Guide
Build a modern concrete interior from a 3D Warehouse model—cleaned up and grouped by material for proper rendering. Corona's pass-based system means no complex settings: just time limits and noise thresholds. You'll progress from basic Sun and Sky lighting to 8K HDRI environments from Poly Haven, source high-end furniture from 3D Sky, create night shots with the light mix tool, and add bevelled edges to harsh SketchUp geometry.
- 3+ hours of premium content
- 8 step-by-step video lessons
- Future updates included
About this course
Eight lessons using a 3D Warehouse model of a modern concrete home. Corona was built from the ground up for archviz—fewer settings than V-Ray, better results out of the box. Start with Sun and Sky, then upgrade to 8K HDRIs from Poly Haven for that soft, realistic interior light. Source furniture from 3D Sky with pre-applied Corona materials. The light mix lets you adjust every light after the render finishes. Create night shots by dropping HDRI exposure and boosting gamma, then add bevelled edges to SketchUp geometry using Corona maps.
This intensive Corona interior rendering course develops your expertise in creating compelling interior atmospheres through sophisticated lighting and material techniques. You'll master the delicate balance between natural and artificial lighting, learning to create photorealistic interior environments that communicate spatial quality and design intent with unprecedented clarity.
The curriculum emphasizes practical application of Corona's material system, teaching you to craft authentic textures for complex surfaces including fabrics, wood grains, metals, and glass. Through detailed exploration of the Chaos Cosmos library and custom material creation, you'll learn to achieve material authenticity that convinces clients and elevates interior presentations.
Advanced workflow techniques include space staging and composition strategies that transform empty architectural models into compelling lived-in environments. You'll develop skills in asset placement, lighting design, and camera positioning that tell architectural stories and enhance spatial understanding.
The course positions you to produce interior visualizations that meet professional standards for residential and commercial projects. These skills apply directly to interior design presentations, real estate marketing, and architectural competitions where compelling interior imagery can determine project success.
What will you learn?
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This course will teach you:
Scene setup and lighting
DWG export from SketchUp using legacy AutoCAD for proper group recognition. Corona as renderer (default is Arnold), units in millimetres. Corona Sun height controls time of day. Pass-based rendering—more passes means less noise.
Materials and assets
Corona's built-in library handles glass, water, and polished concrete. Copy/paste UV mapping as instances. 8K HDRIs from Poly Haven for realistic interior light. Source corner sofas and coffee tables from 3D Sky pre-textured for Corona.
Cameras, refinement, and output
20-25mm focal length for interiors with automatic tilt for two-point perspective. Depth of field as a shortcut to realism. Light mix for post-render adjustments. Night shots via reduced HDRI exposure. 15-minute time limits at 2560 resolution.
Syllabus
Setting up 3ds Max: units in millimetres, Corona as renderer (default is Arnold), and importing a cleaned-up 3D Warehouse model. The key: geometry grouped by material so you can apply textures properly. DWG export from SketchUp using legacy AutoCAD for better group recognition.
Corona Sun with click-and-drag placement—the height controls time of day (lower means duskier). Corona Sky in the environment slot with volumetric clouds. Your first render demonstrates Corona's pass-based system: more passes equals less noise, no complex settings needed.
Corona's built-in material library—good enough for complete projects. Glass clear with a slight tint for that realistic green edge. Water clear, polished concrete. The workflow: open groups recursively, drag materials to the editor, assign to selection. Glass and frame need separate groups.
Copy/paste UV mapping as instances so changes propagate everywhere. Palm trees from Cosmos for the exterior backdrop. The copy-mapping workflow saves hours when you have repeated elements. We also fix model issues like the water pool needing a containing wall.
Depth of field as a cheat sheet for realism—that soft foreground/background blur instantly makes images more convincing. 20-25mm focal length for interiors with automatic tilt for two-point perspective. Upgrading from Corona Sky to an 8K HDRI from Poly Haven using the slate material editor and Corona bitmap.
Precedent research first: Google "modern concrete home interior" to find your target. 3D Sky for Corona-ready furniture—corner sofas, coffee tables—pre-textured so they render immediately. The workflow: browse quickly, be decisive, don't spend hours on asset selection.
The light mix renders a pass of every light so you can adjust intensity after the render finishes. Night shots: reduce HDRI exposure, increase gamma to soften the scene. Artwork lighting modelled in SketchUp and imported. Corona maps add bevelled edge effects to harsh SketchUp geometry. Relink bitmaps script for fixing texture paths.
Resolution at 2560. Two options: noise level limit at 2-3% (render stops when clean) or time limit at 15 minutes (usually sufficient). Masking ID render element for easier Photoshop selections. Corona's beauty pass is usually good enough—no need for dozens of render elements like V-Ray.
Meet your instructor
Adam Morgan
Architectural Director
ThreeForm Architects
Hi, I'm Adam. I am the founder and director of ThreeForm Architects, a team of architects and artists in Liverpool, UK. The office is experienced in a wide range of building types and procurement routes, successfully winning projects with contract values of up to £20 million. We work for a broad spectrum of public and private sector clients across the country.
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