Resources

For Corona Renderer 2 and newer, you will need a CPU that supports the SSE4.1 instruction set (SSE4.1 has been available since Intel i3/i5/i7 and AMD Bulldozer architectures – so, any processor from within the last 10 years). Here is a list of compatible CPUs. The Licensing Server may run on legacy CPUs that do not meet this requirement (however, the computer won’t be able to be used for rendering).

To use our optional Fast Preview Denoiser (NVIDIA OptiX), you need an NVIDIA GPU with Kepler or newer architecture and the newest GPU driver. Not all mobile GPUs are supported.
Note: this  denoiser type is optional, and Corona Renderer will work fine even if it's not installed (for example if you are using an AMD or integrated GPU). We also offer a High Quality denoiser, which utilizes purely the CPU, and this denoiser can be used on any computer which can run Corona Renderer. 

• 3ds Max version: Autodesk 3ds Max x64 version 2013-2019, Microsoft Windows (7, 8, 8.1, 10).
• Cinema 4D version: MAXON Cinema 4D R14-R20, Microsoft Windows (7, 8, 8.1, 10) or macOS (10.7 or newer).
• Standalone: Microsoft Windows (7, 8, 8.1, 10).
• Corona Distributed rendering: (available in 3ds Max only) requires Backburner on render nodes.
• GPU Denoiser: to ensure smooth operation and best performance of our Fast Preview Denoiser (NVIDIA OptiX), please make sure you are using the newest driver available for your graphics card. The drivers can be downloaded from nvidia.com.
• Corona is x64-compatible only.

• Microsoft Windows, versions 7, 8, 8.1, 10 (3ds Max and Cinema 4D).
• macOS, versions 10.7 and newer (Cinema 4D).
• Corona is x64-compatible only.
• A version for Linux is planned.

3ds Max and Cinema 4D are fully supported host applications at the moment. There are ARCHICAD and Blender versions in various stages of development.

Corona Renderer currently supports x64 versions of 3ds Max 2013-2019. There are no plans of supporting older versions of 3ds Max.

Corona Renderer currently supports x64 versions of Cinema 4D R14-R20. There are no plans of supporting older versions of Cinema 4D.

Corona Renderer is proudly CPU based. It uses Intel Embree Ray Tracing Kernels, the fastest CPU ray tracing solution on the market.

Short version: the GPUs are not as great for ray tracing as the marketing sometimes portrays them. Please see our separate article for a more elaborate answer.

We are currently researching the possibility of using GPU for Denoising, and for post-processing tasks such as bloom & glare. Please see the roadmap for more information.

We say that Corona Renderer is (un)biased. It offers both unbiased and biased rendering solutions. By default it uses a slightly biased solution that merges the best of both worlds: visually plausible results with great render times and without visual artefacts.

Please check our feature list.

3ds Max

You can use the Corona Materials/Lights Converter by Martin Geupel which is a part of the installation package. There is also VRay Proxy to Corona Proxy Converter by Pavel Vojacek.

From Corona Renderer 2 and onward, there is native compatibility to render the standard V–Ray Material and V–Ray Light without any conversion being needed, and without V–Ray being installed/licensed.

Cinema 4D

There is implicit conversion of Cinema 4D and V–Ray lights and materials (just render, and they should look mostly as expected), and also an explicit converter which you can use to convert them to Corona lights and materials permanently. V–Ray needs to be installed for either conversion to work (although this can be a trial version).

We believe Corona is fast for what it offers. We try to stay away from any speed comparisons with competition, because it is far too easy to create benchmarks favoring any renderer, regardless of its true performance. Because determining the overall speed of a renderer is a complex topic, the best solution is to download the demo and test it for yourself.

Yes, it does.

For 3ds Max, network rendering is supported using Autodesk Backburner, Thinkbox Deadline, or Corona’s own integrated solution (requires installed Backburner).

For Cinema 4D, Corona Renderer is compatible with the native Team Render functionality.

FairSaaS or Fair Software As A Service is one of the license types of Corona Renderer. It is paid on a monthly basis (with an option of paying yearly) – it is like paying a phone bill. We have created this licensing model as an answer to the traditional box model shortcomings. It has many benefits, such as affordable price, zero upfront investment, easy scalability, and ability to install the latest updates as soon as they are developed. There are more details in the Prices and Licensing section.

Yes. But only one computer can use the license in workstation mode at a time.

It is advised to be connected to the internet, so Corona Renderer can check its license validity. But if the internet connection is not available, you can still use it for a few days.

Yes. Corona Render checks license validity every time you start your application. But if the internet connection is lost for some reason, it will work normally for a few days.

Yes, we do. And students can use it for commercial projects as well. Read more about it in our Prices and Licensing section.

Yes you can, but please notify us first, so we can update our records, thanks. If you are buying a license, do not trust unknown people selling licenses over internet. Please contact us first to verify the seller. Some scammers are buying licenses with stolen credit cards and reselling them. Those licenses will get blocked.

Yes, each workstation license comes with a couple of free nodes: 3 for each box license, and 3, 5, or 10 for each SaaS license. Note that the workstation license can be used also as a render node if needed.

Yes. We have a network license server which works with the floating FairSaaS license (no server is necessary for the node-locked box licenses). A network license server has to be connected to the internet and must be on the same local network as the nodes it is servicing.

As above, no big deal. Box versions does not need them and FairSaaS version will start and let you work for a couple of days without connection.

Yes, there are several options to try out Corona:

1. Corona Renderer for 3ds Max Alpha 6 is free forever. It does not have any time lock and it is a production-proven build. It is freely available without watermarks, resolution limitation, or any other limitations. The only problem is that it is no longer maintained, so no bug fixes will be available.
2. 45-day unlimited demo. of the current full version. It is freely available here.

If we find a bug, we will fix it if you have subscription or not. You will always get your bug fix for free, the subscription gives you also feature updates.

Few seconds. Immediately after the payment you will get multiple e-mails with your invoice, discounts, and serial numbers/login that you can immediately use to activate Corona.

All monthly licenses are valid for 1 month, not only until the end of the month. Same for the yearly licenses: they are valid for 365 days from the purchase date.