Corona 13 Released – Stylization, AI Enhancer, and GPU Animation Support

Chaos has officially released Corona Renderer 13 for 3ds Max and Cinema 4D, bringing major updates focused on both stylization and workflow performance. Released in mid-June 2025, this version introduces long-requested features, including cartoon-style rendering, GPU animation via Vantage, and smart AI-based image enhancement.

Here’s what’s new:

Toon & Outline Materials

Corona 13 introduces stylized rendering with a new Toon shader and Outline control. It allows artists to break away from pure photorealism and use non-photoreal styles for concept design, illustration, or animation.

Image source: www.chaos.com

GPU Animation with Vantage Live Link

can now be rendered in real-time with Chaos Vantage thanks to Live Link support. Perfect for speeding up preview workflows or final animations using GPU acceleration.

Chaos AI Enhancer

A new post-processing tool powered by AI improves the visual quality of vegetation, characters, and details — all in a single click. It uses cloud-based enhancement and doesn’t alter the core lighting or composition.

Image source: www.chaos.com

Firefly Removal

To eliminate bright noise artifacts (“fireflies”), Corona 13 includes a new system with Simple and Advanced firefly removal modes.

Image source: www.chaos.com

Scatter Clustering

A powerful update to Corona Scatter adds the ability to create clustered patterns for more natural vegetation, debris, or distribution setups — using color maps, layer paint, or procedural noise.

Image source: www.chaos.com

Thin Film Shader

A new thin-film layer simulates interference effects seen in soap bubbles, oily surfaces, or anodized metals — now part of the Corona Physical Material.

Image source: www.chaos.com

Enscape to Corona Workflow

Scenes exported from Enscape (.vrscene) can now be rendered in Corona (requires V-Ray installed). This improves compatibility across multiple visualization tools.

Cosmos Asset Variants

Corona now supports variant assets in Chaos Cosmos — such as different tree seasons or character outfits — giving more flexibility for environment design.

Why This Update Matters

Corona 13 shows that Chaos is actively listening to its user base and expanding the renderer beyond traditional photorealism. With features like toon shading and AI upscaling, artists now have more freedom to experiment while keeping a fast, intuitive workflow. The integration with Chaos Vantage also positions Corona as part of a larger ecosystem where GPU and CPU tools complement each other.

For both professionals and studios, this release reduces production time, adds creative flexibility, and opens the door to new rendering styles — all without sacrificing Corona’s signature ease of use.

A Short History of Corona Renderer

Corona Renderer began as a university project by Ondřej Karlík in the Czech Republic back in 2009. Its focus was simple: deliver high-quality, photorealistic rendering with an artist-friendly approach. The renderer quickly gained popularity for its intuitive workflow and stunning output — without complex settings.

In 2017, Corona joined the Chaos family (makers of V-Ray), expanding its resources and development potential. Since then, it has grown into a professional-grade renderer used in architectural visualization, product design, and animation studios worldwide.

Corona 13 continues that tradition — combining performance and simplicity with cutting-edge technology.

You can download the latest version here or check the full changelog.