Chaos has announced a number of new features, new plugins, and licensing changes that will accompany the release of Corona 8.
New features previewed for Corona 8 include Decals (similar to those seen in the recent V-Ray release), changes to rework tone mapping in the VFB, support for Cryptomatte masks, a new Curvature Map, a new Slicer/Clipper that will allow users to cut away geometry at render time, and a new Reflection Tail parameter for advanced control over reflections. Cinema 4D users also gain support for M1 machines for those using a Mac, as well as dome mapping for environments.
This release will also see the introduction of the Chaos Cosmos asset collection and library browser that’s already available in V-Ray, as well as a completely revamped version of Corona Scatter which has been renamed Chaos Scatter. Major new features include slope limiting, the ability to use splines for including and excluding scattered items, a surface colour map, improved viewport display, frustum culling and more. Both Chaos Scatter and Chaos Cosmos will be included in Corona 8 at no additional cost.
Licensing is also set to change, although Chaos are keen to stress that changes only affect new licenses. Users with existing licenses purchased before the Corona 8 release will be grandfathered under their existing pricing and terms. Two significant changes will affect licenses purchased after that point. Firstly, monthly pricing is becoming more expensive. The new cost of a monthly subscription will increase from €25 to €40. On the other hand, annual pricing will reduce from €290 to €280. The second change is that new licenses will no longer include any render nodes which must now be purchased separately for €100 annually per node. A discount applies based on how many are purchased. For individual artists who don’t use a farm, this change will have little effect, but studios may see an overall increase. Licensing will also be moving to Chaos centralised licensing system.
To find out more about these announcements, visit the Corona Renderer blog.
Source: cgpress.org