How to use Guassian Splats in Corona - 3ds Max

3D Gaussian Splatting is a new way to create 3D scenes from photos or videos. Instead of using traditional 3D models, it uses thousands of soft, blurry points called Gaussians. These points work together to create realistic 3D environments or objects that look just like in the real world.

When should you use Gaussian Splats?

Gaussian splats work best in three main situations:

1. As backgrounds and environments
   Gaussian splats can work better than regular HDRI images. They show correct depth when you move the camera or use depth of field. Objects in your scene can hide behind parts of the splat environment properly. This makes your backgrounds look more realistic.
   
   3D people and a reflective teapot composed into a Gaussian Splat environment. 3D Gaussian Splats Copyright 2026 Christian Rochner - 3ds-scan.de. Licensed under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. 
    
2. As scanned objects
   You can use Gaussian splats to add real objects to your scene. These objects come with their original lighting and details already built in. This is perfect for adding complex real-world items without modeling them.
   
   A Gaussian Splat cactus in a pot placed in a 3D scene with visible reflections, provided by https://www.steam-studio.jp under Creative Commons CC0 license.  
    

3. For compositing work
   Gaussian splats work well with Corona's shadowcatcher materials. They appear correctly even when placed behind matte objects. This makes them useful for advanced compositing projects.
   
   Corona Shadowcatcher capturing the shadow of a Gaussian Splat cactus in a pot. Gaussian Splat provided by https://www.steam-studio.jp under Creative Commons CC0 license.  

    

How to add Gaussian Splats to your scene

To create a Gaussian Splat object: Command panel > Create tab > Geometry > Corona category > Corona GaussianSplats button

You need a .ply file that contains Gaussian splat data. You can create these files with photogrammetry software or download them from online libraries.

Loading your splat file

1. Click Load from file and choose your Gaussian .ply file
2. Click Reload from disk if you need to update the file after making changes

Note: Corona only works with Gaussian .ply files. Other file formats won't work.

Basic settings for different uses

Using splats as environments

To use splats as a background environment:

1. Turn on Visible in shadowcatcher so the splats show up behind shadowcatcher materials
2. Turn off Visible in shadows to prevent unwanted shadows
3. Adjust the Scale to match your scene size
4. Use the Flip frame dropdown to reorder the X Y Z axes if the splat loads in the wrong direction.

Using splats as objects

To use splats as regular objects in your scene:

1. Turn off Visible in shadowcatcher, unless you wish to capture the shadows of the Gaussian Splat object using the Shadowcatcher material
2. Turn on Visible in shadows so the splats can cast shadows on other objects
3. Adjust Color tint if you need to match your scene's color mood

Important: Gaussian splats have fixed lighting baked into them. They won't react to lights in your scene. Keep this in mind when planning your lighting.

Making your renders faster

The Stochastic sampling option controls speed versus quality:

Turn on stochastic sampling when:

• You're doing test renders
• You need quick previews
• Some noise is acceptable

The Quality slider works like this:

• Lower values = More noise but faster renders
• Higher values = Less noise but slower renders

For final renders, you can turn off stochastic sampling completely. This removes all noise but takes longer to render.

Visibility settings

Control where your splats appear with these options:

• Visible Directly: Shows splats in the camera view
• Visible in reflections: Shows splats in mirrors and shiny surfaces
• Visible in refractions: Shows splats through glass and transparent objects
• Visible in shadow catcher: Makes splats visible when behind objects with Shadowcatcher material
• Visible in diffuse GI: Lets the splat cast indirect (bounced) light onto other objects in your scene.
  

Viewport display options

Corona gives you two ways to see splats in your viewport:

Wire box mode
Shows just a box outline. Use this when:

• Your scene is heavy and slow
• You're doing basic positioning
• You want faster viewport performance

Point cloud mode
Shows the actual splat points. Use this when:

• You need precise positioning
• You want to see the splat details
• You're checking if the file loaded correctly

The Points setting controls how many points appear in the viewport. Use lower numbers to keep your viewport fast.

Reading the Statistics panel

The Statistics panel shows useful information:

• Gaussian count: How many splats are in your file (more splats = more detail)
• Preview count: How many splats show in the viewport
• SH degree: Technical quality setting for lighting accuracy
  

Setting the right color space

Choose the correct Color space setting based on your splat file:

• Pick the color space that matches how the file was created
• Use Raw only if you know no color changes are needed
• This setting helps your splats match the colors in your scene

Helpful tips

1. Start with fast settings - Use stochastic sampling for test renders before doing final quality renders.
2. Get the scale right early - Set the correct size for your splats at the beginning to avoid problems later.
3. Watch your computer memory - Large splat files can use lots of RAM. Check your memory usage if you have many splats.
4. Remember the fixed lighting - Since splats don't react to your lights, plan your lighting accordingly.
5. Use splats for realistic backgrounds - They can work better than regular HDRI images because they have real depth.

Fixing common problems

The splat looks flipped or backwards
Use the Flip frame dropdown and pick a different axis order to correct the orientation.

Rendering is too slow
Turn on Stochastic sampling and lower the quality setting.

Colors don't match your scene
Remember that lighting is fixed in the splats. Use Color tint for small adjustments. For big changes, you need different splat data. Try other color space settings. 

Using too much memory
Try using smaller splat files for distant backgrounds where you don't need full detail.