The Corona Light Override Material allows you to assign different materials to the same object based on which lights affect it.
This is useful when an object should keep its regular material in the scene but render with a different material response under selected lights. It can be used for hidden text, light-revealed graphics, or UV/blacklight-style effects.
Where to find it
In Cinema 4D, the material is available from:
Material Manager > Corona > Light Override Material
How it works
The Corona Light Override Material uses one main material and up to ten light override groups.
The object uses the material assigned to the Base material input as its default appearance. Each override group can then use a different material when the object is affected by the lights assigned to that group.
This allows you to create light-dependent material effects without duplicating geometry or creating separate scene versions.
Creating the Corona Light Override Material
- Open the Material Manager.
- Go to Material Manager > Corona > Light Override Material
- Assign your base material to the Base material input.
- Set the required Group count.
- Add a material for each group.
- Add the lights that should control each group.
- Assign the final Light Override Material to the object.
Parameters
Base material
Defines the main material of the object. This is the default material used when no light override group applies. In most cases, this should be the regular material of the object.
Group Count
Controls how many light override groups are available.
For example:
- Group count 2 creates two override groups.
- Group count 3 creates three override groups.
Each group can have its own material and light include list.
Enabled: Turns each group on or off.
When enabled, the group can affect the material using its assigned lights. When disabled, the group is ignored.
Material
Defines the override material used by that group.
For example:
- Group 1 can use a Red material.
- Group 2 can use a Green material.
- Group 3 can use a Yellow material.
Each material is triggered only by the lights added to that group.
Include
Defines which lights trigger the override group. Only the lights added to this list will use the material assigned to the group's Material field.
Include children
Includes child objects of the lights added to the Include list.
Include environment
Includes environment lighting in the override group. Enable this only when the environment should also use the override material.
Example 1:
In this example, the Corona Light Override Material is used on a teapot. The teapot keeps its regular blue material as the base material, while a second warm pink material is revealed only when the selected override light affects the object.
This means the same teapot can show two different materials depending on the direction of light.
Material setup
The setup uses the following materials and nodes:
Example 2:
In this example, the Corona Light Override Material is used to reveal text on the teapot only when a specific light affects it. The teapot uses a dark red material as its normal appearance, while the override material adds bright text using a bitmap mask.
When the included light illuminates the teapot, the text becomes visible on the surface.
Material setup
The setup uses the following materials and nodes:
Notes
- The Base mtl should usually be the main material of the object.
- Increase Group count only when more override groups are needed.
- Each group should have a clear material and light assignment.
- If no light is added to the Include list, that group will not affect the render.
- Use Include environment only when environment lighting should affect the override.
- For simple setups, one base material and one override group are usually enough.
- For complex scenes, organize groups by light purpose or color.