Achieving realism in ArchViz often comes down to the smallest of details and when it comes to interiors, carpet materials can make or break the authenticity of your image. In this tutorial, Vjeko Kiraly from RenderRam shows us how to create a visually convincing carpet using a straightforward method in 3ds Max and Corona Renderer, using procedural maps, displacement, and clever shader tricks to simulate fluffy texture without relying on high-resolution bitmaps. Read the article and become better!
When evaluating interior renders through the lens of core 3D art and photographic principles, one element often falls short and that's the carpet. For years, poorly rendered carpets have been a recurring issue, mostly due to the lack of quality libraries available online. This insightful video tutorial offers a valuable opportunity for both beginners and experienced artists to overcome that limitation and significantly elevate the realism of their scenes.
The Problem with Texture Resolution.
Vjeko begins by explaining the limitations of using standard bitmap textures, such as those downloaded from IKEA, for carpet materials. These textures are often too low in resolution for close-up renders and result in flat, unrealistic results when zoomed in. To solve this, he builds the illusion of depth and fuzziness using procedural techniques.
Modeling and Displacement Setup.
The carpet itself is modeled as a simple mesh with added noise and a UVW map. A Corona Displacement Modifier is then applied, with a screen pixel setting of 0.5 for better detail. The displacement map uses a procedural Cellular texture from 3ds Max, which simulates the tiny tufts of fabric found in real carpets. Vjeko tweaks this map by:
- Reducing blur to 0.01
- Setting the size to 2 for realistic tufts
- Increasing the spread to 0.8
- Enabling fractal mode and lowering iterations to 2 for a rounded look
This approach creates small bumps that effectively mimic the carpet’s surface without heavy geometry or high-res textures.
Adding Translucency for Light Behavior.
As displacement adds more depth, the carpet material tends to appear darker due to micro-shadowing. To counter this, Vjeko introduces translucency. Using a Corona Color Correct node plugged into the translucency color and fraction, he allows light to pass through the fibers slightly, enhancing realism. He also enables the "thin shell, no inside" setting in the Corona Physical Material to activate translucency.
By adjusting brightness and fraction values (eventually settling on 0.4), he achieves a brighter, more balanced material that reacts naturally to light.
Fine-Tuning Surface Properties.
To reduce unwanted glossiness, Vjeko increases the roughness to 1, eliminating any sharp reflections and emphasizing the matte, fuzzy nature of real-world carpets.
Simulating the Fresnel Effect with Falloff.
For added realism under grazing angles, a falloff map is introduced into the base color channel. A second Corona Color Correct node is used to lighten the texture seen at low viewing angles by increasing its gamma to 2.2. This simulates the typical "fade" effect carpets exhibit when viewed from the side, pale highlights that change based on camera angle.
Final Thoughts.
The end result is a rich, tactile material that convincingly mimics the complexity of real carpet fibers—especially in close-up shots—without requiring complex modeling or high-resolution textures. It’s a simple yet powerful setup using only:
- A cellular displacement map
- Translucency
- Falloff shading
- And a base texture
Vjeko demonstrates that with a few procedural tweaks, even basic assets can be transformed into highly detailed visuals suitable for photorealistic rendering.
Watch the Full Tutorial.
🎥 If you want to see the full process in action then watch the complete RenderRam’s tutorial to follow each step in detail and gain even more insights into this workflow:
Vjeko Kiraly is a 3D artist and the founder of RenderRam, a platform dedicated to creating educational content for architectural visualization. Through his concise YouTube tutorials and in-depth Patreon lessons, he shares practical tips and real-world workflows for achieving high-quality renders using 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, and more. His passion for simplifying complex tasks makes his content a go-to resource for aspiring and professional artists alike..
