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Lumion3D Best Practices
Lumion3D Best Practices

Lumion3D Best Practices: Explore the best practices to build architectural visualizations efficiently in Lumion 3D

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Profile Icon Ciro Cardoso
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Paperback Jun 2015 166 pages 1st Edition
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Ciro Cardoso
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Paperback Jun 2015 166 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€15.99 €23.99
Paperback
€29.99
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Paperback
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Lumion3D Best Practices

Chapter 2. Importing and Handling 3D Models

The complete collection of Lumion's features and their usability would be useless if we didn't have the capability to import our 3D models in Lumion. In the previous chapter under the section What is necessary to work with Lumion, we provided a list of all the file formats that Lumion can recognize and read. So, not only can Lumion import a wide variety of file formats, but it also has a good system to reload 3D models without losing the information attached to them, and by information we mean the materials assigned to the 3D models and their location. This is an important and crucial step in the entire workflow pipeline so let's have a look at what you are going to learn in this chapter:

  • How to import 3D models
  • Importing directly from SketchUp
  • Importing 3d models from 3ds Max or another application using COLLADA or FBX
  • Importing animations to Lumion
  • Common problems and how to solve them
  • Beginners' mistakes
  • How to place...

Importing 3D models

When Lumion opens a new scene or loads a scene, the Objects menu is opened by default. This menu is what you have to use to and to start importing a 3D model, which you can import by clicking on the Import button and then selecting the Add a new model button, as shown in the following screenshot:

Importing 3D models

This screenshot provides some useful practices that you can apply from the beginning of your project. From the start, Lumion lets you rename the 3D model you are importing. This is really useful for the reason that you will probably import different versions of the same 3D model, particularly while working on a concept stage. This is also where you can decide to import simple animations along with the 3D model. As a best practice, you should start renaming and using layers from the start of your project.

As soon you click on the Add to library button, the place tool becomes available to start placing 3D models, which you can place by clicking on with the left mouse button. These...

Common problems and their solutions

As mentioned previously, while importing 3D models into Lumion, the process is very simple and most of the time you don't face any major issues. However, after the first few projects in Lumion, you will definitely learn how to avoid them.

Rookie mistakes

These are the issues that will crop up because you are new to Lumion but with practice, these can be reduced to a minimum.

The first issue arises when you import the 3D model that is placed on the scene. The difficulty here is that you don't see the model immediately. Why? One of the reasons is that you didn't create the 3D model close to the origin axis.

Note

The origin axis is the point where X=0, Y=0, and Z=0. Most of the 3D applications will represent this point with a red line for X, green line for Y, and blue for Z.

Every 2D and 3D application has a point called origin axis and Lumion uses this point as a reference to place the 3D model. If the 3D model is created where, let's say...

How to place 3D models in Lumion

We are by now familiar with the Place object button available in the Objects menu. So, why do you need to learn more about how to place 3D models in Lumion?

Firstly, don't forget to use layers as you learned in Chapter 1, Getting Ready with Lumion 3D under the section Using Lumion's layers. You are going to benefit from the use of layers at an earlier stage by keeping the project organized, and it will also help you when you shoot your movie.

Secondly, there are some tools that drastically improve the time it takes for you to place 3D models. Next, you will learn two great practices you can use while placing objects; in particular, when you need to place a lot of objects.

10 copies and different sizes

While placing any 3D model, before you click on the scene, you can press and hold the Ctrl and the V keys. The Ctrl key forces Lumion to place 10 copies but the V key creates these 10 copies with random sizes. This is a great way to add randomness to...

Controlling the 3D models

So far so good but you need to move things around, and the best practice is to use shortcuts or hotkeys to improve the speed when you select 3D models. The keys to control the 3D model are:

  • M: This is used to move the 3D model
  • L: Press and hold this to scale the 3D model
  • R: Press and hold this to rotate the 3D model's heading
  • P: Press and hold this to rotate the 3D model's pitch
  • B: Press and hold this to rotate the 3D model's bank
  • H: Press and hold this to change the height in relation to the ground

Why is the move tool the only one that you don't need to press and hold? This is the tool that is selected by default so in order to access the other tools, you need to press and hold the corresponding key.

Note

Note that you can rotate the 3D model's pitch and bank only when you use the shortcuts.

However, before we jump to the additional best practices, there is something you need to know.

Using filters to select different categories

When working with Lumion, the Objects menu is where you can control all the 3D models, including those you import. Managing large scenes can be challenging sometimes because of all the 3D objects in the scene but, inside the Objects menu, you can control the 3D models using two different modes, as shown in the following screenshot:

Using filters to select different categories

The Place mode is where you have access to all the libraries and the possibility to import an external 3D model. However, when you need to control all the different 3D models, things can be confusing. Why? Let me show you why with the use of an example, and for that you need to:

  1. Open the Objects menu.
  2. Select the Nature category (the first) and place the tree that is selected by default.
  3. Select the Transport category (the second) and place the boat that is selected by default.

If you follow these steps, the Transport category is selected and this means that you can move, rotate, or delete the boat. However, try now to do...

Importing 3D models


When Lumion opens a new scene or loads a scene, the Objects menu is opened by default. This menu is what you have to use to and to start importing a 3D model, which you can import by clicking on the Import button and then selecting the Add a new model button, as shown in the following screenshot:

This screenshot provides some useful practices that you can apply from the beginning of your project. From the start, Lumion lets you rename the 3D model you are importing. This is really useful for the reason that you will probably import different versions of the same 3D model, particularly while working on a concept stage. This is also where you can decide to import simple animations along with the 3D model. As a best practice, you should start renaming and using layers from the start of your project.

As soon you click on the Add to library button, the place tool becomes available to start placing 3D models, which you can place by clicking on with the left mouse button. These...

Common problems and their solutions


As mentioned previously, while importing 3D models into Lumion, the process is very simple and most of the time you don't face any major issues. However, after the first few projects in Lumion, you will definitely learn how to avoid them.

Rookie mistakes

These are the issues that will crop up because you are new to Lumion but with practice, these can be reduced to a minimum.

The first issue arises when you import the 3D model that is placed on the scene. The difficulty here is that you don't see the model immediately. Why? One of the reasons is that you didn't create the 3D model close to the origin axis.

Note

The origin axis is the point where X=0, Y=0, and Z=0. Most of the 3D applications will represent this point with a red line for X, green line for Y, and blue for Z.

Every 2D and 3D application has a point called origin axis and Lumion uses this point as a reference to place the 3D model. If the 3D model is created where, let's say, X=1000m, Y=1000m, and...

How to place 3D models in Lumion


We are by now familiar with the Place object button available in the Objects menu. So, why do you need to learn more about how to place 3D models in Lumion?

Firstly, don't forget to use layers as you learned in Chapter 1, Getting Ready with Lumion 3D under the section Using Lumion's layers. You are going to benefit from the use of layers at an earlier stage by keeping the project organized, and it will also help you when you shoot your movie.

Secondly, there are some tools that drastically improve the time it takes for you to place 3D models. Next, you will learn two great practices you can use while placing objects; in particular, when you need to place a lot of objects.

10 copies and different sizes

While placing any 3D model, before you click on the scene, you can press and hold the Ctrl and the V keys. The Ctrl key forces Lumion to place 10 copies but the V key creates these 10 copies with random sizes. This is a great way to add randomness to your scene...

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Description

This book is designed for advanced Lumion users who wish to apply these techniques to their own projects. The reader should be familiar with modeling knowledge and have at least a basic knowledge of a graphics editing program, such as Photoshop or Gimp.

Who is this book for?

This book is designed for advanced Lumion users who wish to apply these techniques to their own projects. The reader should be familiar with modeling knowledge and have at least a basic knowledge of a graphics editing program, such as Photoshop or Gimp.

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Jun 30, 2015
Length: 166 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783550852
Concepts :
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Publication date : Jun 30, 2015
Length: 166 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783550852
Concepts :
Tools :

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Table of Contents

10 Chapters
1. Getting Ready with Lumion 3D Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Importing and Handling 3D Models Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Creating an Interior Scene with Lumion Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Creating an Exterior Scene with Lumion Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Working with Physically Based Materials Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Animation Techniques in Lumion Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Producing a Still Image with Lumion Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Producing a Movie with Lumion Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Exporting and Post Production Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
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