Now that we are inside the Build mode, how can we control the camera? The Build mode has a very simple interface. Initially, we might feel lost with the lack of information in the interface. On the right-hand side, there is a set of buttons, and if we hover the mouse over the one with a question mark, some information appears that will help us. For now, the information we need is the one located in the top-right corner; this tells us how to navigate or control the camera in Lumion, as you can see in the following screenshot:

Here is a list of the keys and combinations to fully master the Lumion navigation system:

Now that we know what to use to control the camera, another question arises: how do we control the 3D models inside Lumion?

Every time we place a 3D model inside Lumion, it is normal to accept some controls to tweak and adjust some basic parameters such as move, scale, and rotation. Now, it is a good time to introduce a concept that Lumion uses to control the 3D models in the scene.

Handling the 3D models using Lumion

Lumion makes a distinction between the 3D models we import and the native 3D models. This means we need to use two different Lumion menus to control each 3D model, as explained in the following screenshot:

The Import menu is where we can find the tools to import external 3D models, and the Objects menu is where we can find all the built-in 3D models of Lumion. There are two different menus, two different types of 3D models, and two different ways to select and control. This means that to control an imported 3D model, we need to have the Import menu selected; otherwise, we cannot find any tools to adjust the model. The same principle applies, for example, when we need to move a tree, and for this, we need to have the Objects menu selected. So, how can we import a 3D model?

Importing an external 3D model

Importing a 3D model is really easy and straightforward. What we need to do is click on the Import menu, which can be found on the left-hand side, and then click on the Add a new model button, as shown on the following screenshot:

This opens a Windows Explorer window where you can locate the folder that contains the 3D model and select it. After doing this, we need to give a name to the new 3D model and click on the Add to library button.

Now, we are back to the Build mode, and we are controlling a yellow boundary box that represents the 3D model we just imported. With the left mouse button, we can click to place the 3D model. This is how we import an external 3D model. If you have problems at this stage, have a look at the Common problems and solutions section at the end of this chapter.

Using Lumion's 3D models

Lumion has an extra distinction inside the Objects menu, and now, we are talking exclusively about Lumion's native 3D models. If you open the Objects menu, this is what you will find:

The buttons highlighted show the eight categories of 3D models and other elements such as lights, smoke, and buildings. When we hover the mouse over the buttons, a small label appears identifying the category.

Let's try to add a 3D model to an empty scene. Something that will look really good in the scene is a tree, and to add one, we need to select the first button called Nature. So now, we have the Nature category activated; this means that we can control any 3D model that falls under this category. To add a 3D model and open the Nature Library, we need to click on the Change object button, as shown in the previous screenshot. Select a tree and now know we got back to the Build mode and controlled a yellow boundary box that represents the tree. Click with the left mouse button to place the tree somewhere in the scene, and click again next to the first tree to place a second tree.

However, now, we want to add a nice sports car. How can we do this? We will use the same principle we used for the tree, so we need to select the Transport button and click on the Change object button to open the Transport library. Inside this library, select the tab called Sports Cars and add a nice sports car to your scene.

At this point, you should have at least two trees and one car in your Grass scene, but how can we control the 3D models placed inside Lumion?

Hotkeys to control the 3D models

When we open the Objects menu or the Import menu on the left-hand side, a toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen, as you can see in the following screenshot:

If you followed the previous steps, your scene should look something like the one shown in the previous screenshot: two trees, one car, the Objects toolbar, and the Place object button activated. That is why we still control the yellow boundary box. We can deactivate the Place object button by selecting another tool, and for this, we can use the following keys:

• M: This is used to move the 3D model
• L: This is used to scale the 3D model
• R: This is used to rotate the 3D model

The previous screenshot helps you identify where you can find these tools, including a button that is really important; this allows you to delete 3D models. Let's move the car, and for this, press the M key or select the Move object tool from the toolbar. Since we have the Transport category activated and we selected the move tool, we can control any object from this category. To control a 3D model, we need to start by clicking on the small white dot that appears on the car, as you can see in the following screenshot:

With the left mouse button, click and drag the car to move the car to a different place, and a white line will appear showing the distance (in meters). The same principle applies to the other tools. To delete a 3D model, we just need to select the Trash object button and click on the small white dot to delete it.

However, this fantastic scene could look much better if one of the trees was smaller than the other. It is really easy; we just need to press the L key and select and scale the tree. However, this is not working, why? Well, right from the beginning, we have a problem because even if you press the L key, the move tool is still activated. To solve this, we need to press and hold the L key and scale the tree and then click on the Size object button. However, even after doing this, we cannot select and scale the tree. The reason is because we need to select the Nature category first before doing anything else. This is a key aspect to work with Lumion; we always need to select the category first before applying any transformation to the 3D model.

Now that we have our amazing scene ready, there is something really important we need to do: save the project.

To save any project, we need to select the Files menu, which we can find on the right-hand side, as you can see in the next screenshot:

When we open the Files menu, the Save scene tab is automatically opened. Here, we can save the project by giving it a name and description (optional). After that, we have to click on the Save button (if you are in a hurry, press F5 to quickly save it) to save the first version of our project, as shown in the following screenshot:

When you click on the Save button, Lumion will be able to tell that Version 1 was saved. However, let's say that we totally forgot to save the project, and instead, we opened another project. Is everything lost? No, because Lumion has an autosave system to prevent any loss of work. So, if by mistake, we forget to save the project and we open another scene, Lumion creates an autosave file with the last version. In order to access this file, click on the Files button and select the Load scene tab on the left-hand side of the Save scene tab, as you can see here:

As a result of the Lumion's autosave feature, we can now select the autosaved file to restore the work we did in the previous project, but keep in mind that the autosaved file doesn't last forever and can be overwritten.

Before we finish this quick overview, let's have a look at an additional aspect that can help control and tweak Lumion's speed. For this, we need to open the Settings menu.

The Settings menu is where we can find some parameters and settings that help us tweak the way Lumion works. We can dramatically increase how fast Lumion works just by decreasing the quality of the editor, terrain, and trees. This will only affect the way Lumion presents the 3D models and environment in the Build mode.

There are two ways to open the Settings menu. If we are in the Build mode, on the right-hand side next to the Files button, we would find the Settings button, as you can see in the following screenshot:

The second option is to click on the Files button and select the first tab called Home and then click on the Settings button. One way or another, we should get this menu:

As you can see, each setting has a number to help you follow along:

Here are a few more shortcuts to help you work with Lumion:

Now that we finished with the quick overview, let's jump to another important section that will help us understand how to model using Lumion.

Modeling is a process that will differ from one person to another. The techniques, favorite tools, plugins, and also our experience will dictate how we approach a project from start to finish.

However, what does modeling for visualization mean? Modeling for visualization means that when we approach the project, we ask ourselves: am I going to see this detail? It is true that the greater the detail, the richer and more detailed the results will be. However, it is pointless to transcend certain limits because some of these details will not be caught by the camera angle, and we are wasting time on details that will never be seen.

As an example, the hinges on a door will look great on a close-up render, but at the same time, they would be useless if you are using a bird's-eye view render. So, it is better to start out with rough outlines of shapes that can be tweaked and fine-tuned as the modeling process advances. However, detail is important, as we will see in the following topic.

Lumion has several flavors that meet the needs of almost everyone. For commercial purposes, we have Lumion and Lumion Pro. Perhaps, the most noticeable difference is the amount of 3D models that are available with Lumion Pro. However, just because we have a Lumion version with less 3D models, that doesn't mean our project has to be empty and lack diversity.

Where can we find good 3D models? The following is a list of some places where you can find free and paid models:

Now, we have everything we need to start working with Lumion. Our 3D model is ready with detail, including the beveled edges, and we have additional 3D models that can be imported as separate files in Lumion. However, what about the materials? How does Lumion work with materials?

Lumion has its own materials as mentioned earlier, but at the same time, it relies on the materials that are imported with the 3D model. As we only used one material for all the 3D models in the example, when the 3D model was imported, Lumion only saw one material, and this is all we could add.

The solution to this problem is to assign different materials to groups of geometry that will share the same material inside Lumion while we are modeling. Have a look at the following image:

We took the time to add individual materials to the main areas in our 3D model. When we import this 3D model, Lumion will see at least eight different materials. That is why materials are so important, because if they are not present in the 3D model, Lumion will only recognize one material. It is normal that for the first few times, you will have to go back and forth to add materials to the geometry that was left with the default material. That is why, it is a good habit to group the geometry that will share the same material.

However, how can we export the 3D model to start working with Lumion?

First of all, what is COLLADA? COLLADA is a file format used to create a bridge between the different 3D tools, making easy-to-share 3D geometry, shaders, and effects between different applications.

The reason behind using the COLLADA file format instead of FBX, OBJ, MAX, and other formats is that it is a better option because it includes all the textures used, the geometry is better, and there is a low possibility of error. However, COLLADA is not available in all the applications, and in some cases, such as when we are using an older version of 3ds Max or Maya, we need to install a COLLADA plugin called OpenCOLLADA.

There is a possibility to export simple animations from 3ds Max, but the animations we can import into Lumion are limited to move, rotate, and scale axes. In order to import these animations in Lumion we need to set the frame rate to 25 fps and export the animation as an FBX file.

However, even after doing all this for the 3D model, we might find some issues that can be easily solved. Let's see what the most common problems are and how we can avoid them.

One reason this happens is because we modeled the building far away from the origin axis. To understand this, check out the next screenshot:

As you can see, the building is distant from the origin axis and might be one of the reasons why we cannot see the 3D model inside Lumion.

Well, there is another reason why we might not see the 3D model. Look at the next image:

It might be difficult to read the information on the image, but the height of this building is just 6,186 mm or 0.618 meters. So, unless this is a house for ants, there is something wrong with the scale of the building, and when we import the 3D model into Lumion, it is natural that we cannot see the building because it is so small.

Sometimes, when we are importing the 3D model, something like this might happen:

It is the case of the missing faces; this happens because when the building was modeled in the 3D modeling package, these faces were reversed. So, instead of the normal pointing toward the outside, they are pointing toward the interior, thus making the face invisible.