Lumion 3D Best Practices

Ciro Cardoso

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781783550869
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Data Visualisation
• Index: Computer Science

About This Book

• Learn professional techniques to improve Lumion's workflow.
• Improve your work quality by using Lumion's top features effectively.
• Practical, efficient and deep insight into how to create astonishing visualizations using Lumion.

Who This Book Is 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.

Lumion 3D Best Practices

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Table of Contents

Lumion 3D Best Practices

Credits

About the Author

About the Reviewers

www.PacktPub.com

Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more

Why subscribe?

Free access for Packt account holders

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the color images of this book

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Getting Ready with Lumion 3D

An introduction to Lumion for beginners

What is possible with Lumion

Where to get a demo version, and some limitations of Lumion

What is necessary to work with Lumion

Different Lumion versions

Using additional models

Keep your project organized!

Using Lumion's layers

The importance of materials

A quick overview of Lumion

Exploring the interface and controlling the camera

Summary

2. Importing and Handling 3D Models

Importing 3D models

Importing SketchUp files

Importing from 3ds Max or other applications using COLLADA or FBX

Exporting settings for FBX files

Exporting settings for COLLADA files

Exporting 3D animations

Common problems and their solutions

Rookie mistakes

Reversed or missing faces

Most common importing issues

How to place 3D models in Lumion

10 copies and different sizes

Using the Mass Placement tool

Controlling the 3D models

Using filters to select different categories

Handling and importing large scenes

Updating 3D models in Lumion

Summary

3. Creating an Interior Scene with Lumion

Checking and refining the 3D model

The level of detail

Adding additional 3D models

Beveling edges

A quick overview – Lumion's native 3D models

Balancing Lumion's models with external models

Populating the scene with 3D models

Best practices with the Context menu

Rotating the 3D models with the mouse – the rotate option

Duplicating 3D models with the Alt key

Editing 3D model properties

The Replace with library selection option

Using the Select in library option

A quick overview – Lumion's physically based materials

Small adjustments

Reflection and glossiness – make it believable

Controlling the reflection sharpness

Controlling reflections with the alpha channel

Working with lights for interior scenes

Placing a spotlight, omni light, or fill light

Difference between lights

Shadows – accuracy, speed, and memory modes

Summary

4. Creating an Exterior Scene with Lumion

Planning your scene

The Import, Export, and Merge scene features

Quick overview – the Landscape menu

Working with the Terrain tools

Landscape types

Creating a coast using the Ocean and Terrain menus

Creating a valley using the Water and Height menus

Creating a terrain using heightmaps

Guidelines to create heightmaps

Tools used to create heightmaps

Working with imported terrains

Scattering elements with the Grass menu

Choosing the landscape with the Paint menu

Summary

5. Working with Physically Based Materials

Materials, and why they are essential

A quick overview of Lumion's materials

Working with materials in Lumion – three options

Using Lumion's materials

Normal maps and their functionality

The perks of using a normal map

Tips to create normal maps

Creating a normal map with Lumion's relief feature

Glowing materials and the Emissive setting

Improving material reflections

Using a video as a texture

Custom materials for Lumion

Creating materials with an external 3D application

Lumion's Standard material

Finding textures and eliminating highlights

Fixing highlights on textures

Creating seamless textures

Creating reflection and glossiness maps

Summary

6. Animation Techniques in Lumion

Planning your scene

Tips to export animations

Using a simple storyboard

A quick overview of Lumion's Movie mode

How to import animations

Controlling imported animations

Simple animations with the Move effect

Curved paths with the Advanced move effect

Making good use of the Mass move effect

Summary

7. Producing a Still Image with Lumion

A quick overview–the Photo mode

Saving and loading camera positions

The Build mode with effects

Saving and loading effects

Photo and movie effects

Sun Study – a useful tool

Shadow effect to correct shadows

Realistic reflections with the Reflection effect

Two-point perspective effect

Improving illumination with Global Illumination and Hyperlight®

Summary

8. Producing a Movie with Lumion

A quick overview – the Movie mode

Creating efficient camera paths

Working with clips

Composition–a useful tool

Adding realism with Lumion's effects

The depth of field and Vignette effects

The motion blur effect

Extra detail with sound effects

Creating a presentation with Titles

Summary

9. Exporting and Post Production

Optimizing before rendering

The different file formats to export from Lumion

Using the Movie mode to export still images

Rendering using the Movie mode

Rendering an image sequence

What is a render pass?

Practical ways to use the render passes

Using the SkyAlpha render pass

Material ID – do's and don'ts

Adjusting reflections and lighting

Faking depth of field

Using Lumion Viewer to present a project

Summary

Index

Lumion 3D Best Practices

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