Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
On the other hand, if you are an advanced user, this topic can help you explore in
more depth how to use Lumion in ways you didn't think possible, helping you to
see Lumion from a totally different perspective.
In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:
•
Controlling the camera
•
Lumion's hotkeys
•
Using the
Settings
window
•
Modeling for Lumion
•
Additional models
•
Importance of materials
•
Solving common problems
•
Exporting 3D models
•
Using the COLLADA format
•
Exporting animations
Starting to work with Lumion
Now, to get ready for Lumion 3D, what we need is a detailed 3D model. Lumion
doesn't have any modeling tools; this means we have to pick a modeling package
such as SketchUp, 3ds Max, Modo, or Blender, just to mention a few, and use a
computer-aided design
(
CAD
) plan as a reference to model the building. Modeling
with one of these packages is out of the topic's scope, but if you are modeling for the
first time, you might want to explore SketchUp. SketchUp has a free version; it is a
very easy application to learn. There are plenty of tutorials to help you start working
with SketchUp, and Lumion imports SketchUp files directly, without the need to use
any special format.
Assuming that we have a 3D model, our next step is to import this model into Lumion
and start adding more content by adjusting the weather's elements, sculpting the
terrain and then adding some camera effects, and finally, exporting this as an image
or a movie. In simple terms, this is more or less the workflow to work with Lumion.
Nevertheless, before starting this process, we still need to be sure that the 3D model
is ready to be imported inside Lumion. When you look at the topics mentioned in the
beginning of this chapter, they might look simple, but we should fight the temptation
to jump to the next chapter. This chapter is the cornerstone of the project we are
going to develop in Lumion, and the topics mentioned can serve as a checklist that
we can run quickly before importing our 3D model, making sure that we don't need
to jump back and forth solving issues.
