Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Autodesk RealDWG
:
*.dwg
•
COLLADA
:
*.dae
•
FBX
:
*.fbx
•
3ds Max
:
*.max
•
3ds
:
*.3ds
•
Obj
:
*.obj
•
SketchUp
:
*.skp
If you don't see your favorite application listed, it doesn't mean that Lumion is out
of the equation. In most of the applications, it is possible to export the 3D model
using the FBX file format. For example, Bentley Micro station lets you export the
3D model as a SketchUp file. This means that in some applications, we have to use
SketchUp as the middle man to create a bridge between our favorite 3D modeling
package and Lumion.
If you are using Revit, have a look at
http://lumion3d.
com/revit-to-lumion-bridge/
, because the Lumion
team developed a plugin for Revit.
You can visit
http://lumion3d.com/archicad-to-
lumion-bridge/
if you are using ArchiCAD.
Although we can use all the file formats mentioned in the previous list, the option we
have is to use either SketchUp or a COLLADA file.
Using the COLLADA file format
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.
Download OpenCOLLADA from
https://code.google.com/p/
opencollada/downloads/list
.
