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Author Topic: My fourth try with the trial (interior)  (Read 2509 times)

Member49625

    Reputation: 15
My fourth try with the trial (interior)
« on: March 22, 2014, 12:09:52 am »
March 22, 2014, 12:09:52 am
1.) Sunlight in the evening. Tried to render an interior only lit by the sun
2.) V4 Pro Trial (7 days...)
3.) CasCADos for building the simple room with a window
4.) I needed about 3 hours for building and tweaking, mostly for materials and rendering effects
5.) 1 Minute 44 Seconds on my Notebook NVidia 780M 4 GB for the creepy resolution of 7680 x 4320

What I don't like so much is that I have to switch between the Photo-Mode and the Build Mode to see my rendered results.
Then I don't like that I only can change for example the leather only with a different colour, but I have no success to the wood or the metal.
Expecially the small glass-table I had no chance or failed to assign a reflectivity.
I would like to have also a channel for specular to load a bitmap. that would increase the photorealistic appearance.

The rendertime is naturally incredible.

Next night will be an interior with artificial light...



Re: My fourth try with the trial (interior)
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2014, 04:52:40 am »
March 22, 2014, 04:52:40 am
What I don't like so much is that I have to switch between the Photo-Mode and the Build Mode to see my rendered results.

Build Mode does not use final render settings and effects settings so that the screen is fast during the building of the scene.

You can however see the closest to render look that you see in Photo Preview, by simply using the Build With Effects button (see attached pic).  This lets you work in Build Mode with all effects on, and you just switch back and forth as needed between Build Mode and Photo Mode as needed.

This is also available in Video Mode.   :-D

Then I don't like that I only can change for example the leather only with a different colour, but I have no success to the wood or the metal.

If you are referring to using the Lumion Library Objects, then most come as is with materials pre-set.  For some objects such as interior seating - sofas or cars (but not all vehicles), it is possible to change the color but not other material settings.  Use the Pencil tool to show properties of the object which if color editable will display a color dialogue for you.

If the objects are imported, then you can change any of the surfaces materials as needed by using either Lumion Library Materials or your own by changing the material to a Custom --> Standard Material.


Expecially the small glass-table I had no chance or failed to assign a reflectivity.
What you could do is add your own plane mesh above the table (Library Object).  Set the mesh to Glass Material with Reflectivity high, then a Reflection Plane can be assigned to the mesh.

These Library objects will have their surface set for Glass and will use the world Reflection Map.


I would like to have also a channel for specular to load a bitmap. that would increase the photorealistic appearance.

Custom --> Standard Materials support specular maps.  The map needs to be combined with the diffuse map and saved in 32bit format (TGA for example). Load it using the Change Diffuse Texture thumbnail  in Texture Tab of the material dialogue.  Set the slider with combined name Reflection/Clip/Bright to > 1.0 to set is to Bright which tells Lumion to use the specular part of the texture.
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Member49625

    Reputation: 15
Re: My fourth try with the trial (interior)
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2014, 07:12:55 am »
March 22, 2014, 07:12:55 am
1.) I have seen that button "Build with Effects". But it would be useful to have for example an interactive render-region while I adjust the material to see it immediately. I always have to switch back and forth. After switching back it loses my camera focal length and I have to press for example Shift+1 to have it back. That's not a big thing when you do it once, but after 2 hours of testing materials it is annoying

2.) Maybe the possiblity to have an "expert-mode"? It's a big difference to have an animation, where it is often not neccessary to have all functions for the objects. But for a still like that it would be nice to have access both to the model-library AND the separate materials.

3.) Yes that's what I will do. But then I have two objects. Then I miss the possibility to group the 2 objects and save it to use it later.

4.) I don't know how to combine the specular map in a diffuse map. Do you mean two layers with multiply for example in Photoshop/Photopaint?

Thank you for your fast reply!


Re: My fourth try with the trial (interior)
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2014, 05:14:47 am »
March 24, 2014, 05:14:47 am
1.) I have seen that button "Build with Effects". But it would be useful to have for example an interactive render-region while I adjust the material to see it immediately...

You should be seeing the closest approximation to final render (as if in Preview) when using Build with Effects and materials are updating real-time.


.. I always have to switch back and forth. After switching back it loses my camera focal length and I have to press for example Shift+1 to have it back. That's not a big thing when you do it once, but after 2 hours of testing materials it is annoying

If you switch back from Build Mode using Build with Effects, the Focal Length is retained.  If you are moving around in the scene and need to return to the saved camera view, then yes, you would need to restore to the snapshot view you want.

Can you please check that Focal Length is working for you as I indicated.

Thanks for the other feedback.  Please feel free to add your ideas to the Wishlist topics.  In this way such ideas are less likely to get lost in amongst other discussions.


4.) I don't know how to combine the specular map in a diffuse map. Do you mean two layers with multiply for example in Photoshop/Photopaint?

Search on Google: for example :Photoshop Help: Create Alpha Channel Masks.

LUMION 4: Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts:
see MATERIAL SLIDERS LUMION 3: Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts.

1.  Add a New Channel in Photoshop
2.  Open the Specular image, convert it to 8 bit Greyscale
3.  Paste it to the Alpha Channel
4.  Save image as 32 bit TGA (or 32 bit PNG).
5.  Load the TGA texture in Lumion's Diffuse texture slot.  It reads both RGB and alpha channels.
6.  Set the slider Reflection/Clip/Brightness to max for Brightness.
7.  add some Emissive.

The Specular map will be used once Brightness is set.

Attached, LS4 sample with left side as Specular right side with Diffuse only, rest of material settings the same except Brightness set, plus Photoshop and base image files.
IMPORTANT: Please do not send private messages and emails to members of staff - unless we specifically ask you to send us sensitive information, for example License Keys.