January 29, 2012, 10:34:38 pm
Hope this is not too wordy and is reasonably clear, the topic is a bit tricky, you were on the right track first time.
It is/should be possible to do but there are some constraints due to the way Lumion manages files.
Trying to use the copy files in mydocs folders does not fully work as certain files (import obects) are still going to be referenced in the scene file back to the imported file.
You can have a sort of template scene but it will only work for all things other than imported objects. The scene files store all the other info about the scene and Library objects and Library objects themsleves are not updated directly (as are the imported objects), so saving a scene to a new project name, and hence new file will allow you to change everything about the scene other than imported objects.
Imported objects are a master type file and reference and get updated with any changes direclty related to the object (and without having to commit/save directly) such as materials but not scene related properties such as position, this has certain advantages (and aspects of this has been discussed on forum prev), however, in the case where you want to replicate a scene but change how imported objects look then there is only one way to handle it. For your new scene you need to remove the imported objects and re-import them with new names so they are a new version of the imported object. You could alterntatively save your source model to a new name and use the Alt + reload button which achieves the same except you have 2 source model files to maintina, depends on needs. Once they are a new imported object then they can of course be changed.
It may be that some of your imported objects for a scene can be retained (as sort of uber masters) for other scenes, so those dont need removing and reloading, but I would do that when establishing a sort of master scene so that all follwing scenes work from 'master' type objects.
All other objects from the Library should not be an issue and you can change their properties such as tree positions etc as that is saved in the scene file.
Trying the copy file approach unfortunately does not fully work as the scene file will still retain the file reference to the initial imported object file.
The easiest way is to:
1. do as you did, take your main project (scene) and save it with a new name
2. remove imported objects that at any point in time will be changed and need to reflect changes different in each project
3. re-import the models, which of course requires re-applying materials, but you now have a unique imported object relating to this current project
4. all other Library objects can stay in scene, or otherwise be edited.
Any time you want to start a new project, then open and use the 'master' project, maybe name it as such, and save it out with a new name, and repeat the above.
In essence what you need is as Lumion has; a New or Example that you click on and use it as a template for a new project.
There is possibly (not time to try out fully at moment) to create a template scene (with .spr and .sva files) that is a set of files copied to the C:\Program Files\Lumion 2 Build 2\ArchitectEdition\Home\new (or Examples) folder and are then templates and listed in the New list, in which case you would then simply click on from the New screen to start a new project. In theory it should work for Library objects in the scene, and but how to retain imported objects (dpeending on use) I have to think and test about this a bit more.