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Why are your Lumion materials missing after re-importing your model?

1. Here's why

Lumion uses the names of imported materials from Revit, SketchUp, ArchiCAD, etc.

If you re-import a model and the imported material names from your 3D modeling application do not match the existing imported material names in your Lumion Project, the Lumion materials can't be re-applied to the re-imported model.

The result is that the Lumion materials disappear and you only see the original Imported Materials.

1.1: To check if that is the case, please open a version of your .LS Project file that still has the intact materials.

1.2: Click on the Materials button:

 

1.3: Move the mouse cursor to one of the surfaces that loses its Lumion material after you re-import the model. Make a note of the name of that material.

Example:

 

1.4: Then re-import the model and make a note of the new material name.

If there is a difference between the before and after names, it means that the names of the re-imported materials have changed.

Below is some advice for Revit, ArchiCAD and SketchUp that will help you troubleshoot this issue and instructions on how to fix missing Lumion materials.

 

 

2. Different material names from Revit

Older versions of the Lumion plug-in for Revit used different material names than newer versions of the plug-in.

2.1: For that reason, we recommend that you only import Revit models with the latest plug-in for your version of Lumion and Revit:

Download Link: Download Lumion LiveSync for Revit

2.2: Please also verify that all versions of Revit on all of your computers are using the same version of the plug-in by clicking on the Lumion logo button on the Lumion ribbon in Revit:

 

2.3: To transfer Lumion materials from a version of the Lumion Project with intact materials to a version with missing materials, please follow the instructions in section 5 below.

 

 

3. Different material names from SketchUp

If you created a new material in SketchUp and did not assign a name to it, a generic name would be assigned to it when you imported it in Lumion.

This generic naming convention was changed in Lumion 8.3.

As a consequence, any Lumion materials that you have assigned to these materials in Lumion 8.0 or older versions will go missing after you re-import the model in Lumion 8.3 and newer versions.

The file formats .SKP and .DAE also use material names that are not compatible with each other.

3.1: For that reason, we recommend that you only import SketchUp models with the .SKP file format. Never switch between .SKP and .DAE format when re-importing models.

3.2: If you are using the Lumion LiveSync for SketchUp plug-in, please make sure that you always use the latest version:

• Download Link: Download Lumion LiveSync for SketchUp

3.3: To transfer Lumion materials from a version of the Lumion Project with intact materials to a version with missing materials, please follow the instructions in section 5 below.

 

 

4. Different material names from ArchiCAD

If your Lumion Materials go missing after you re-import a .DAE file from ArchiCAD, you might accidentally have exported your model using the wrong .DAE (Collada) file format, i.e. the Collada file (.DAE) option instead of the Lumion Collada file (.DAE) option:

File -> Save as... -> Lumion Collada file (.DAE)

 

4.1: Please make sure that you select the correct Lumion Collada file (.DAE) option before re-importing the model.

4.2: If this does not resolve the problem, you can transfer Lumion materials from a version of the Lumion Project with intact materials to a version with missing materials by following the instructions in section 5 below.

 

5. How do you fix missing Lumion Materials?

5.1: To get started, please open a version of your .LS Project file that still has the intact materials.

5.2: Then use the Save and Load Material functions to save individual Lumion Materials to files:

• Knowledge Base: How do you copy, paste, save and load Materials in Lumion 12 and newer versions?
• Knowledge Base: How do you copy, paste, save and load materials in Lumion 10.0 and newer versions?
• Knowledge Base: How do you copy, paste, save and load materials in Lumion 9.0-9.5?
• Knowledge Base: How do you copy, paste, save and load materials in Lumion 8.5 and older versions?

5.3: The material files can then be loaded in the version of your Project with the missing materials.

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Why can you hear Sound Effects on a hidden Layer in a rendered .MP4 Movie in Lumion 10.5 and older versions?

 

1. Here's why

In Build Mode you can hide a Layer with Sounds so that the Sounds will not be heard.

However, when you render a Clip or Movie, any Sounds on Layers that are hidden can still be heard in the rendered Movie.

This is a technical constraint.

 

2. Workarounds

2.1: Consider saving a back-up of your Scene with the Sounds and then temporarily delete the unwanted Sounds before you render the Clip or Movie.

2.2: Or, if the Sounds are the only Sounds in the Clip or Movie, you could render to *.MP4. Then in a video editor, remove or replace the sound channel with some other sounds.

2.3: Or, move the Sound object out of range at the time you do not want it to be heard.  You can use either the Move Effect or the Advanced Move Effect to change the position of the Sound object and the desired speed of movement as is needed.

For example: if you had rain with the rain Sound object playing for one Clip, then in the next Clip, add an Advanced Move Effect, and position the Sound object out of the 3D range so it is not heard in the rendered movie.
The key is set at the lowest timing of 0.1 seconds so the sound will not be noticeably heard in the Movie after the rain Clip has finished.

Alternatively, you could set the positioning in the previous Clip near the end of the Clip timing.

 

 

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Why can't I select just a part of the Imported Model?

You have imported a model from your 3D modeling software.  When you use the Material Editor you click on part of the model and Lumion selects all or most of the model.

You find that you can only apply one material to all of that part of the model.  

However, you want to select just a single surface or smaller part of the model as you are able to in your 3d modeling software and edit the material.

 

Here's Why:

To make it much quicker to apply or update materials and to optimize the model for performance in Lumion, all surfaces with the same material name are combined:

1. Having all surfaces with the same material name as a single selectable surface optimizes the model in terms of real-time and rendering performance which has a positive impact on the time to render and the ability for the PC to cope with more demanding Projects.

2. It provides for a  faster workflow.  You only need to select any surface with the same material name to affect all others rather than having to select and edit each and every individual surface. For some models having to do that would of course be onerous if there are many hundreds of surfaces with the same name.

Certainly, the consequence is that at times there can be individual 'objects' or surfaces where you would like to directly edit within Lumion and change on the go. In some cases, a little foresight and planning may be needed. Changing the source model also means that the two are in sync between the design and the visualization.

In each of the main model import guidelines there is this section:

Why can't you assign a Lumion material to individual surfaces?

• Lumion will always combine surfaces that use the same material in [your 3d modeling software]. If you want to assign a Lumion material to a specific surface, you must assign a unique material to that surface in [your 3d modeling software] before Importing or Re-Importing the model.

 

Here's an example (using SketchUp):

This model in SketchUp has all surfaces with one material. You can select different surfaces in SketchUp.

(Source model changed to one material for this example.)

 

But in Lumion when you use the Material Editor you are unable to select the bench stand or bench base to change them.

 

All surfaces wherever you move the mouse to or click have the same 'Wood Cherry Original' name.

 

In SketchUp, you need to select some surfaces and apply a different material to them:

 

In Lumion, after Re-Importing the model, it now looks like this:

 

Now you are able to select parts of the bench and apply different materials in Lumion.

 

 

 

When rendered:

 

[model credit: by John Luttropp, model: Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Automatic Hassock, Trimble 3DWarehouse] 

 

See Also:

• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for SketchUp
• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for Revit and Revit LT
• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for ArchiCAD
• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for Autodesk AutoCAD
• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for Rhino
• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for 3ds Max
• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for Vectorworks
• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for Allplan

 

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Why can't you access your Lumion Account?

If you are certain you have typed in the correct email address and password, then the most likely reason you have no access is that there is no Lumion Account for that address.

 

A Lumion Account is not created for you automatically upon acquiring Lumion. 

In order to create an account, please follow the steps in this article:

• Knowledge Base:  What is a Lumion Account?

 

If you have forgotten your password, or wish to reset it, please click on the Forgot Password, button on the Lumion Account page. 

 

• Knowledge Base:  Why are you not able to Reset the Password on a Lumion Account?

 

See Also:

• Knowledge Base: How do you change your Lumion Account password?

 

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Why can't you add all Material types to the Favorites tab in Lumion 9.5 and older versions?

 

1. Here's why

It is currently only possible to add Standard Materials and variations of the Standard Material from the built-in Material Library to the Favorites tab.

In other words, it is not possible to add the following materials:

• Indoor category:
  • PureGlass
• Outdoor category:
  • PureGlass
• Nature category:
  • Water
  • Waterfall
  • Leaves
• Custom category:
  • Color
  • Glass
  • PureGlass
  • Lightmap
  • Imported Material
  • Water
  • Waterfall
  • Landscape
  • Billboard
  • Invisible

Please also note that it is not possible to name or rename materials on the Favorites tab.

This is a technical constraint.

 

2. Workaround

2.1: Save your materials as files and load them when needed:

• Knowledge Base: How do you copy, paste, save and load Materials?

         

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Why can't you make 2D silhouettes and 3D people transparent?

1. Here's why

The only models in the People and Animals category that support Transparency are the models on the People - 3D - Silhouettes and Animals - 3D - Silhouettes tabs:

 

The models on the other tabs do not currently support Transparency as this functionality has not been implemented for these model types.

 

2. Workarounds

2.1: Use models from the People - 3D - Silhouettes and Animals - 3D - Silhouettes categories as these model types support Transparency.

 

2.2: Alternatively, if you can't replace your people/animal models with models from the People - 3D - Silhouettes and Animals - 3D - Silhouettes tabs, consider rendering the Photo, Clip or Movie twice: one version with the people/animal models and the other version with the models placed on a hidden Layer.

The version with models:

 

The version without models:

 

2.3: Then in an image editor or video editor, add both images as layers and blend the two by adjusting the transparency of the one with people/animal models:

• External Link: Three Ways To Blend Two Images In Photoshop

Example of blended image:

 

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Why can't you open a Project from other editions such as the commercial product in the Lumion Pro Student edition?

Please see this article:

• Knowledge Base:  Why can't you open a Project from the Lumion Pro Student edition in other editions (products) of Lumion?

 

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Why can't you open a Project from the Lumion Trial version in other versions of Lumion?

1. Here's why

1.1: Please note that there are two Trial editions:

• Lumion Trial (available via the 'Try' page: only available up until 12 March 2023)
• Lumion Business Trial (Pro Trial) (available from your local reseller)

This article only applies to the Lumion Trial edition for those who were given access prior to 13 March 2023.
.

1.2: It is not possible to open Lumion Trial Projects in commercial or other editions of Lumion. This is by design to prevent abuse of the license terms, i.e. using it for commercial purposes. 

• The 'Try' page at Lumion.com mentions this limitation:

 

• The Home screen - Welcome to Lumion also provides a message each time you save a Project using the Lumion Trial.

 

 

2. Can you transfer anything from the Lumion Trial Project?

Yes, you can transfer Imported Models from Lumion Trial to a commercial edition (product/version) of Lumion. Here's how:

2.1: Locate the Imported Model files in Documents/LumionTrial (VERSION)/Library and copy them to Documents/Lumion (VERSION)/Library.

• Knowledge Base article:  Where are Projects and Imported Models saved to in Lumion?

2.2: The next time you start the commercial edition of Lumion, the Imported Models should be available in the Imported Model Library browser.

The rest of your Project configuration, as well as your Photos and Clips, cannot be transferred and will have to be reconstructed.

 

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Why can't you rotate some trees and plants in all directions in Lumion 10.5 and older versions?

 

1. Here's why

You might have noticed that there are no Orientation sliders for trees and plants as there are for other objects in Lumion 10.5 and older versions:

 

The reason is that trees and plants in the Lumion Model Library in Lumion 10.5 and older versions were made with a third party tree/plant creation software called SpeedTree. SpeedTree does not allow its models to be orientated for Pitch or Bank rotations, only for Heading.

This is a technical constraint.

The exceptions to this are for the Leaves and also Forest Wood sub-category plants where you can use the Rotation sliders for Orientation, Pich, and Bank.

Lumion 11 and newer versions are unaffected by this technical constraint.

 

2. Workaround

If you cannot upgrade to Lumion 11 or newer (which is unaffected by this technical constraint), you could consider using Imported Models of trees and plants where you can change the Pitch and Bank rotation values. Those models can be sourced from other online 3D model resources, for example 3D Warehouse or Xfrog.

 

However, not all trees and plants are suitable and work well in real-time in Lumion. Some might only have single-sided leaves. Others might be extremely heavy in terms of textures and 3D Points and can cause a slow down of the onscreen redraws and renderings.

For that reason, you may notice that you can only add a few trees and plants from external sources before Lumion will get slower, so please use imported tree and plant models sparingly. Please also note that imported trees and plants are static and will not sway in the wind.

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Why do Materials sometimes disappear when using LiveSync and a Section Box?

Applies to Revit but may also apply to other 3d modeling software where a 'Section Box' or similar clipping box is used to hide/cut away parts of the model.

 

 

1.  Problem:

You use the 'Section Box' as a way to help with on-screen performance and update speeds, especially for more complex models. 

You are using LiveSync to import your model directly.  When you can change the 'Section Box' (in Revit), all of the material assignments seem to disappear in Lumion.

Also, you try a reload of a Material Set.  But sometimes reloading the Material Set doesn’t reassign the previously assigned materials.

From your perspective it seems that Lumion has not remembered the prior materials, after all, your 3d model software does.  The whole model is still in the 3d modeling project, and only parts that have been hidden using a 'Section Box' are missing the materials.

 

2.  Solution:

If you change the 'Section Box', then save a new Material Set file with a different file name.  If a 'Section Box' completely removes a surface of a model.  You can use any of these saved Sets to restore materials to the same state.

The only way is to save Material Sets and/or Material Files for each and every state of the model where you think the surfaces are not going to be present/visible for X view state but will be later on for Y view state and you are changing materials in Lumion.

 

3.  What is Happening:

If a 'Section Box' completely removes a surface of a model in your modeling software, even if it's temporary, then the material also no longer exists in Lumion.  

The model and materials for LiveSync in Lumion are merely reflecting the current state of the visible model in your modeling software.  It's the same as if you used the 'Visibility Graphics' (Revit) to control what was sent to Lumion, or also imported manually via Export to Lumion (Collada DAE).

 

Saving to an earlier Material Set file overwrites that data with what is now a different model and materials.

When you want to restore Lumion Materials after reverting or cancelling a 'Section Box', then during the process you need to maintain a set of files consisting of Material Sets and/or Material Files.  They should reflect the changing state of the model and its materials as controlled by the 'Section Box'.

This is only needed if:

• You have applied Lumion Materials you wish to restore.
• You are using a 'Section Box' that will fully hide one or more surfaces of the model.

 

4.  Let's look at two examples:

A.  A simple example of 2 walls.

B.  A house design (sample Revit template).

 

5.  Using the Stop/Start in LiveSync:

Should the LiveSync Start/Stop be used with a 'Section Box'?  Yes.

These events are just a trigger for when controlled updates occur from your 3d modeling software such as Revit to Lumion.  The change of states in the model happens from changes in the 'Section Box' view.  Stop/Starting (Resuming) is not a factor in what the 'Section Box' shows of the model.

 

 

See Also:

• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for Revit and Revit LT
• Knowledge Base:  Import & Export Questions

 

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Why do Materials sometimes disappear when using LiveSync and a Section Box? - Example A.  a simple example of 2 walls.

Refer to Main Article: 

• Knowledge Base:  Why do Materials sometimes disappear when using LiveSync and a Section Box?

 

Example A:  A simple example of 2 walls.

1.  You have two walls in a model:

 

 

1.1:  The walls as seen in Lumion:

 

2. You Add a Revit 'Section Box':

 

3. In Lumion you apply materials to both walls, then save a Material Set file to store a copy of the materials you had applied in Lumion:

 

3.1:  The saved Material Set always only consists of Lumion Materials:

 

4.  You change the Revit focus/view to the right red wall only by adjusting the 'Section Box':

 

5.  Lumion is updated by LiveSync and now only shows the right wall (as expected):

 

5.1:  The Material Set when now saved will only include the Lumion Materials for the right (red) wall:

 

If you had resaved to the same Material Set file as in Step 3 then this is the only surface for the model and the only material in the Material Set.

6.  In Revit you bring back the other wall by changing or cancelling the 'Section Box':

 

7.  However now in Lumion there is no Lumion Material for the left wall.  Only the Imported Model Material - expected:

 

As far as LiveSync and Lumion are concerned there was no wall until now.  Until this change for the 'Section Box.'  It is not possible for Lumion to keep all the different states that might occur for the model.  When importing live, the model is the model you also see in Revit, which is what you expect.  As if you had used 'Visibility Graphics' or 'Hide element in this view' to hide some parts of the model.  The same would occur if you imported from a Collada DAE exported model and did updates (Re-Import) of the model at each time you changed the 'Section Box'.

8.  In Lumion there is no left wall material in the Material Set to apply back

 

It is now a different state of the model with different surfaces and different materials.

But there is if you had saved the Material Set when the left wall was visible and you had done your Material Edits.  And you did, but you later on overwrote that file with a different state of the models materials that as in 5.2 no longer includes the (left wall) material.

 

Now for the purposes of this example the Material Set in Step 5 (right wall only 'Section Box' view) was saved with a different file name to go back to the Material Set that corresponds to the state of the model when it was earlier edited to apply the Lumion Material - brown brick.

8.1:  Appling the older Material Set for left wall brown brick included in Material Set:

 

 

 

Continue with the House Example and some further details:

• Knowledge Base:  Example B.  A house design (sample Revit template).

or return the the main article:

• Knowledge Base:  Why do Materials sometimes disappear when using LiveSync and a Section Box?

 

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Why do Materials sometimes disappear when using LiveSync and a Section Box? - Example B: A house design

Refer to Main Article: 

• Knowledge Base:  Why do Materials sometimes disappear when using LiveSync and a Section Box?

 

Example B.  A house design (sample Revit template).

The key difference here:- some surfaces are not fully cut in the 'Section Box' and so are still parts of the model in Lumion and therefore have materials.

1.  The Revit Example House Project:

 

1.1:  House Example - in Lumion:

 

1.2:  House Example - full model with some Lumion Materials applied:

 

Lumion Materials have been applied to:

• Exterior walls (Lounge exterior wall is still Revit material).
• Block retaining wall.
• Landscape - 3D Grass.
• Windows.
• Rook - tiles.
• Roof of lounge - timber decking.

1.3:  Lumion Materials of the whole house ('Section Box' View 1):

 

2.  'Section Box' in Revit - the full model:

 

3.  The Revit 'Section Box' View 2 - now focuses/changes the view to part of house:

 

 

4.  The house in Lumion conforming with the active 'Section Box' View 2 view:

 

 

4.1:  Materials for the house in Lumion for the current 'Section Box' View 2:

 

All surfaces that are fully/completely removed due to the 'Section Box' are no longer present in the model and there is no material for that surface.  Main example of surfaces completely removed:  the roof.

Surfaces that are still showing (in part), for example the main exterior wall, the grass and retaining wall-concrete panels.

4.2:  If you were to open the Material Set saved at the beginning for the whole house then there are less materials showing - some are non-matching to a surface so no material is possible to be applied:

 

5.  Compare the 'Section Box' View 2 materials to original 'Section Box' View 1 materials (in blue box):

 

If you save these new materials to the same Material Set file, even though the Revit model still exists but is just hidden (partially) then those non-existent surfaces (no material exists) will no longer be included in the Material Set file.  The model is in a different state.

You need to save the Material Set to a new file name.

6.  Revit view reverted back to the initial view of 'Section Box' View 1:

 

7.  In Lumion the roof has lost its Lumion Material:

 

8.  Reloading the original set of Materials - the roof material exists and can be applied:

 

9.  The roof can now be updated from the prior Material Set:

 

 

Note - Advanced: Changing Other Materials:

10.  Note that if you change materials whilst working with a different 'Section Box' view such as those reflected in a prior Material Set, for example you change this interior wall during Section Box' View 2

 

Then the older Material Set is no longer in sync and would overwrite that surface with the older material:

 

You need to either:

10.1:  Save a Material File for each material changed when working with a 'Section Box' that has changed the model and materials:

 

10.1.1:  Example: Interior Plasterboard Material file:

 

10.1.2:  Interior Plasterboard updated from LNM Material File:

 

10.2:  Or save a Material Set for those changes.  Even though the Material Set will not have other materials for non-existent surfaces it will have the surfaces you changed and those can match and apply.  You should specifically select the material to be applied due to your more recent update of the material:

10.2.1:  Specifically select which material to apply from a Material Set:

 

 

See also:

• Knowledge Base:  Example A.  A simple example of 2 walls

or return the the main article:

• Knowledge Base:  Why do Materials sometimes disappear when using LiveSync and a Section Box?

 

See Also:

• Knowledge Base:  Model import guidelines for Revit and Revit LT
• Knowledge Base:  Import & Export Questions

 

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Why do the shadows flicker in some Movies?

1. Here's why

Flickering shadows are usually caused by the fact that the models are too far away from the center of the Scene (0,0,0). This is a known technical limitation as graphics cards only have 8 digits for positional values. The further away from 0,0,0 your models are, the more likely it is that their shadows will flicker.

The center of the Scene is marked by the red, green and blue axes:

 

1.1: To prevent the shadows and surfaces flickering, you should move the models closer to 0,0,0.

The easiest way to do that is to add the models to a Group:

 

1.2: Then move the Group to 0,0,0:

• Knowledge Base: How do you type in position coordinates for an object?

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Why do you get an error when adding your License Key to your Lumion Account?

1. Did you copy the License Key number correctly?

Please confirm that you have copied and pasted the Lumion License Key number correctly from your 'Getting started with Lumion' email.

If you cannot find your 'Getting started with Lumion' email, please follow the instructions below:

• Knowledge Base: How do you get the email with the Lumion download link?

 

 

2. Was your License Key already added to your account?

If you accidentally add a License Key that was already added to your Lumion Account, the License Key overview page will be displayed along with the License Key number you tried to enter:

 

 

3. Is the License Key you have entered not valid?

If you did not receive your License Key from Lumion.com or from an authorized Lumion Partner, you may have been the victim of a scam.

Illegal versions of Lumion are known to cause loss of data as well as security problems. We do not provide support for illegal versions of Lumion.

If you believe that your License Key is valid but you are still unable to enter it on the Lumion Account page, please click on the button below to contact us:

Contact Us

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Why do you get artifacts, blotches or patchy looking renders with Ray Tracing?

You have been using Lumion 2023 and creating great photo-realistic interior renders with the Ray Tracing Effect.  However, this time for another Project they are not rendering nice and clean.  They have artifacts, blotchy patterns, patchy changes, and strange-looking artifacts.

• Artificial lights do not have excessive brightness.
• There is enough direct sunlight.
• If it is an evening or night Scene then also ensure artificial lights do not have excessive brightness.
• The Ray Trace Effect settings are balanced.  Generally use Samples for a final render of 256 to 512. Firefly Reduction - set to 0 unless it is needed.
• Workflow: Establish good renders first from direct light then include your artificial lighting.

See more in Section 5.  Setting the lighting for your Scene and the spaces.

Let's walk through an example in more detail.

 

See Also:

• Lumion Community:  Strange glows - problem

References:

• Knowledge Base:  Reference: Artificial Lighting values
• Web Site:  ArchDaily:  How To Determine How Many LED Lumens You’ll Need To Properly Light Your Space

 

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Why do you sometimes get two LiveSync models for the same model?

That can happen if your 3D model file's name or location has changed. 

 

Please see this article for a solution:

• Knowledge Base: How does LiveSync 3 work with existing imported models in Lumion scenes?

 

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Why does Lumion crash when you select a file in an Open File dialog window on some Dell PCs?

 

1. Known issue:

1.1: Background:

Lumion crashes when you select a file in an Open File dialog window on Dell PCs with older versions of the Dell Backup and Recovery software.

This problem is caused by an error in the Dell Backup and Recovery software which is pre-installed on some Dell PCs.

1.2: Who is affected: 

The error affects Lumion and other applications that use the so-called Qt framework.

Dell has resolved this error in newer versions of the Dell Backup and Recovery software.

1.3: Solution:

If you do need to use the Dell Backup and Recovery software, you will have to install the latest version to make Lumion stop crashing.

If you do not need the Dell Backup and Recovery software, simply uninstall it to resolve the problem.

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Why does Lumion freeze or crash when you start rendering?

 

1. Here's why

Freezes and crashes during rendering may occur if your Project is 'too complex' and your hardware isn't powerful enough and/or lacks available System Memory and Virtual Memory to handle it properly.

'Too complex' refers to the following variables:

A: The number of different models you have added to the Project.

B: The 3D Point count in the top right corner of Build Mode.

C: The number and resolution of your textures/materials.

D: The Movie/Photo Effects you're using, in particular the Skylight and Hyperlight effects.

E: How many Reflection Planes you've added to the Reflection Effect.

F: How many Spotlights are set to Shadows: Dynamic in the Scene.

G: How many Spotlights you have selected in the Global Illumination Effect.

H: How many large surfaces you have assigned 3D Grass Materials to.

1.1: To improve performance and reduce the time it takes to render a Photo or a Clip, you should try to reduce the number of all of the above. See this article for suggestions:

• Knowledge Base: How can you improve performance within Lumion?

1.2: In addition, increasing the amount of Virtual Memory in Windows will also help prevent crashes:

• Knowledge Base: How do you change the amount of virtual memory in Windows?

1.3: If the problem persists, please verify that your PC has an adequate power supply unit:

• Knowledge Base: Which power supply do you need?

1.4: Alternatively, you could consider upgrading your hardware:

• Knowledge Base: What kind of computer does Lumion need?
• Knowledge Base: Which graphics card do you need?

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Why does Lumion need access to your computer's Documents folder?

You get this message when opening Lumion:  "Unable to access your Documents folder"

 

 

1. Here’s why

Lumion must be allowed to read and write data (for example, Imported Models) in the following folder:

• Documents\Lumion [VERSION]\

Occasionally, something on your PC or network might prevent Lumion from saving data in that folder. 

This problem is usually caused by one or more of the following:

• Lumion is unable to locate the required folder location.
• A lack of free space on the hard-drive that the Documents folder is located on.
• Insufficient Windows User Account permissions.
• Overzealous anti-virus/security software.

Please follow these instructions to ensure that Lumion is allowed to read and write data in the folder.

2.  How To Resolve the Issue and Message:

2.1: Correct Folder Access:

2.1.1: Change the Lumion-Documents folder location - Lumion 2023.1.2 and newer

In Lumion 2023.1.2 and newer versions, you can change the location of the Documents folder in the settings of the software as explained in the article below:

• Knowledge Base: How do you change the location of the Lumion-documents folder?

2.1.2: Changing the Documents folder location - Versions older than 2023.1.2

You can change it via Windows and it applies to all of the My Documents folders not just for Lumion.  

• External Link: Configuration of the Documents folder

2.1.3: A change in location occurred

If, for example the Documents folder was shifted by some change such as OneDrive being allocated to backup the Documents folder to OneDrive online then it is possible the location might not exist.

Another example is if the Document folders have somehow been deleted.

We will need to help you investigate the exact folder information and steps to resolve this issue.  Please contact us:

• Knowledge Base:  Contact Lumion Technical Support

 

2.2: Administrator

Please right-click on 'Lumion.exe' in the folder that you installed Lumion in, usually [install drive]\Program Files\Lumion (Version), and select 'Run as administrator:

2.3: Correct Permissions

If that does not resolve the problem, please right-click on Documents\Lumion (VERSION), select Properties and click on the Security tab. Your Windows User Account must have full read/write permissions for this folder and for all sub-folders.

Example:

2.4: Not Enough Free file space

Then confirm that there is at least an absolute minimum of 30GB, and preferably at least 50GB, of free space on the drive that the Documents folder is located on, usually C:\ drive.

• Knowledge Base: What file space do I need to download, install and use Lumion?

 

2.5: Check if there is Back-up, file sync or file share software operating

Check if the Documents folder or any of the Lumion folders inside the Documents folder are being backed-up by back-up, file sync or file share software, e.g. OneDrive, GDrive, Dropbox or similar. The back-up software might 'lock' the imported model file before Lumion is done saving it which can result in file corruption or the file will be prevented from being saved. To check if this is the case or not, please temporarily disable the back-up software and try again.

• Knowledge Base:  How can you fix Error code 0x4c8 message when saving a file?

 

2.6:  Exclusions in anti-virus/security software

And lastly, please add exclusions for 'Lumion.exe', the installation folder (Usually C:\Program Files\Lumion) and also the folder Lumion saves files to (Documents\Lumion) on your anti-virus/security software:

• Knowledge Base: How do you resolve anti-virus and firewall problems?

 

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Why does Lumion not respond to mouse-clicks and the camera can't be moved, e.g. after opening a file?

 

1. Known issue:

1.1: Background: 

Microsoft released an update for OneDrive. The update makes OneDrive 'hijack' the mouse in Lumion every time the file dialog window pops up in Lumion, even if OneDrive is no longer installed.

You are then unable to move the camera and/or cannot click on buttons/sliders in Lumion 6 or newer after a file dialog window has been displayed in Lumion. For example, after importing a model or after picking a texture for your materials.

1.2: Who is affected: 

It only affects a small number of Lumion users who have installed the following software:

• Microsoft Office (assuming a version with OneDrive is installed or has been installed).
• Windows update KB4522355 (this is an optional update from Oct 24 2019).
• Lumion 6 or newer.

1.3: Solution: 

Follow the instructions in section 2 in the following article to resolve the problem:

• Knowledge Base: What do you do if Lumion does not respond to mouse-clicks?

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Why does Lumion show incorrect memory values in the top right box of Build Mode?

 

1. Here's why

The reason is that on Windows 7, Microsoft's DirectX function cannot retrieve the correct Graphics Card Memory parameter for graphics cards with more than 4 GB memory.

This is purely a cosmetic error in the Performance Monitor: all of the Graphics Card Memory is used in Lumion 6.5 and newer.

1.1: To resolve this problem, please upgrade to Windows 10 or Windows 11.

 

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Why does "StyleTransfer.dll" error appear after installing or updating Windows 10 to the May 2020 Release (v2004)?

1. Background: 

You get one or more error messages when opening Lumion 10.0 to 10.3.2 as follows:

• Styletransfer.dll error
• Channel not found in installation skipping load routine
• F137EC37-6D8D4FB9-8178-839CE94BD5A8.dll
• In group:
  C:\Program Files\Lumion 10.x\ArchitectEdition\Classes\MovieCreation\modifications\AIEffects.cgr

 

This occurs after you have updated Windows to the Windows 10 (May update v2004, 2004-19041.264, also known as 20H1).

This is a known issue with Microsoft now supplying their own version of the Onnxruntime library. Whereas Lumion 10.0 to 10.3.2 also has an installed version, and the two cannot load together. 

 

2. Who is affected: 

It affects anyone who is using a version of Lumion 10, up to and including 10.3.2.

 

3. Solution:

Try these steps:

3.1. Close Lumion if running.

3.2. Move the file onnxruntime.dll from the Lumion install (usually C:\Program Files\Lumion 10.x\3rd) folder to the root folder where Lumion.exe is located (usually C:\Program Files\Lumion 10.x).
For example:

• Knowledge Base:  How do you generate a Microsoft System Information report?

 

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Why does an imported model change in all of the Projects it is used in?

 

1. Here's why

In Lumion, Imported Models are saved in a special folder that exists outside of the Project.

Every time you add an Imported Model to a Project, it is a reference to the files in this folder.

What does this mean?

Well, let's say you import a chair from SketchUp.

This model will be saved locally on your PC in the following folder:

Documents/Lumion (VERSION)/Library



Every time you re-import the chair model, or change its materials/textures in Lumion, the model files in Documents/Lumion (Version)/Library will be overwritten.

So how does this work in practice?

 

2. Lumion 8.0 and newer:

Example: If you import a green chair, place it in a Project and save a Project file (Project A), a "snapshot" of the current state of the (green) chair will be included in the Project file.

The green chair is available in the Imported Model browser window and can be added to Projects.

Let's imagine that you make the chair blue later on and save it in a different Project file (Project B).

The blue version of the chair is now available in the Imported Model browser window and can be added to Projects.

However, if you then choose to load 'Project A' again, the blue chair in the Imported Model browser window will be overwritten by the original green version of the chair.

 

3. Lumion 7.5 and older:

There are two different ways of saving Project/Scenes in Lumion 7.5 (and older versions):

You can save a Project/Scene with or without the Imported Model.

3.1: Save Scene function:

If you use the Save Scene function, you are only saving the Scene but not the Imported Models:

Files -> Save Scene and Models tab -> Save Scene

 

A saved Scene contains all of the model positions, Layer information, the Lumion Terrain, Photo and Movie effects and so on.

Imported Models are automatically saved to a separate folder (Documents/Lumion (Version)/Library) every time you re-import them or change their materials.

These models are available in the Imported Model browser window in Lumion.

Any changes you make to the model will be reflected in all of the Scenes that you're using the model in.

3.2: Save Scene and Models function:

If you use the Save Scene and Models function, you're saving the Scene and a "snapshot" of the models:

Files -> Save Scene and Models tab -> Save Scene and Models

 

This 'snapshot' can be transferred to other PCs as a single file (in .LS format).

In other words, the Save Scene and Models function is ideal if you need to transfer a Scene and all of the Imported Models in that Scene to a different PC, or if you just want to make a back-up.

If you load this file, Lumion will tell you if any of the existing model files in My Documents/Lumion (Version)/Library will be overwritten if you go ahead.

Example: If you import a green chair, place it in a Scene and save a Scene file (Scene A), a "snapshot" of the current state of the chair will be included in the Scene file.

The green chair is available in the Imported Model browser window and can be added to Scenes.

Let's imagine that you make the chair blue later on and save it in a different Scene file (Scene B).

The blue version of the chair is now available in the Imported Model browser window and can be added to Scenes.

However, if you then choose to load 'Scene A' again, the blue chair in the Imported Model browser window will be overwritten by the original green version of the chair.

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Why does the Clip Plane not cap clipped walls and other solid objects?

1. Here's why

Unlike the section plane/box function available in Revit and ArchiCAD, the Clip Plane in Lumion does not 'know' whether an object is solid or not, so walls and other solid objects will appear hollow.

Example of hollow walls and floors when using the Clip Plane in Lumion:

 

 

2. Workaround

2.1: In Lumion 12 and newer versions only:

You can use the Clip Outline option to render outlines along the edge of the visible geometry that is clipped. It is possible to set the width and color of the outline as well as which Layer to clip. Geometry that is facing away from the camera, and therefore isn’t visible won’t have a visible outline.

 

 

2.2: In all versions of Lumion:

2.2.1: We recommend using the section plane/box functionality in your 3d modeling software if that feature is available and it caps clipped objects as solid surfaces.  

Example of capped walls and floors when using the Section Box tool in Revit:

 

Section Planes in SketchUp cannot be exported to Lumion so you will have to use a plug-in:

• External Link: Eneroth Slicer

2.2.2: Consider using the Variations function, and the Variation Control Effect to show the clipped version of the model along with the original version:

• Video Tutorial: Lumion 8: Build Mode - Add model Variations
• Video Tutorial: Lumion 8: Effects - The Variation Control Effect

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Why does the Depth of Field Effect not blur Glass and PureGlass Materials correctly?

1. Here's why

When using the Depth of Field Effect in Clips and Photos you may notice that Glass and PureGlass Materials are sometimes not blurred correctly.

This is a technical constraint.

Example of a PureGlass Material with the Depth of Field Effect turned on:

 

Example of a PureGlass Material with the Depth of Field Effect turned off:

 

 

2. Workaround

2.1: If you are rendering a Photo, consider rendering two different versions: one with the Depth of Field Effect turned on and the other version with the effect turned off. The two versions can then be blended in an image editor:

• External Link: Three Ways To Blend Two Images In Photoshop

2.2: You may find that it is easier to select the glass objects in your image editor if you render a MaterialID output image in Lumion:

 

 

Example of a blended image:

 

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Why does the Motion Blur Effect not work in Print or Poster resolution?

 

1. Here's why

If you add a Motion Blur Effect to a Movie or a Clip, the motion blur on animated objects is visible on Current frame images and in Movies at all resolutions, apart from Print and Poster resolution. This is a technical constraint.

The highest resolution that supports the Motion Blur Effect is Ultra HD (3840x2160) which is available on the Image Sequence tab in Movie Mode. This is the same resolution as Print resolution in Photo Mode. Please note that the Ultra HD (3840x2160) output resolution requires a graphics card with at least 6GB memory.

 

2. Workaround

2.1: To work around the Print and Poster resolution constraint, simply render a single Ultra HD (3840x2160) image via the Image Sequence tab in Movie Mode.

Make sure to enter the same frame number of your Clip or Movie in both of the Range fields:

 

2.2: Render the image in an uncompressed file format. (e.g. .PNG or .BMP):

 

This helps with the rescale as there are no compression artifacts.

2.3: If you need a Poster resolution (7680x4320) image, then rescale the Ultra HD image by following these instructions:

• Knowledge Base: How do you render images at a higher resolution than Poster renderings?

 

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Why does the camera pause at every keyframe in Lumion 10.3?

1. Known issue:

1.1: Background: 

In Movie Mode, the camera pauses at every keyframe in Clips in Lumion 10.3.

1.2: Who is affected: 

It affects anyone who is using Lumion 10.3.

1.3: Solution:

Install Lumion 10.3.2 or newer to resolve the problem.

Alternatively, the following hotfix also resolves the problem:

• Knowledge Base: Lumion 10.3.0.1: Hotfix for Lumion 10.3

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Why does the light from Omni Lights, Fill Lights and Area Lights pass through models?

1. Here's why

1.1 In Lumion version 11.3 or newer:

Light no longer passes through models for V11.3 or newer when using an Omni Light.  This version includes shadows for Omni Lights.

Refer to Release Notes, section 1.1 Shadows for Omni Lights:

• Knowledge Base: Lumion 11.3: Release notes 

 

OmniLights now have Shadows (for the quality setting) as in Spotlights, and a Shadow Exclusion Zone so that you can exclude shadows if the light needs to be within an object, such as within a bulb.

Where you need the performance of Omni Lights please use the alternative non-shadow lights such as Fill Light or perhaps Area Light or Line Light (depending on lighting requirements).

 

Note: Selecting Spotlight(s) in Build Mode (Version 12.0 and newer):
For performance reasons when selecting many shadowcasting lights, real-time shadow preview for a selection of lights is now limited to five (5) lights.

 

1.2 In  Lumion version 11.0.2 or older:

The light from Omni Lights, Fill Lights and Area Lights passes through models and does not cast shadows.

This is a known technical constraint and is also due to performance considerations.

Please use Spotlights if you require shadows from artificial light sources (see section 2.5 below).

Here is some general information about the 4 types of artificial lighting in Lumion 7.0 and newer versions up to V11.0.2.

 

2. Options for Versions 11.0.2 or older.

2.1 Omni Lights

This light type only lights up surfaces that are facing the position of the Omni Light. It renders extremely fast, and is ideal for areas that do not require very accurate lighting, e.g. farther away from the camera:

 

2.2 Area and Line Lights 

This light type only lights up surfaces that are facing the position of the Area/Line Light, but renders very fast and is ideal when lighting up large spaces:

 

 

2.3 Light Fill

This light type lights up all surfaces, regardless of whether they face the position of the Fill Light or not. This light type renders extremely fast, and is ideal for areas that do not require very accurate lighting, e.g. farther away from the camera.

 

 

2.4 Spotlights

The light from a Spotlight does not pass through objects and will cast shadows.

To see the shadows from Spotlights:

• Select the Spotlight(s) in Build Mode or,
• Press F8 to preview Spotlight shadows in Build/Photo/Movie modes or,
• Render a Photo, Clip, or Movie.

 This is done for performance reasons. This light type is slower to render and requires more memory:

 

 

See also:

• Knowledge Base: Why are Spotlights not casting shadows?
• Knowledge Base: What do the sliders & buttons in the Spotlight properties do?

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Why does the lighting flicker in some Movies?

1. Here's why

Flickering lighting is usually caused by the Global Illumination Effect when the sun and/or other objects are animated.

The Global Illumination Effect in Lumion analyses surfaces that are lit up by the sun or by artificial light sources. The Effect then places probe lights that emit light in all directions near the lit surfaces to simulate reflected light. These probe lights are reshuffled when the sun and other objects move in a video.

1.1: To prevent the lighting from flickering in a Clip that uses the Global Illumination Effect, you need to render the Clip in 4 Star Output quality. In addition, everything has to remain static, i.e. no moving sun, no animations, and the Wind Effect should be set to a low value so that trees do not sway too much in the wind.

Lumion 12:

 

 

Lumion 11:

 

 

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Why does the map window in the OpenStreetMap function not display the map in Lumion 8.5 and older versions?

 

1. Known issue:

1.1: Background: 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the OpenStreetMap map search window is no longer displaying a map in Lumion 8.5 and older versions since January 6, 2020.

It is, however, still possible to download the OpenStreetMap models in Lumion 8.5 and older versions.

1.2: Who is affected: 

It affects anyone who is using a version of Lumion 8.5 and older with the OpenStreetMap function.

1.3: Workaround for Lumion 8.5:

Install the following hotfix and restart Lumion:

• Knowledge Base: Lumion 8.5.0.2: Hotfix for Lumion 8.5

Then use one of the following workarounds:

• Option A: Copy-paste the GPS coordinates from maps.google.com or www.openstreetmap.org into the map search window in order to select a location in Lumion. Please watch the video below to see how:
  
  • External link: How to use Google Maps for entering an OpenStreetMap location in Lumion
• Option B: Alternatively, you can paste the full URL from a location at www.openstreetmap.org or www.geofabrik.de/maps into the map search window in order to select a location in Lumion.

1.4: Workaround for Lumion 8.0 to 8.3:

Please use this workaround:

• Please enter a full, valid address in the search field in the map search window before downloading the OpenStreetMap model.
• Move the marker in the map window to adjust the location slightly.

1.5: Workaround for Lumion 7.5 and older:

There is currently no workaround for Lumion 7.5 and older. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience this is causing.

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Why does the upload to MyLumion never finish?

<

1. Here's why

1.1: MyLumion functionality and your uploaded MyLumion Panoramas are not accessible if you access the internet via a proxy server.

Please click on the following link to check if you are accessing the internet via a proxy server:

• External Link: Am I behind a proxy?

If so, please ask your IT administrator to disable the proxy server if you would like to use the MyLumion functionality.

1.2: Please ensure that Lumion is allowed to access the following domains in your firewall/network/anti-virus software:

• Knowledge Base: Which domains and ports does Lumion need access to?

 

 

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Why does your MP4 video freeze or look strange during playback?

 

1. Here's why

MP4 files from Lumion with a resolution of 2560x1440 (Quad HD) or 3840x2160 pixels (Ultra HD) might freeze or look strange when you view them in Windows Media Player on some PCs.

This is a known limitation in Windows Media Player as .MP4 files from Lumion are compressed with a very high bitrate to preserve the quality. Windows Media Player might not be fast enough to decode the video stream as it depends on the PC specifications (harddrive speed and CPU speed). In other words, it is unrelated to Lumion.

1.1: Please view the MP4 file in Windows 10 Films & TV, VLC or a different media player to resolve the problem. Alternatively, you can convert the MP4 file to a lower bitrate in 3rd party software and try to view it in Windows Media Player again.

 

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Why does your PC sometimes restart while you are editing a Project or when you start rendering?

 

1. Here's why

Certain power supplies may cause your PC to restart if they can't cope with sudden changes in demand for electricity from spikes or transient spikes, or if the Wattage is insufficient.

1.1: Please read the following article to see which power supply you will need for your computer in order to prevent it from freezing or restarting when you edit Projects or render Photos and Movies:

• Knowledge Base: Which power supply do you need?
  
  

1.2: If you want to verify that the problem is caused by a power supply that can't deliver enough power to the graphics card, there is a software-based workaround that limits the available power to the graphics card.

Limiting the power means that the graphics card will run slower and rendering will take longer. However, this is sometimes the only workaround if you are unable to replace the power supply.

To get started, please download and install MSI Afterburner via the Downloads tab on this page:

• External Link: MSI Afterburner

1.3: Start MSI Afterburner and click on the Settings button:


1.4: Please tick the following boxes in the Settings menu if they are not already ticked and click OK:

1.5: When prompted to restart the PC, please click OK to go ahead.

1.6: After restarting the PC, MSI Afterburner should now be running in the task tray.
Please click on the icon below to open the MSI Afterburner window again:



1.7: Try to set the Power limit to 50% and click on the tick button to accept the changes:

 

1.8: Please save all files in all open applications to prevent data loss if the PC still restarts while rendering in Lumion.

1.9: Start Lumion and load one of the Lumion Example Projects. 

1.10: Add one of the Styles, for example, the Realistic Style, to a Photo or Clip and then render a Print or Poster resolution image to check if the PC restarts.

1.11: If it works at 50%, we recommend that you test higher Power limit values to find the 'sweet spot', for example 60%, 70%, 80% and 90%.

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Why has my material got a red tint?

 

1. Here's why

You are using version 11.0 or earlier through to version 6.5.  Version 11.3 changes the tinting.

Certain old grayscale or black & white textures are incompatible with Lumion.

Incompatible textures are tinted with a red color in Lumion.

The reason they are incompatible is that they were saved as 8-bit grayscale images with 256 levels ranging from black to white.

1.1: To resolve this problem you will need to convert the original texture to an RGB image in an image editor such as Adobe Photoshop:

 

1.2: Save the texture, re-apply it to the surface in your modeling software and then re-import the model in Lumion - or add the texture directly to the Color Map slot of a Standard Material:

 

 

Applies to:

• Versions 6.5 to 11.0.

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Why have you not received your Lumion Pro Student?

We don't know but let's get it sorted.

 

When you try to apply or re-apply for the Lumion Pro Student you get this message from SheerID who administers the student application process for us in some regions:

the offer has already been redeemed

but you have no email and your License Key is expiring soon or has already expired!

 

You can contact our support to resolve this message by clicking on this Contact Us button:

Contact Us

 

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Why have your trees and plants changed color in Lumion 9.5 and older versions?

 

1. Here's why

The Autumn Colors Effect will override the tree and plant colors in all other modes if you click on a Photo slot or Clip with that effect, or if Lumion renders a Photo slot or a Clip with the Autumn Colors Effect.

This is a technical constraint as Lumion does not store a copy of the tree and plant colors in each mode.

 

 

2. Workaround

2.1: Adjust the tree and plant colors as desired in Build Mode.

2.2: Assign an Autumn Colors Effect to an unused Photo slot or Clip, but do not adjust the sliders in the effect:

 

2.3: Then click on that Photo slot or Clip before returning to Build Mode.

When you assign the Autumn Colors Effect to a Photo slot or Clip you are saving a snapshot of the current tree and plant colors which can be loaded again any time you click on the Photo slot or Clip.

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Why is the Download Manager not working?

 

Note: This article mostly applies to Lumion 12.0.2 and older versions.

For Lumion 12.3 and newer versions, please see these articles which address issues using the Installer:

• Knowledge Base: How do you resolve Installer (v2) problems - Download issues?
• Knowledge Base: How do you resolve Installer (v2) problems - Installation issues?
• Knowledge Base: How do you resolve Installer (v2) problems - Installation file issues?
• Knowledge Base: How do you resolve Installer (v2) problems - Other Installation issues?

If you are having problems with the Updater once Lumion has been installed then see Section 7 in this article:

• Knowledge Base:  How does the Updater for Lumion work?

1. Here's how to resolve the most common download problems

If the Download Manager does not start downloading Lumion, gets stuck, or displays an error message (for example "Access denied" or "Downloading setup failed"), please go through the following checklist:

1.1: The first step is to download the Download Manager again via the Download link in your Lumion Account:

• Knowledge Base: Download Lumion or Lumion Pro

1.2: Then make sure you have at least the required free disk space on the drive that you are downloading Lumion to.  See this article for file space requirements:

• Knowledge Base:  What file space do I need to download and install Lumion?

1.3: Please move the Download Manager to the Desktop before running it. Do not run it on a network drive or in a folder that is being backed up regularly by backup/cloud backup software, e.g. OneDrive, GDrive, or DropBox.

1.4: Make sure that you have got administrator privileges when you run the Download Manager (Right-click on the Download Manager and select Run as Administrator):

 

1.5: Right-click on the folder that the Download Manager is located in, select Properties, click on the Security tab, then select the 'user name' User (not the SYSTEM or Administrators) and make sure that the following permissions are ticked:

 

1.6: Please make sure that your firewall, router, anti-virus and security software are not preventing the Download Manager from accessing the following domains via port 80 (HTTP):

• product-download-storage.lumion3d.net
• downloadmanager.lumion3d.net

1.7: Please make sure that the anti-virus and security software on your PC is not preventing the Download Manager from opening and saving required files.  To do so, you will need to add an exclusion for:

1.7.1: The Download Manager file, usually named: 'Lumion_[version]_Download.exe', for example   'Lumion_12_3_Download.exe'.

1.7.2: The folder that you have saved the Download Manager file to if that is not the Windows default Downloads folder or the Windows Desktop folder.

See this article:

• Knowledge Base:  How do you resolve anti-virus and firewall problems?

1.8: Please make sure that the folder that the Download Manager is located in is not being backed up regularly by backup/cloud backup software, e.g. OneDrive, GDrive, or DropBox.

1.9: If the problem persists after moving the Download Manager to the Desktop, then try these steps:

1.10: If the Download Manager requests an Activation Code when you run it, please double-check that you have only copied the characters in the Activation Code from the Getting started with Lumion email, and not any spaces or other characters.

Example email for Lumion 12:

 

1.11: Lumion 10 and older versions only: Please also make sure that your anti-virus or security software is not preventing the Download Manager from creating a Lumion_VERSION folder in the folder below and from saving '.BINPART' files in this folder:

• Drive:\ ... Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\

1.12: Lumion 10 and older versions only: Please make sure that the folder below is not being backed up regularly by backup/cloud backup software, e.g. OneDrive, GDrive, or DropBox.

• Drive:\ ... Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Lumion_VERSION

 

2. What if that does not resolve the problem?

If it still isn't working it means that the security and or permissions settings on your computer and/or network are so strict that the Installer or Download Manager can't complete the operation.

2.1: If so, we recommend that you download the installation files on a network with less restrictive security settings (for example at home), and then transfer the installation files to your office.

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Why is the Landscape Grass not visible in the distance?

1. Here's why

If you set the camera Focal Length to a high value and the Grass size slider value to a low value, you might sometimes notice that the Landscape Grass disappears at a certain distance from the camera:

 

In other words: Landscape Grass does not cover the whole Scene.

This is by design as it would be too complex and time-consuming to render.

The Landscape Grass is only rendered on surfaces that use the Landscape Material inside a limited circular area as measured from the camera position.

The Landscape Grass is designed so that it gets shorter and shorter as it reaches the border of the grassy circle that surrounds the camera.  Eventually, it is so short that it blends in with the area outside the grassy circle.

1.1: Please note that the grassy circle is bigger when you render a Photo or a Clip, compared to when you preview the Landscape Grass in Build, Movie, and Photo Mode.

To preview the Landscape Grass in Build, Movie, and Photo Mode, so that the size of the grassy circle matches that of a Photo or in a Clip, you must turn on Enable high quality trees (editor) on the Settings screen. Alternatively, press the F9 key to turn it on:

 

 

2. Workaround

The size of the grassy circle that surrounds the camera mainly depends on the Grass size slider value:

 

Examples:

• Grass size slider = 1.0: The radius of the Landscape Grass circle is about 95 meters.
• Grass size slider = 0.2: The radius of the Landscape Grass circle is about 18 meters.

2.1: In other words, you need to set the Grass size slider to a high value to make the Landscape Grass fade out farther away from the camera.

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Why is the MaterialID output image not rendered at full Print & Poster resolution in Lumion 8.0 and older versions?

 

1. Here's why

Lumion 8.3 and newer: You do not need to read this article as it does not apply to newer versions of Lumion.

Lumion 8.0 and older: The MaterialID output image is rendered at a lower resolution on Print and Poster renderings in Lumion 8.0 and older versions.

This is due to a technical constraint as Print and Poster images are rendered in a different way in older versions of Lumion.

 

2. Workaround

2.1: If MaterialID output images in Print or Poster resolution are important in your project and you are using Lumion 8.0, we recommend rendering the MaterialID output image in Ultra HD (3840x2160) output resolution via the Image sequence tab.

This is the same resolution as Print resolution in Photo Mode. Please note that the Ultra HD output resolution requires a graphics card with 6GB memory (or more).

Render Clip (or Render Movie) -> Image Sequence tab -> Frame Range -> Range

 

2.2: If MaterialID output images are vital for editing a Poster resolution image in your project and you can't upgrade to Lumion 8.3 or newer, consider enlarging the Ultra HD MaterialID output image:

Knowledge Base: How do you render images at a higher resolution than Poster renderings?

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Why is the MyLumion project you uploaded not loading?

 

1. Here's why

1.1: MyLumion functionality and your uploaded MyLumion Panoramas are not accessible if you access the internet via a proxy server.

Please click on the following link to check if you are accessing the internet via a proxy server:

• External Link: Am I behind a proxy?

If so, please ask your IT administrator to disable the proxy server if you would like to use the MyLumion functionality.

1.2: Please ensure that Lumion is allowed to access the following domains in your firewall/network/anti-virus software:

• Knowledge Base: Which domains and ports does Lumion need access to?

 

 

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Why is the Raytracing Effect blocked on my PC?

 

1. Here's why

1.1:  You need a Ray Tracing capable graphics card:

The Ray Tracing Effect requires a real-time ray tracing capable graphics card. Most of the graphics cards released after 2018 should include this feature. If your graphics card is mentioned in section 1.6 of the article below, then you should be able to use the Ray Tracing Effect :

• Knowledge Base:  Which graphics card do you need for Lumion 2024?

1.2:  Windows Updates are recent:

Windows must meet at least minimum requirements, preferably with all updates successfully installed.  See the Note in section 1 of this article:

• Knowledge Base:  What kind of computer does Lumion 2024 need?

 

2. What happens if the Ray Tracing Effect does not work?

Your workflow will only allow for rasterization-based renderings using similar technology to Lumion 12.5 and older. Ray tracing capable graphics cards are not a requirement to use Lumion. Any graphics card that meets the minimum requirements will be able to run the software.

• Lumion Website: System requirements

Once applied, the Ray Tracing Effect will be blocked and a message will appear saying: 'Your GPU does not support Ray Tracing'.

 

 

See Also:

• Knowledge Base: How do you use the Ray Tracing Effect?

 

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Why is the Sun Study Effect or Sky and Clouds Effect not working?

You added a Sun Study Effect and/or a Sky and Clouds Effect to a Photo, Clip, or 360 Panorama and you notice that the Effect is not active.  It has been disabled.

If you are also using Real Skies then you will get this message - "Effect is blocked by another Effect": 

 

 

Lumion will automatically check to see if Real Skies is in use.  If it is, then the Sun Study Effect or the Sun Effect cannot be used in combination with Real Skies.

 

Here's how to Enable the Effects:

1. Real Skies is being used in Weather Mode

​

Setting the Reals Skies button to Off will allow the Sun Study Effect and/or a Sky and Clouds Effect to be active/enabled.

 

2. The Real Skies Effect is used in the Entire Movie

The Real Skies Effect, can also be added to the Entire Movie, and so you need to decide if you want it there or to have the Real Skies Effect in specific Clips when you want to also use the Sun Study Effect or Sky and Clouds Effect.

 

3. The Real Skies Effect is used in an Effect Stack

If the Real Skies Effect is in the Effect Stack for the current Clip then it will also block the Sun Study Effect and/or the Sky and Clouds Effect.

The Real Skies Effect in Build Mode, Photo Mode or Movie Mode takes precedence (has priority), and is the active Effect when using those Effects.

​

Simply turn off the Real Skies Effect:

  

4. The Real Skies Effect is being used with the Sun Effect 

See this article:

• Knowledge Base:  How do you change the Sun Effect settings when you use the Real Sky Effect? 

 

About Real Skies:

The reason for this is that Real Skies is a special type of photo of a real sky as compared to a Lumion generated sun, or sky, or clouds for the environment done by the Sun Effect or Sky and Clouds Effect.  Real Skies have fixed locations for the clouds and sun, so the other Effects should not try affecting the results of the Real Skies Effect.

 

See Also:

• Knowledge Base:  How do you animate the sun?

 

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Why is the camera moving randomly or always forward or frozen?

1. Identify the cause of the problem

There are two different causes, depending on the symptoms you are experiencing.

Symptom A: 

• You are unable to move and/or rotate the camera by holding down the right mouse button while moving the mouse.
• The camera is always moving forward.  When you press the hotkey S or Arrow Down the camera stops moving.
• However, you can still click on all buttons and sliders in Lumion.
  
  Please see solution A below to resolve this problem.

or...

Symptom B:

• You are unable to rotate the camera by holding down the right mouse button while moving the mouse and you can't click on certain buttons/sliders. This problem affects Lumion 6 or newer after a file dialog window has been displayed in Lumion.
  
  Please see solution B below to resolve this problem.

 

2. Solution A:

2.1: An external USB or Bluetooth input device such as a joystick, tablet pen or a game controller (e.g. Xbox) is interfering with the navigation controls in Lumion.

Please disconnect those input devices and check if the problem has been resolved.

If you're using a Leap Motion device, you must unplug it and restart Windows.

2.2: If the Enable Tablet Input toggle button on the Settings screen is turned on, please turn it off if you are not using a tablet pen.

 

Old versions:

 

2.3: vJoy, an flight simulator utility application, is sending incorrect DirectX controller data to other applications such as Lumion. To disable it, please open vJoyConf.exe in the vJoy installation folder and uncheck 'Enable vJoy'. The default location is:

• c:\Program Files\vJoy\vJoyConf.exe

 

2.4: Check if there is some other game controller software still installed and working on the PC.  It might be interfering with mouse and keyboard events that Lumion needs.

2.5:  Check the Camera Input in the Settings > Input screen if you have selected one of the other Camera Input methods.  And it does not support use of the right-mouse button or controls the screen differently to that of Lumion.  Select the Lumion option.

 

2.6: If the problem persists, please contact us and send us a System Information Log so we can check the software environment on your PC and look for applications that might be causing this:

• Knowledge Base: How do you generate a Microsoft System Information report?

Contact Us

 

3. Solution B:

If the problem persists and it started occurring after the 24th of October 2019, it might be due to a rare error which is caused by a recent update in Microsoft Office. The symptom is that you are unable to rotate the camera and/or can't click on certain buttons/sliders in Lumion 6 or newer after a file dialog window has been displayed in Lumion.

3.1: Please follow the instructions in section 2 in the following article to resolve the problem:

• Knowledge Base: What do you do if Lumion does not respond to mouse-clicks?

3.2: If the problem persists, please contact us:

Contact Us

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Why is there no Sound/Music in your rendered MP4 video?

 

The Student/Educational version has a licensing restriction in the music/sound encoder for the MP4 format.  

As such Lumion needs to render your Movie or Clip using MP2 and not the normal MP3 sound encoder for MP4 videos.
 
If the video player on your PC does not support MP2 playback, then the sound will not be heard.

The Commercial and Trial versions are not affected by this restriction.

These PC media players are not playing the MP2 track, as of August 2024:

• Windows Films & TV.
• Windows Media Player (including legacy player).

Your video sound/music should play correctly with VLC.

 

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Why is there only a 'Load project...' button on the screen when Lumion starts up?

 

1. Here's why

If you see this button after starting up Lumion, it means that it has started up in Viewer Mode instead of in Editor Mode.

If you click on the button, you can load a scene file which can be inspected without distracting user interface elements on the screen.

There will be no tool bar, or Lumion editor interface on the screen.

 

2. How do you make Lumion 8 and newer start up in Editor Mode instead of in Viewer Mode?

Lumion 5, 6 and 7: Please read section 3 below.

If you have double-clicked on Lumion.exe in the Lumion 8+ installation folder (or on a shortcut to this file), and it still starts up in Viewer Mode, it means that Lumion does not have access to all files during start-up.

This is usually caused by anti-virus/firewall/security software on the PC which is preventing Lumion from reading all files in the installation folder.

2.1: To proceed, please follow step 1.1 and 1.3 in this article:

• Knowledge Base: How do you resolve anti-virus and firewall problems?

2.2: If the problem persists, please send the items below to us:

• A screencapture of the installation files (.BIN for versions up to 11.3, .00x from 11.3 and newer) with the file size displayed.
• A screencapture of the contents of the following installation folder:
  Lumion (Version)\ArchitectEdition\Classes\RenderEngine
• Write "Viewer Mode error" in your message to us.

Contact Us

 

3. How do you make Lumion 5, 6 and 7 start up in Editor Mode instead of in Viewer Mode?

Lumion 8 and newer: Please read section 2 above.

Lumion will start up in Viewer Mode if Lumion 5, 6 or 7 is installed and you double-click on an .LS5, .LS6 or .LS7 scene file. This is by design.

3.1: To start Lumion 5, 6 or 7 in Editor Mode, you should double-click on Lumion.exe in the Lumion installation folder (or on a shortcut to this file). Alternatively, select the Lumion 5/6/7 icon in the Windows Start menu.

3.2: If you have double-clicked on Lumion.exe in the Lumion 5/6/7 installation folder (or on a shortcut to this file), and it still starts up in Viewer Mode, please follow the instructions in step 2.1 and 2.2 above.

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Why is your CPU (processor) score low in the Lumion Benchmark test?

 

 

1. Check your CPU (Processor) speeds

Most modern CPUs (processors) have a base speed and a boost speed measured in GHz (Giga Hertz).

1.1: The first step is to double-check that your CPU (processor) meets or exceeds the minimum requirement in the table on this page:

• Lumion website: System Requirements for Lumion

 

2. Background processes & applications may have an impact

If there's a lot of CPU activity in the background during the Benchmark test, it will affect the CPU score significantly. For example if you try to run the Benchmark test when Windows hasn't finished booting yet. Also, anti-virus software might be scanning your harddrive in the background.

2.1: To be sure that the CPU activity isn't affecting your score(s), please right-click on the Windows task bar -> Task Manager -> Processes tab:

 

2.2: Then click on the CPU column so the most demanding processes are at the top:

 

2.3: If there are any non-essential applications that are using more than, say, 4-5%, please close them - or wait for them to finish before starting the Benchmark test.

 

3. Laptops sometimes throttle the CPU speed

3.1: Make sure that the laptop is plugged in to a mains power socket. Running the laptop PC off battery power will make it switch to a slower CPU speed.

3.2: Type 'Edit power plan' in the Windows search field in the lower left corner and press Enter. Then click on 'Change advanced power settings and make sure that the power plan is set to Balanced or Performance'.

3.3: On some laptop PCs, the manufacturer has installed third party software that adjusts the power for the CPU. Please make sure that this software is disabled while running the test.

 

4. Check if Intel SpeedStep is running

Some PCs include Intel Speedstep functionality which will make the CPU run slower when speed is not needed. The CPU Benchmark test in Lumion runs for just a few seconds, so it's possible that the Intel SpeedStep function does not even bother to switch to a higher CPU clock frequency during the test.

4.1: Please click here and follow the instructions to temporarily disable Intel Speedstep and then run the Benchmark test again.

 

 

5. Run other benchmark tests to double-check the CPU speed

As the Lumion Benchmark test is very quick and superficial, we recommend that you test your PC with much more accurate benchmark utilities to see if it is underperforming or not.

5.1: Try running PassMark Performance Test in order to compare the results to PCs with similar configurations.

 

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Why is your Graphics Card Score low in the Lumion Benchmark test?

 

 

1. Check if your graphics card meets or exceeds the minimum requirement

1.1: The first step is to double-check that your graphics card meets or exceeds the minimum requirements:

• Knowledge Base: Which graphics card do you need?

 

2. Make sure that the latest updates are installed

2.1: The next step is to make sure that the latest graphics card driver and all available Windows updates are installed:

• Knowledge Base: How do you install the latest system software required to run Lumion?

 

 

3. Check that your PC is using the right graphics card

If you are using a laptop PC, it is possible that it has two graphics cards: a fast one and a slow one.

3.1: Please follow the instructions below to make sure that Lumion uses the fast graphics card. Laptop PCs should also be plugged in instead of using the battery in order to ensure that the best benchmark results are achieved:

• Knowledge Base: Why is your computer using an Intel HD graphics chip instead of the dedicated graphics card?

 

4. Check the cables when using two monitors

4.1: If your computer has two graphics cards (e.g. a fast one and a slow one) and it is connected to 2 monitors, you need to make sure that the Lumion window starts up on the monitor that is (physically) connected to the fast graphics card with a cable.

It will not switch to the fast graphics card if you start Lumion on the monitor that is connected to the slow graphics card. 

Please note that you can't just move the window over to that monitor - the Lumion window has to start up on it. Otherwise, Lumion will use the slower graphics card.

 

Alternatively, move both monitor cables to the fastest graphics card if it supports two monitors.

 

5. Make sure that 'G-SYNC' is turned off

5.1: If your computer has an NVIDIA graphics card that supports 'G-SYNC', please right-click on the Desktop, select 'NVIDIA Control Panel', click on 'Set up G-SYNC' and make sure that 'Enable G-SYNC' is turned Off:

 

 

6. Run other benchmark tests

6.1: As the Lumion Benchmark test is very quick and superficial, we recommend that you test your PC with much more accurate benchmark utilities to see if it is underperforming or not.

A couple of examples are PassMark Performance Test and 3DMark Basic Edition (scroll to the bottom of that page for Time Spy).  Once you've got those benchmark results, you can compare them to PCs with similar configurations.

 

 

7. What does the Benchmark test measure?

Lumion 8.0 and newer:

The Graphics Card Score provides a rough indication of how fast it will render movies. It is (mostly) unaffected by CPU activity in the background during the Benchmark test. However, if the CPU (Processor) activity is 100% while you run the Lumion Benchmark test, the Graphics Card Score may be up to 15% lower.

To be sure that the CPU activity isn't affecting your score(s), please follow these instructions:

• Knowledge Base article: Why is your CPU (processor) score low in the Lumion Benchmark test?

Lumion 7.5 and older:

The Graphics Card Score only provides a rough indication of the expected real-time performance, i.e. not how fast it will render movies. If there is a lot of CPU activity in the background during the Benchmark test, it will affect the Graphics Card Score (and the CPU Score) significantly. An example is if you try to run the Benchmark test when Windows hasn't finished booting yet. Also, anti-virus software might be scanning your harddrive in the background.

To be sure that the CPU activity isn't affecting your score(s), please follow these instructions:

• Knowledge Base article: Why is your CPU (processor) score low in the Lumion Benchmark test?

 

8. Check Nvidia Control Panel settings

For Nvidia users:

8.1: Right-click on your desktop and select Nvidia Control Panel. Navigate to 3D Settings -> Manage 3D Settings -> Global Settings tab.

8.2: Make sure the 'Max Frame Rate' and 'Vertical Sync' are Off and rerun the Benchmark test. If the test shows the same results, reset the 3D Settings to default by clicking 'Restore'. Then, disable 'Max Frame Rate' and 'Vertical Sync' again in the Global Settings.

 

8.3: Ensure that the same ('Max Frame Rate' and 'Vertical Sync') are Off in the Program Settings tab with Lumion selected from the drop-down list.

 

9. Ensure the PCIe cable connections are correct

For users with integrated graphics in their processor:

9.1: Certain processors benefit from integrated graphics that can carry a signal to the monitor. Intel processor that have the extensions 'X' or 'KF' (eg: i9-10900X or i5-9600KF) generally do not have integrated graphics. AMD marks their processors equipped with integrated graphics with the letter 'G'.

9.2: On occasion, when building a new machine, it can happen that the power supply cable(s) are not correctly connected to the graphics card.

 

9.3: When that happens, the motherboard may read the graphics card connected to the PCIe x16 or x8 slot and report it in the Benchmark but with a lower score. Make sure that the power cables are connected to the graphics card before running the Benchmark.

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Why is your computer using an integrated graphics chip instead of the dedicated graphics card?

1. Here's why

Some PCs have two graphics cards: a low perofrmance Intel or AMD onboard/integrated graphics chip and a faster NVIDIA or AMD graphics card. 

     

1. Make sure that you have got a compatible graphics card

1.1: Click here to find out if your PC has got an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card.

1.2: Click here to see how many PassMark points your graphics card has got.

• Lumion 10.0 and newer: If it has got at least the minimum required PassMark points and graphics card memory - and Lumion crashes or exhibits artifacts - it might be because the PC is using the slow Intel HD graphics chip in Lumion.
• Lumion 9.5 and older: If it has got at least 2,000 PassMark points and at least 2 GB memory - and Lumion crashes or exhibits artifacts - it might be because the PC is using the slow Intel HD graphics chip in Lumion.
  
  

2.  Check these important settings:

2.1:  Is Lumion open on the correct monitor?

It is very important that the Lumion window is only ever placed on the monitor that is connected to the fast NVIDIA/AMD graphics card.

This might occur where the PC (desktop or laptop) has separate video output sockets (1 for the Intel HD chip and 1 or more for the NVIDIA/AMD graphics card) and you connect these sockets to separate monitors.

If the Lumion window is running on the monitor that is connected to the Intel HD chip, you should move the window to the monitor that's connected to the fast NVIDIA/AMD graphics card, and quit and restart Lumion.

2.2:  Laptop
If it is a laptop PC, please also make sure that it is plugged into a power socket, rather than using the battery.

2.3: If the problem persists, quit Lumion and follow the instructions in the sections below.

 

3. NVIDIA graphics cards

3.1: Option A

1. Right-click on the desktop and choose NVIDIA Control Panel.
2. Manage 3D Settings -> Program Settings tab -> Add -> Locate Lumion.exe in the folder you installed Lumion in (usually in C:\Program Files\Lumion [Version])
3. Select the preferred graphics processor for this program -> High-performance NVIDIA processor and start Lumion again.
4. Repeat these steps for every Windows account that is in use on this PC.

 

 

3.2: Option B

1. Open the folder you installed Lumion in, for example, C:\Program Files\Lumion (Version).
2. Right-click on Lumion (or Lumion.exe).
3. The Windows menu should show the option 'Run with graphics processor'.
4. Select 'High-performance NVIDIA processor' if there are two active graphics systems running on the PC.

 

 

4. AMD graphics cards

4.1: Right-click empty space on the Desktop. 

4.2: From the menu select AMD Catalyst Control Center or AMD Radeon Settings - depending on what's available.

4.3: Follow the instructions on the following AMD web page in order to set Lumion.exe to 'High Performance', so that the fast AMD graphics card is used:

• External Link: Configuring Laptop Switchable Graphics on a Windows® Based System

4.4: Start Lumion.

 

5. Verify that Lumion is using the fast NVIDIA or AMD graphics card

After making the change to the dedicated NVIDIA/AMD graphics card, Lumion may sometimes still display the Intel HD graphics chip on the Benchmark results screen. You can safely ignore this.

5.1: However, once you have run the Benchmark test again, the score should now be significantly higher which will indicate that the correct graphics card is used.

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Why is your model being clipped in front of the camera?

 

1. Here's why

If you place two surfaces close to each other in a 3D scene, there is a risk that they start flickering, especially when the camera is positioned high above the surfaces.

This is due to limited accuracy in the so-called depth buffer of the graphics card.

Lumion automatically reduces the risk of flickering by increasing the Near Camera Clip Plane distance as you move the camera further up, above the Lumion terrain.

As the Near Camera Clip Plane distance increases, the depth buffer accuracy improves, and the flickering stops.

This works well in the majority of Scenes, but not for Scenes with skyscrapers for example, or Scenes in which an imported terrain and buildings are high above the Lumion Terrain. The moment the camera gets close to a model which is high above the Lumion Terrain, you'll notice that the Near Camera Clip Plane is clipping the model.

 

2. How do you prevent it from happening?

2.1: To prevent this from occurring in Build Mode, you either have to move the model closer to the Lumion Terrain by following these instructions:

• Knowledge Base: Why is your model far away from where you place it?

2.2: Or, temporarily lock the models in your scene (click here to see how). And then raise the Lumion Terrain below the model, so that the vertical distance between the model and the Lumion Terrain is as small as possible.

2.3: If you can't move the model closer to the Lumion Terrain (or the Lumion Terrain closer to the model), you can reduce the clipping distance in Photo or Movie Modes by adding a Near Clip Plane Effect to your Clips or Photos:

 

2.4: The final step is to lower the Near Clip Plane slider value. Just bear in mind that doing so will make surfaces that overlap, or are close to each other flicker again, particularly far away from the camera.

 

 

See Also:

• Video Tutorial: Effects: The Near Clip Plane Effect

 

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Why is your model far away from where you place it?

1. Here's why

When you import your model and place it in the Scene, it will sometimes end up being far away from the Placement Point.

In this example, the model is high up because it has a height far from the world center (0, 0, 0) in your CAD software or 3D modeling software.

 

 

2. How do you move the model closer to the Placement Point?

2.1: To move the model closer to the Placement Point, you need to move the model as close to the world center (0,0,0) as possible in your CAD or 3D modeling software.

Here's how to do that in some popular 3D/CAD applications:

• Knowledge Base: Step 3.2 in Model import guidelines for SketchUp
• Knowledge Base: Step 5.1 in Model import guidelines for Revit and Revit LT
• Knowledge Base: Step 4.1 in Model import guidelines for ArchiCAD
• Knowledge Base: Step 5.1 in Model import guidelines for Autodesk AutoCAD
• Knowledge Base: Step 4.2 in Model import guidelines for Rhino

Other 3D/CAD apps are listed in the article below:

• Knowledge Base: Import & Export Questions

2.2: Once you have adjusted the model position in your CAD or 3D modelling software, simply re-import the model in Lumion. It will now be closer to the Placement Point.

 

3. What if you can't adjust the position of the model in your CAD or 3D modeling software?

3.1: The easiest way is to type in a position that will bring the model closer to the desired position in your Scene. Here's how:

• Knowledge Base: How do you type in position coordinates for an object?

3.2: Please note that the Object Icon might be far away from the model. Although it is still visible, it might be harder to locate and select it in some views if it's far below the Lumion Terrain.

3.3: After adjusting the position, it is usually best to lock the model so you do not accidentally move and re-position it. Here's how:

• Knowledge Base: How do you prevent models from moving while you edit the terrain?

3.4: See the note at the end of this article.

 

4. Create a Group for the Model (Lumion 11+):

You can create a Group of that model and change the Group icon position.  This has the effect of creating a new 'pivot' point that you can use like the Placement Point to move or rotate the model.

Follow these steps:

1. Add any other Object next to your Imported Model and select both items.

2. Click Add Current Selection to Group.

​

3. After the Objects are Grouped, click Edit Group.

​

4. You will now be able to move the Group icon freely. This point works the same as an insertion point.

​

When you are done repositioning the Group icon, you can delete the other added Object.

 

Note:

If you use the methods in sections 3 or 4 then you must still make sure that the distance between the Placement Point (Insertion Point) is still not very far from the world center as that would still cause problems with the calculations needed to determine where surfaces are in the Scene.  In other words, wherever possible try using the steps in section 2.

 

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Why is your model invisible or black after importing it?

 

1. Here's why

1.1. Make sure that your model is close to 0,0,0 in your 3D/CAD software before you import the model in Lumion.

1.2. If the problem persists, something on your PC is most likely preventing Lumion from saving the Imported Model files to Documents/Lumion (VERSION)/Library. Please follow these instructions to resolve the problem:

• Knowledge Base: Why does Lumion need access to your computer's Documents folder?

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Why might Lumion not open or displays an error when you load, save or overwrite a Project file?

 

1. Here's why

• If Lumion crashes or displays an error while loading an .LS Project file, it usually means that the .LS Project file has been corrupted due to a save error. Unfortunately, there is no way to recover data from a corrupted .LS Project file. In older versions of Lumion, you may also notice that the .LS Project file is empty, i.e. that the file size is 0 KB.
• If Lumion displays an error while saving or overwriting an .LS Project file, it usually means that something on the PC is preventing the save/overwrite operation. 

There are several potential causes for these errors:

1.1: Lack of disk space on the harddrive or network drive that you saved the .LS Project file to.

1.2: Lack of disk space on the harddrive or network drive that your Windows User Account or Documents folder is located on.

1.3: Lack of Virtual Memory, i.e. swap space on the harddrive when Windows runs out of Graphics Card Memory and System Memory.

1.4: Overzealous anti-virus software that prevents Lumion from saving the file correctly.

1.5: Saving Lumion .LS Project files directly to cloud back-up folders, e.g. OneDrive. The back-up software might 'lock' the file before Lumion is done saving it which can result in file corruption.

1.6: Saving Lumion .LS Project files to a network drive. If the connection drops out while saving the file, the file can become corrupted.

1.7: Lack of Windows permissions. For example if the Windows User Account is a 'Standard' account instead of an 'Administrator' account.

 

Important:

Do not save a Project in an older Lumion version.

LS Project files are specific to the version of Lumion you create the file in.  

Projects and models saved in your current version should not be opened in an older version of Lumion.  For example: you use Lumion version 12.5 and have saved the Project before in version 12.5.  Do not try opening and then after some changes, save that Project in an older version for example 12.3.

 

2. Recommendations

To prevent save errors, we recommend that you follow these instructions:

2.1: Verify that there is plenty of free space on the harddrive/network drive that you are saving the file to (minimum 30 GB when working on complex projects).

2.2: Verify that there is a minimum of 30 GB of free space on the harddrive/network drive that the following folders are located on:

• Lumion 8.5 and older: (DRIVE):\...Documents\Lumion (VERSION)
• Lumion 9.0 and newer: (DRIVE):\...Users\(USERNAME)\AppData\Local\Lumion (VERSION)

Examples:

• Lumion 8.5: C:\Users\Username\Documents\Lumion 8.0
• Lumion 11.0: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Lumion 11.0

2.3: If you are working on complex Projects, for example Project file sizes in excess of 4 GB, please increase the amount of Virtual Memory to at least 100000 MB (100 GB).

Project file sizes between 1.5 GB and 4 GB will require that you increase the amount of Virtual Memory to at least 50000 MB (50 GB):

• Knowledge Base: How do you change the amount of Virtual Memory in Windows?

2.4: Please follow the instructions in step 1.1 and 1.3 in the article below to add an exclusion for Lumion to your security software:

• Knowledge Base: How do you resolve anti-virus and firewall problems?

2.5: Save .LS Project files to a local harddrive first. You can then move the files to a network drive or to a cloud back-up folder/service when Lumion is done saving the files.

2.6: Make sure that back-up/cloud back-up software is not backing up files in the destination folder that you are saving the .LS Project files in. Back-up/cloud back-up software should also not back up files in the following folder/sub-folders while Lumion is in use:

• • Lumion 8.5 and older: (DRIVE):\...Documents/Lumion (VERSION)
  • Lumion 9.0 and newer: (DRIVE):\...Users\(USERNAME)\AppData\Local\Lumion (VERSION)

  Examples:

  • Lumion 8.5: C:\Users\Username\Documents\Lumion 8.0
  • Lumion 11.0: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Lumion 11.0

2.7: Verify that the Windows User Account type is an Administrator account. If it is a Standard account, please click on the link below and follow the instructions to change it to an Administrator account:

• External Link: How to change a Windows 10 user account type

 

3. Checking for save errors

Lumion 9.0 and newer: If a save error is detected, you will see a pop-up error message that describes the cause of the save error. You do not need to read the rest of this section. Please continue with section 4 below.

Lumion 8.3-8.5: These versions of Lumion include a different file verification check when saving .LS Scene files. If a save error is detected, you will see the error message on the screenshot below.



3.1:  If you move the mouse cursor to the red X, a tooltip will show you what the error code is. The full list of error codes is available here.

3.2: If you can get it to save the .LS8 Scene file incorrectly again in Lumion 8.3 and 8.5, please contact us and let us know what the error code is.

Contact Us

 

4. Recovery of the Project/Scene file in Lumion 9.0 and newer versions

If your PC crashes or Lumion 9.0 or newer is not closed correctly while you are working on a Project/Scene, you might be able to restore the Project/Scene the next time you start Lumion again.

4.1: If a Recovery File is available, Lumion will offer you the choice to restore it when starting up Lumion again.

Note: you need to start Lumion via the Windows Start Menu or a shortcut so that Lumion can present the Recovery screen when it is opening.  Do not try opening the LS Project file via Windows File Explorer.

The file is located in:

DRIVE:\ ... Users\(USERNAME)\AppData\Local\Lumion (VERSION)\Recovery

 

 

5. Recovery of the Scene file in Lumion 8.5 and older versions

It is not possible to fix a corrupted Scene file, so your only option is to try to locate an older version:

5.1: Please right-click on the .LS Scene file and select Restore previous versions to see if an older version exists.:

5.2: Check if there are any older versions available elsewhere on your harddrive or network drive.

5.3: Check if you have any back-ups of the .LS Scene file (via cloud back-up or file synchronization software).

 

See also:

• Knowledge Base: Does Lumion save back-ups of Projects and Imported Model files?
• Knowledge Base: Why does Lumion need access to your computer's Documents folder?

 

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Your Guide to Learning Lumion

Model and Scene designed by Kenta Miyakawa, 2023 Competition winner

 

Welcome to Lumion.

A. Built-In Tutorials 

B. Using the Example Projects 

C. Learning to use Keyboard Shortcuts 

D: Learning Pathways

E. Learn from our Video Tutorials 

F. Learning and Practicing the Art of Visualization and Rendering 

G. Making use of the extensive Knowledge Base 

H. Access our Resources section 

I. Access External Tutorials 

 

There are varied ways for you to learn Lumion.

We believe that you can learn to master Lumion easily and quickly. Mastering rendering for visualization is both an art and a skill learned from doing and applying creativity.  

You know your design, client, subject, and visualization outcomes. Let Lumion put those together for you as you learn and practice the features, skills, and techniques. 

• Lumion's simplicity makes it easy to be proficient. You can do so by both self-learning and following the guides and tutorials that we have.  And by accessing our extensive, helpful Support channel.

Need formal, instructor-led training:

• We do not keep a list of training organizations. You are welcome to contact our Partner in your region to see if they know of someone who provides training.
• We do not have anything like an A to Z training guide. But do have comprehensive self-learning video tutorials and an extensive, useful Knowledge Base.
• We do have learning resources supported by a highly accessible and responsive Support channel and also helpful Lumion Community. 
  
  
  • • Knowledge Base: How do you get support? 

 

Getting Underway

Here are some suggestions to help you with learning Lumion.

 

A. Built-In Tutorials:

You can start to learn Lumion by either play-and-practice and/or by using the Built-In Tutorials.

1. From the Welcome to Lumion screen, click on the Tutorials and Support (question-mark) button - bottom left of the Main Menu Toolbar to begin your Built-In Tutorial journey:

 

 

 

 

B. Using the Example Projects:

We have nine (9) Example Projects that you can open and learn from.

 

Load each of the Example Projects to see how the Scene is put together and how the different Modes provide easy tools for making static renders, animations, and 360 Panoramas.

In Photo Mode learn how easy it is to render by simply clicking on the Render button.

 

Note the layout and placement of objects. Note the use of Effects, both Custom Effects and the use of Styles in the Effect Stack to control how the final render will look.

You can even make use of them in your Projects by using them as templates (excluding the design model), as a layout, or for re-using the Effects Stacks.

 

C. Learning to use Keyboard Shortcuts:

It's always good to learn some of the ways to use the keyboard for shortcuts and navigation. Lumion makes extensive use of the keyboard to make things quicker for you. 

• Knowledge Base: Keyboard Shortcuts

 

D. Learning Pathways:

The following guides are your umbrella to the features in Lumion.  They also contain useful links to our Knowledge Base articles that go into more depth on a feature.

Each will give you a simple, clear overview and discuss briefly the types of things you can do in Lumion.

• Learning Pathways:  Introduction to Lumion
  Follow this article to learn about the core functionalities of Lumion, the overall workflow, and other essential topics. Ideal for those looking to quickly grasp what Lumion is all about.
  
  
• Learning Pathways:  Importing and Working with 3D Models
  Learn all about importing from your 3D modeling software and explore everything you can do with models in Lumion.
  
  
• Learning Pathways:  Materials Workflow
  Learn all about Materials in Lumion and how to make the best out of all the available settings to enrich the look and feel of textures in your Projects.
  
  
• Learning Pathways:  Content Library
  

  The ever-growing library of optimized models streamlines your Project development with quick access to a diverse range of elements, from Trees and Plants to Furniture, Decoration, Vehicles, and People.

  This article provides a concise overview of Lumion's Library items (Objects) and offers a technical exploration of the available tools for placing and organizing them.

(more on their way)

 

E. Learn from our Video Tutorials:

There is an extensive range of video tutorials.  Here is a suggested starting point.

Video Tutorials Section: Lumion 2024 - Tutorials

• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2024: Feature overview
• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2024: Parallax interiors

 

Video Tutorials Section: Lumion 2023 - Tutorials

• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2023: Welcome to Lumion 2023
• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2023: How to get started with Lumion 2023
• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2023: The Ray Tracing Effect
• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2023: Full PBR Material Workflow
• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2023: Create Ultra Realistic Materials in Lumion

These are focused on visualization solutions for your architectural roles:

• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2023: A guide to creating interiors
• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2023: A guide to creating exteriors
• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 2023: A guide to creating landscapes

 

F. Learning and Practicing the Art of Visualization and Rendering:

Learn and be inspired by user Projects at the Lumion Community:

 

Learn from others on the Lumion website in the series "Made with Lumion":

 

Get useful Tips and Guides:

 

 

G. Making use of the extensive Knowledge Base:

You can search for topics or use the structured sections to find answers to common questions and problems.

Use the Knowledge Base to provide deep learning on specific features and solutions.

 

Use it also daily to locate solutions to any current issue you face. And if you have a question or any issue, big or small, contact us:

Contact Us

 

H. Access our Resources section:

There are some great resources including links to other resources and Lumion user resources such as Effects and sample Projects (for example, the Monishs Scene Packs).

• Lumion Community: Resources

 

 

I. Access External Tutorials:

You can also access some of the YouTube tutorials made by others. The following (although they are unofficial) are suggested:

• External Link: Nuno Silvas tutorials and an online course for Lumion.
• External Link: Lumion Tutorials by The Lumion Collective by Adam Ingram. These give in-depth high levels of expertise focusing on things such as lighting.
• External Link: Luminous Labs - Video Tutorials by Greg Miles. Providing a range of topics and making use of Blender for Lumion.
• External Link: Lumion Tutorials by Architecture Inspirations

Bathroom design by Gui Felix

 

Enjoy learning and using Lumion.

 

---

Your Guide to Learning Lumion - Part 2

follow on KB from

Your Guide to Learning Lumion

https://support.lumion.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404675352978 

 

extending these sections from the smaller, quick overview of the first article

 

View our Video and Blog Tutorials:

There is an extensive range of video tutorials covering all aspects of Lumion.  Here is a suggested starting point.  These videos provide a walkthrough of the key features starting from an empty Scene to making a render:

• Video Tutorial:  Getting Started: Lumion 11 Tutorial
• Video Tutorial:  Learn Lumion 10 in 1 Hour
• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 10: 3D Renders in 3 Minutes

### Blog:

• Blog:  6 steps for a flying start with Lumion (2019 update): [Dec 13, 2019]
• Blog:  Project Breakdown: Countryside Villa from Lumion 10.3: [Apr 20, 2020] or see the Visualization section or ###
• Project Breakdown: Residential Backyard from Lumion 10.5: [Sep 4, 2020]
• Blog:  Step-by-step to quickly create this custom interior style (night update): [Apr 30, 2020]

 

Then follow those with a selection of the Video Tutorials for Lumion 10 - Introduction. 

(Yes, these are the prior version but the foundations are the same.  The interface received some very nice improvements for V11, but as tutorials, you will still learn a lot.)

 

Followed by:

The other Lumion 11 - Tutorials provide for the key new features in-depth.

Include the Lumion 10 - Tutorials for an in-depth of new features in V10.

 

And then (although in V9) go to these for covering all the aspects and features of Lumion:

• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 9 - Tutorials

And to reinforce your learning about features:

• Video Tutorial:  Lumion 9 - Introduction

These also include three valuable Video Tutorials focused on workflows for building a scene and day or night renderings.

 

 

 

Use this Feature List as a checklist for yourself:

• Attachment 1:  Lumion-Overview and Unique Features - Training Directions Guide
• Attachment 2: I Am Able To Checklist

 

Want to focus on a feature?  Then:

 

Use this structured list of tutorials to access the Video and Blog Tutorials:

##### (sep long article linking the articles/links to cover feature-based -so is mixed version, until we have something single version better)

 

Access External Tutorials:

You can also access some of the YouTube tutorials made by others (although they are unofficial).  The following are suggested:

 

• Nuno Silvas tutorials, but who also has an online course for Lumion.
  
  
• Lumion Tutorials by The Lumion Collective by Adam Ingram.  These give in-depth high levels of expertise focusing on things such as lighting
• Luminous Labs - Video Tutorials by Greg Miles.  Providing a range of topics and making use of Blender for Lumion.
• Lumion Tutorials by Architecture Inspirations

 

For example Monishs Scene Packs.

 

Access the Resources section

There are some great resources including links to other resources and Lumion user resources such as Effects and sample Projects.

• Lumion Community: Resources

 

 

A Typical Workflow Learning Approach:

Typically in a working environment, you may do the following main steps to create a visualization:

Design a model - build or landscape, or other

Import that model to Lumion

Change some of the Materials

Create an initial Context for the Design

Update the model in your CAD and in Lumion: iterative

Create some Photos and render those

Create an enhanced view of the 3D world by making a video animation and render

Further Iterative Steps from the above

Finalization Steps:

Finalize the design and lock in the imported model

Finalize the Materials

Finalize Camera views/Photos and render those for the client

Finalize the animation and render

Finalize any enhanced perspectives such as 360 Panoramas and VR

Present to the Client

 

Learning and Practicing the art of Visualization and Rendering:

What Makes a Great Render:

Looking back at beautiful landscape videos made in Lumion 10: [Oct 28, 2020]

Project Breakdown: Countryside Villa from Lumion 10.3: [Apr 20, 2020]

Project Breakdown: Residential Backyard from Lumion 10.5: [Sep 4, 2020]

 

---------------

add in about starting point video tutorials

eg materials 

 

-------

added in for some possible resources etc from Macro draft - become a Pro

Lumion was designed to be as simple as possible for users and made in a way so that someone can self-learn and easily improve as they work with the software. Here is our starting guide to point you in the direction of available learning resources:

• Knowledge Base: Which resources can you look at to learn about Lumion?

And while currently there are no official training courses, there are different ways to learn how to better use Lumion. 

For example:

Lumion Webinars.
These are free hour-long videos hosted by Lumion aficionado Mike Brightman, and explain with detail most of its features, and how to create beautiful scenes.

For example:

• Lumion Tutorials: Lumion 10: What’s New Webinar

• Lumion Blog: Learn how to make amazing renders

Some in-depth lessons on creating day and night Projects:

• Lumion Tutorials: Workflow - Day Rendering Webinar
• Lumion tutorials: Workflow - Night Rendering Webinar

Although these were created for older Lumion versions, the information in those videos is still very useful.

Our Lumion Community webpage. 
This sitehas many users sharing their work, contributing with plenty of suggestions, tips, and other resources (3D models, textures, etc)that can help you make the best out of Lumion, so make sure to check it out. Also, take a look at the 'Mastering Lumion' section, there are many video tutorials that will take you step by step on creating great renders. 

• Lumion Website: Lumion Community

For example. check this forum post:

• Lumion Community: Tips for Realistic rendering in Lumion

To take your abilities to the next level you need to learn how to combine natural light, artificial light, materials, imperfections, atmospheric elements, Objects, etc in order to achieve the ideal result. Moreover, some of our users have been using Lumion for years and share some pretty in-depth tutorials on their Youtube channels which might be leaning a bit more towards what you are looking for. 

• Youtube: Nuno Silva - How To Create a Realistic Interior Render in just 15 minutes
• Youtube: Nuno Silva - LUMION RENDER TUTORIAL: 3D EXTERIOR RENDER of a Modern House and Surroundings
• YouTube: Luminous Labs -No Natural Light LUMION INTERIOR Lighting Trick!

The links below, for example, cover the theory of photorealistic rendering in Lumion and examples on how to apply it:

• External Link: The Lumion Collective - Making of: Longwood
• External Link: The Lumion Collective - Lighting in Lumion

See this recent Youtube video by Architecture Inspirations for lighting recommendations:

• Youtube: BEST Tips and Tricks for REALISTIC Lighting

And lastly, these Lumion Blog posts on interiors might be useful for you too:

• Lumion Blog: How to Render a Beautiful Scene: Part 1 – Interior Living Room
• Lumion Blog: How to Render a Beautiful Scene: Part 2 – Stylish Conference Room
• Lumion Blog: Express the personality of interior designs with Lumion 11
• Lumion Blog: Tutorial tips: Better Interior Renders with Lumion

Let us know if you have any further questions. Looking forward to helping you become a Lumion expert.

 

---

 

How to get Lumion 2024:

• Knowledge Base:  Lumion 2024.0: Everything you need to know

What's new in Lumion? Follow this article for a quick overview.

 

Released in Lumion 2024.0 (March 2024)

Among other enhancements and interface updates, these are the major additions to Lumion in version 2024:

 

Follow this video if you'd like to watch all the new features in action:

• Lumion Tutorials: Lumion 2024: Feature overview

For a summary of major changes from Lumion 8 to Lumion 2023, check out this article:

• Knowledge Base: What are the changes in Lumion since my version? - Summary

 

See Also

   

 

More Learning Pathways

 

 

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Follow this article to learn about the core functionalities of Lumion, the overall workflow, and other essential topics. Ideal for those looking to quickly grasp what Lumion is all about.

So what is Lumion?

Lumion is a Visualization Software designed for creating realistic and immersive renderings, providing solutions for Architects, Landscapers, Urban Planners, and Interior Designers. It allows users to showcase and communicate Projects by transforming their models into captivating and lifelike images and videos.

Boasting a revamped Raytracing rendering engine, real-time model Import, a diverse asset Library, and a wide selection of Output options, you have all the tools and flexibility you need for seamless Project execution.

 

 Here's how it works in 5 Simple Steps:

 

Step ① Import your 3D Model

 

You begin by integrating your 3D Models into Lumion. Models crafted using all popular 3D modeling
software (such as SketchUp, Revit, AutoCAD, or Rhino) can be effortlessly imported into Lumion
through traditional file import as a Compatible format or by leveraging our LiveSync plugins for
Real-Time Import.

 

Step ② Apply Materials

Once the model is imported, you can assign and modify Materials from Lumion's rich and varied Library 
or import your own Custom Textures. It's easy to adjust all aspects of the Material, such as Reflectivity,
Roughness, and Weathering, empowering you to create visually captivating surface finishes in your models.

 

Step ③ Populate the Scene

After your model is all setup, it's time to fill the Scene with Objects like Characters, Furniture, Cars, Plants,
and other contextual elements from the extensive Library. You can also shape and customize the terrain
using a variety of Landscaping Tools to create a realistic, natural environment.

 

Step ④ Set Up Cameras and add Effects

When you are done editing the scene in Build Mode, the next step is to head over to the Output Modes
and explore different perspectives for your renderings by adding static Camera Viewpoints or dynamic
Camera Paths. Then, refine the details of your visuals by adjusting lighting and other aspects using
Lumion's broad range of Effects.

 

Step ⑤ Render!

Select the desired Output settings and render high-quality Photos, cinematic Movies, or interactive
Panoramas for presentations or sharing with clients and stakeholders. It's that easy!

 

Now that you've learned how Lumion works, here's all you need to know to get things up and running:

 

If you are ready to work with Lumion, use this article to help you get started:

• Knowledge Base: Do you have a Getting Started checklist?

See Also:

       

 

More Learning Pathways

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Learn all about importing from your 3D modeling software and explore everything you can do with models in Lumion.

 

Importing Models 

Here's all you need to know on how to bring your models into Lumion and create an organized custom model Library:

 

Working with Imported Models 

Now that you know how to get your models into Lumion, time to learn what you can do with them:

 

Getting More Models

Need more models for your Projects? You can import models other than the ones created in your modeling application as long as they are compatible with Lumion's supported formats (.DAE, .FBX, DWG, .DWF, .OBJ, .SKP or .3DS) and not overly complex.

Check out our official collection of Model Repositories in the Lumion Community Resources section:

• Lumion Community: The official Lumion list of 3D model collections

 

---

 

Learn all about Materials in Lumion and how to make the best out of all the available settings to enrich the look and feel of textures in your Projects.

Here's how it works:

 

Now that you have an idea of the overall process, jump into a section below to find out more about that topic:

Getting more Textures

Can't find the Material you need in the Library? You can download textures from other sources:

 

Check out our official collection of Texture providers in the Lumion Community Resources section:

• Lumion Community: The official Lumion list of texture collections

 

 

See Also:

         

 

 

More Learning Pathways

 

 

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In the world of Architecture, lighting is a crucial aspect of design expression and effective project communication. It sets the mood, accentuates design features, and shapes the overall atmosphere of a space, playing a key role in how people will experience and understand your designs and ideas. This is why it's important to get it right for visualizations.

Fortunately, Lumion offers a comprehensive suite of tools that provide a high level of control over lighting. Whether you are crafting the warmth of the Morning Sun, simulating the diffused skylight of Cloudy Environments, or refining Interior Ambiance, this guide will equip you with the fundamental knowledge to achieve the ideal lighting for your project.

Let’s start by exploring the various types of light sources and their functions:

Light Sources

There are different types of light sources available, and understanding how they work together is crucial for mastering the lighting system. Each system is explained in detail below:

Natural Light

 

Lumion provides a high level of control over the natural lighting in your scene. Configuring the Sun and Sky allows you to create various lighting scenarios such as Sunsets, warm Sunny Mornings, Cloudy Days with overcast lighting, and other compelling scenes and moods.

The two natural lighting sources are explained below:

While the Sun and Sky can be configured individually using their respective Effects, you can also add Real Skies. These are HDR Sky Maps included with Lumion with preconfigured Sun and Sky lighting settings that can be adjusted in a single Effect:

 

Artificial Lighting

 

Lumion provides designers with highly detailed control over the intensity, color, and direction of artificial light, allowing for the creation of realistic and finely tuned lit-up environments. Brightness can be adjusted using units like Lumens and Nits, while Color Temperature is adjustable in Kelvin Degrees, enabling precise replication of real-world lighting conditions.

This level of control ensures that lighting setups can closely match the specifications of actual lighting devices, with the added capability to import IES Profiles for even greater accuracy.

The different types of artificial lighting are listed below:

Lumion 2024.3.0 and newer versions now also support importing lights from supported 3D modeling applications. See the article below to learn more on this:

• Knowledge Base: How do you import Lights from your CAD software?

And to help you achieve the best results with artificial lighting in Lumion, here are some practical tips and techniques. These will guide you in avoiding common mistakes and maximizing the potential of each light source:

Other Effects and Settings that interact with lighting

In addition to the core lighting controls and Objects, Lumion includes several Effects and settings that can directly influence the overall lighting in your scenes.

 

Rendering Engines

Now that you have a solid understanding of Lumion's extensive lighting capabilities, it's time to explore how these are processed through the two rendering engines: Rasterization and Ray Tracing. Each engine interprets and handles lighting, shadows, and reflections differently, impacting the final quality of your render.

Rasterization is a faster, more traditional method, perfect for exterior scenes and large-scale projects where speed is essential. Ray Tracing, on the other hand, provides greater realism, simulating how light behaves in the real world, making it ideal for high-detail, photorealistic interior renders.

Let’s dive deeper into how each engine works and when to choose one over the other for your projects.

 

Tips and Guides

With a solid grasp of Lumion's lighting tools and rendering engines, it’s time to focus on how to make the most of them in your projects. Whether you're working on exterior landscapes or detailed interiors, the following tips will help you optimize your lighting setup to create stunning, realistic scenes tailored to your vision.

Looking for Inspiration?

 

Get inspired by architectural Projects visualized in Lumion, case studies, interviews, and more in our 'Made with Lumion' Blog:

• Lumion Resources: Made with Lumion

 

More Learning Pathways

 

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Lumion's robust Library features over 7,500 assets, including 3D models, Light Profiles, Special Effects, and Utilities, all meticulously curated for Architectural, Urban Planning, Interior Design, and Landscaping Projects.  The ever-growing library of optimized models streamlines your Project development with quick access to a diverse range of elements, from Trees and Plants to Furniture, Decoration, Vehicles, and People.

This article provides a concise overview of Lumion's Library items and offers a technical exploration of the available tools for placing and organizing them.

☗  Asset Library 

Here's an overview of what you can find in the Lumion Library:

For a complete list of Library Models see the following pages:

• Knowledge Base:  Which content is available in the Model & Material Libraries?

• Knowledge Base:  What Models/Objects are in the Lumion Library 2023? Gallery

• Knowledge Base:  What Objects/Models are in the Lumion Library 2023? Search Table
  
  

Can't find the model you need in the Lumion Library? You can Download and Import compatible models from the web to create your own! See our official collection of model repositories on the Lumion Community Resources page:

• Lumion Community: The official Lumion list of 3D model collections

To learn more about importing models and creating your own Library, follow this article:

• Learning Pathway: Importing and Working with 3D Models

 

✥ Object Manipulation

Unlock the full potential of the extensive Library with a formidable array of tools designed to help you expertly arrange elements in your Projects:

Need some inspiration on how to set up your scenes? Follow our Visualization Guides:

           

See Also:

     

 

 

More Learning Pathways

 

 

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Sales FAQ

1. I want to buy Lumion. What is the price and where can i purchase it from?

New customer: - as a new customer, you can check the available price for lumion on https://lumion.com/product/buy. discounts are displayed on the webpage in case they are available

Existing customer: - as an existing user, if you are up for renewal, you can find the renewal price in your Lumion Account (account.lumion.com). Log in -> select License Keys -> Subscriptions -> click on your Lumion License Key and scroll down to 'My Subscription details'

 

2. Are there any discounts available?

If a discount is not displayed on the buy webpage or in your Lumion Account, then, unfortunately, a discount cannot be offerred. If you know you are eligible for one, please contact our sales (customer care) team or our local partner using this link: https://lumion.com/about/contact

 

3. I have an issue with my transaction. How do I solve it?

Please contact our customer care team using this link: https://lumion.com/about/contact

The team will investigate the issue and get back to you

 

4. Is onboarding available?

If you are an existing customer who purchased a license key through lumion.com you can book an onboarding session by contacting our customer success team at success@lumion.com. If you purchased lumion from a partner, you can reach out to them: https://lumion.com/about/find-reseller

 

5. I  need a refund

Please contact your point of purchase for a refund request.

If you purchased directly, reach out to our customer care team here: https://lumion.com/about/contact-sales

If you purchased through a partner, please reach out to them here: https://lumion.com/about/find-reseller

 

6. I want to downgrade my license key to have less seats

If you purchased directly, reach out to our customer care team here: https://lumion.com/about/contact-sales

If you purchased through a partner, please reach out to them here: https://lumion.com/about/find-reseller

 

7. I want to purchase more seats

If you purchased directly, contact your license key administrator and ask them to increase the number of seats via the lumion account (Log in -> select License Keys -> Subscriptions -> click on your Lumion License Key and scroll down to Seats)

If you purchased through a partner, please reach out to them here: https://lumion.com/about/find-reseller

 

8. I cannot purchase Lumion in my country

Certain countries may be under sanctions or we may be unable to do business with. If that is the case, we apologise and hope this will change in the future.

 

 

 

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Installer - Can't Update Lumion - Lack of admin permissions If you're having issues updating Lumion or the Lumion updater is not working, Try the following: Hello, Thanks for reaching out. Sorry to hear you are having trouble updating Lumion. Please note that the Update loading bar will not progress when there are no Windows file privileges at the Administrator level to access the install folder, usually C:\Program Files, for the Installer process. This can usually be fixed easily by: 1. Closing Lumion. 2. Running Lumion using Windows 'Run As Administrator' (via the install lumion.exe or shortcut for Lumion). Or right-click the Lumion .exe in the install folder - Properties - Compatability tab - Settings - Check "Run this program as an Administrator"

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Issues Updating If you're experiencing issues while trying to update Lumion, the Lumion updater is not working or the Lumion Updater got stuck at some point and it's not finishing the update, Try the following: Hi, Thanks for getting in touch. Sorry to hear you are having trouble updating Lumion. Looks like something on your PC is blocking the download. Most of the time, that is usually overzealous Antivirus or security software on the PC. Please try the following: 1. Add an Antivirus exclusion for Lumion.exe and the following folder: C:\ProgramData\LumionUpdater Also, add a Firewall exclusion for Lumion. Instructions below: Knowledge Base: How do you add an exclusion for Lumion in Windows Defender and Windows Firewall? If you are using different Antivirus software, the steps should be similar and easy to look up. 2. After that is done, clear the contents of that folder, then run Lumion as an Administrator and try to update again. Does that work? If not, please share with us the following: 3. The log.txt file located at C:\ProgramData\LumionUpdater 4. A Diagnostics Report so we can take a closer look at your PC issues: Knowledge Base: How do you provide a Diagnostics Report? 5. Send us an .NFO file to help us identify any other potentially conflicting software that could be affecting the installation. Here's how: Knowledge Base: How do you generate a Microsoft System Information report? Thanks in advance. Looking forward to sorting this out.

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Installer - Not downloading (all articles) If you can't isntall Lumion or the Lumion Installer is not working. Please try the following: Hi Thanks for contacting us. I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble installing Lumion. To resolve this problem, please follow the instructions in these articles where the Installer Error Message you see on screen can be matched to one in the article: Knowledge Base: How do you resolve Installer (v2) problems - Installation issues? Knowledge Base: How do you resolve Installer (v2) problems - Installation file issues? Knowledge Base: How do you resolve Installer (v2) problems - other Installation issues? Let us know if they help. If not then please attach a screenshot of the Installer error message so we can further assist. Thanks in advance.

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Installer - Installer does not start If you're experiencing the installer not working or the installer is not starting the installation process, Please try the following: Thank you for reaching out. Sorry to hear you are having trouble with the Lumion installation. Don't worry, we are here to help. First things first: have you made sure that your PC meets the requirements for Lumion 2023? You can find them below: Knowledge Base: What kind of computer does Lumion 2024 need? If so then please try the following steps and check to see if the issue persists: 1. Make sure you have at least the required free disk space on the drive that you are downloading Lumion to. See this article for file space requirements: Knowledge Base: What file space do I need to download and install Lumion? 2. Please move theInstaller to the Desktop before running it, thenrun it as an Administrator. Do not run it on a network drive, server location, or in a folder that is being backed up regularly by backup/cloud backup software, e.g.OneDrive,GDrive,orDropBox. 3. Right-click on the folder that the Installer is located in, select Properties Security tab, then select the 'user name'User(not the SYSTEM or Administrators) and make sure that the allow permissions are ticked. 4. Please make sure that theanti-virus and security softwareon your PC is not preventing theInstallerfrom opening and saving required files. To do so, you will need to add an exclusion for: * The Installer file (Lumion_Download.exe). * The folder that you have saved the Installer file to (if that is not the Windows default Downloads folder or the Windows Desktop folder). See this article for instructions: Knowledge Base: How do you resolve anti-virus and firewall problems? 5. If the problem persists after trying the above, then try these steps: 5.1. In Windows Explorer, create a folder on the Desktop and call it LumionInstall. 5.2. Move the Installer file to that folder. 5.3. Add Antivirus Exclusions for that folder and the Installer: Knowledge Base: How do you add an exclusion for Lumion in Windows Defender and Windows Firewall? Make sure to add the exclusions for the Installer in both Windows Firewall and Defender. In case you are using a different Antivirus software other than Defender, the steps for whitelisting software should be similar and/or easy to look up. 5.4. Right-click the Installer file and select Run As Administrator. Let us know if any step is unclear. Looking forward to sorting this out.

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Low score in Benchmark If you're experiencing innacurate or low results on Lumion Benchmark, Please try the following: Hi Thanks for reaching out to us. Sorry to hear the Lumion Benchmark is showing a low result on your PC. Benchmark issues can be addressed in the following articles: Knowledge Base: Why is your Graphics Card Score low in the Lumion Benchmark test? Knowledge Base: Why is your CPU (processor) score low in the Lumion Benchmark test? 3. If the problem persists after trying the solutions above, please send us a Diagnostics Report so we can take a close look at your system and check for issues. Knowledge Base: How do you provide a Diagnostics Report? Let us know if any step is unclear, and if the above resolve things for you.

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Message re Model-Data 2GB Plus 24.3 If you're getting the error message while importing to Lumion 2024 that the model data exceeds 2GB, Please try the following: Hi Thanks for contacting us. Sorry to see you have got that message that the model data exceeds 2GB. In Lumion 2024.3.0+ we now include a test and message if the model mesh data exceeds a safe limit of 2GB. Reason for message: The message stems from a technical limitation related to DirectX recently imposed by Microsoft, which restricts the memory assigned for some of the model data. Lumion 24.2 and other software had to start adhering to this restriction more diligently, which is why files that worked in previous versions or newly imported models may now encounter this message. See end of reply Background - Reason for message: for a fuller explanation. How to Resolve the message and memory limit: Please try the following changes to your Imported Model(s): A. When the Project file fully loads after the message: Timeframe: approx. 10 minutes excluding reducing the Imported Model complexity. 1. Save the Material Set for the model. You can use this as a Material Set to apply the materials to the revised models once imported, as in step 3. Knowledge Base: How do you copy, paste, save and load Materials in Lumion 2023 and newer? 2. With the Project file loaded, immediately use SaveAs to a new file name. You may get this message during the save: "Tried to save a library item, but could not find the file on the disk" Click OK and continue. 3. Make a note of the models Position. 4. Reduce the model's complexity and then Re-Import the model(s) into Lumion. Knowledge Base: How do you reduce the complexity of a model before importing it in Lumion? 4.1: You can use any of the options for this reimport of the model revision: 4.1.1: Use the Replace Selection feature once you have imported the revised/replacement models. 4.1.2: Delete the original model in the Project then import the revised model(s). 5. Align or set the Positions of the model(s) to what was the Position for the original model (step 3). 6. Apply the Material Set from step 1 to the revised model or models. 7. Save the Project. 8. In an Empty Project, delete the original model so that it is removed from the Imported Model Library and files. You should now be able to continue with the rest of your Project creation. B. When the Project file does not fully load and causes Lumion to crash: Timeframe: 5 to 15 minutes excluding reducing the Imported Model complexity. 1. Go to Documents/Lumion/Library folder on your system. 2. Locate the .LIB geometry data file associated with the complex model (which is typically over 2GB in size) and delete it (only the .LIB file). Keep this folder open. 3. Open your Project in Lumion 2024.3+. During the loading process, the deleted model file will be unpacked and reappear in the Library folder. Quickly delete it again before the Project finishes loading. If done correctly, the Project should eventually load without crashing, but the deleted model will be missing. Then: 3.1: Copy the .LMS file to some other folder. You can use this as a Material Set to apply the materials to the model(s) once imported, as in step 3.2: Knowledge Base: How do you copy, paste, save and load Materials in Lumion 2023 and newer? 3.2: Reduce the model's complexity and then Re-Import the model(s) into Lumion. Knowledge Base: How do you reduce the complexity of a model before importing it in Lumion? 3.3: Apply the Material Set from step 3.1. Let us know how you get on with this change. Our apologies that this is needed. If you encounter any further issues or need assistance with these steps, anything at all, please let us know.

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Download - Slow download speed If you're experiencing slow download speed when downloading Lumion, Please note that: Unfortunately, download speed is mainly dependent on local conditions and the type of internet connection you have. If for some reason there is high local usage either region, city, or local to your ISP then speeds can vary. If you are running other apps (anything that constantly uses data) while downloading, they might also be taking most of the bandwidth. You can see the maximum speed of your network at the link below. External Link: Ookla speed test Note that there are no download speed restrictions for the Lumion files. We use cloud data center services with tens of locations across the world to provide our users with the best locally accessible bandwidth. The servers in your vicinity are currently fully operational. Please check that your PC is also not busy doing other download or disk-based tasks. Otherwise, the Installer/Download Manager can be paused or stopped if needed, and this enables you to keep the download progress until you can get access to a steadier/faster internet connection. Keep an eye on the speed and it should hopefully improve over time. Recently, we had a user that was facing a similar issue and was able to resolve it by entering a command into the Command Prompt to increase the download speed. You can try and see if it resolves the issue: Windows Start - type CMD - choose - Run as administrator - type in "netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal" - press Enter key. Also, please follow the instructions in this link: Knowledge Base: Why is the Download Manager not working? Let us know how you get on with the download.

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Error - General connection failure If you're getting the error "No internet connection" or "General connection failure", Please try the following: Hi Thanks for getting in touch. Sorry to hear you're running into issues when starting Lumion. That message usually means there is something blocking access to the servers Lumion connects to during start-up. That is, even though you may be able to access the internet via a web browser. Please follow the steps in the article below and let us know if they resolve the connection problem for you: Knowledge Base: How do you resolve a 'No internet connection found' and 'General connection failure' error? Thanks in advance.

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Error - TDR Delay is low If you're receiving the "TDR Delay is low" error, Please try the following: For background, theTdrDelayspecifies the number of seconds that the GPU can delay the preempt request from the GPU scheduler. This is effectively the timeout threshold. Since users are sometimes required to work on large Projects in Lumion, the recommended setting is 100. The default Windows setting is 2 seconds. Certain applications by PC manufacturers (Dell, HP, Monster, Razer, Lenovo, etc) that are installed by default on a user's system, if granted the permission, can reset the TdrDelay to the default value (2). They often give users options to modify the performance profile of their machines with settings such as: Office mode, Gaming Mode, and Turbo Mode. One of these profiles is bound to leave theTdrDelayas is, but that needs to be tested. If it's not possible to find the culprit profile, then the solution is to uninstall the application responsible for that. In this case, see this article for steps on how to solve the issue: Knowledge Base: How do you resolve a 'GPU device instance has been suspended' error? If that doesn't work, try adjusting the TdrDelay value manually in Windows.WARNING:this should only be attempted by someone who is experienced in Windows and support of technical issues. Before commencing, please make sure to set a Windows Restore Point: External Link: Create a system restore point 1. Close Lumion, open the Windows Start menu or from Windows Search and type 'regedit' 2. Right-click the Registry Editor - Run as administrator 3. Browse to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers and select TdrDelay 4. Right-click theTdrDelay - Modify - set the value to Decimal and set it to 100. 5. Click 'OK' 6. Reboot the PC. 7. Then open Lumion again. If the issue is still persisting, then it's likely that an application is hijacking your settings and we need to identify that. Depending on the application, we can only speculate what the actual cause would be, but hopefully, we can sort out this issue. Therefore, please provide aSysInfo (.NFO) file using the steps below and attach it in your next contact with an agent: Knowledge Base: How do you generate a Microsoft System Information report? Let us know if anything is unclear and how things turn out.

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Error - Hosts file has been modified If you're receiving the error "Hosts file has been modified", Please try the following: Hi, Thanks for reaching out and sorry to hear about your issue. That is not expected behavior unless there's a network problem on your PC, or, at a previous point in time, the hosts file was modified to run an illegal version of Lumion. To fix this, please follow the instructions in sections 2.1 to 2.5 in the article below: Knowledge Base: How do you resolve anti-virus and firewall problems? If the issue persists, attach the 'hosts' file and also the 'hosts.ics' (if one exists) located in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\ to your next reply to an agent so we can verify that the changes were applied correctly. Let us know if anything is unclear, and thanks in advance.

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Incomplete user interface If you can't see the entire Lumion UI, the Material Editor tabs or or video tutorials are missing. Please try the following: Hello, Thanks for getting in touch and sorry to hear you can't access the Material Library. The good news is that it shouldn't take more than 2 minutes for you to solve the problem. All you need to do is set your resolution to a vertical minimum of 1080 pixels. Lumion requires a 1920 x 1080 pixels minimum resolution to display the entire user interface. To achieve that, you need to right-click on your Desktop, go to 'Display Resolution' and adjust the value to 1920 x 1080. See the article below for more detailed instructions: Knowledge Base: Why are the category tabs missing in the Material Library? Please let us know if you need any more help.

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Error: The procedure entry point could not be located. If you're receiving the error "The procedure entry point could not be located." Please try the following: Hi, Thank you for reaching out. Sorry to hear you are having trouble starting Lumion. It looks like there may have been a problem with the installation. Something on the PC likely removed important installation files which prevents Lumion from starting correctly. From our experience, this 'something' is usually overzealous security software on the PC. Our recommendation would be to: 1. Uninstall Lumion 2024 completely. 2. Delete all the .00 Lumion installation files (which should be in your Downloads folder). 3. Add Antivirus and Firewall exclusions for the Lumion Installer (Lumion_2024_2_1_Download.exe). Here's how to do it: Knowledge Base: How do you add an exclusion for Lumion in Windows Defender and Windows Firewall? In case you are using a different Antivirus software, the steps should be similar and easy to look up. 4. Run the Installer as an administrator to download and install Lumion again. Then run Lumion as an administrator. Let us know if the issue persists after trying the above.

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"There are some Installation files missing" error. If you're receiving the error "There are some Installation files missing" Please try the following: Hi, Thank you for reaching out. Looks like there is something on the PC that is preventing all the installation files from being downloaded correctly. That something is usually overzealous antivirus software. Please instruct the user to follow step 1.3. in this article and let us know if that helps to resolve things: Knowledge Base: How do you resolve Installer (v2) problems - Installation file issues? After the troubleshooting steps are completed, please make sure the user starts the Installer as an administrator. Please let us know how it goes.

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Download Manager stuck at over 100% If you're experiencing the Download Manager getting stuck at over 100%. Please try the following: Hello Thanks for contacting us. I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble downloading the Lumion installation files. To resolve the download problem, please follow the instructions in the article below: Knowledge Base: Why is the Download Manager not working? Let us know how you get on. If any of those steps help, the problem is that antivirus software on your system is removing some of the installation files after the Download Manager has completed its verification process and saved them to the folder where it is located. Then when it rechecks files, they are now missing and it has to re-download them. The file count then starts to exceed 100 percent. Please do the following: 1. Close the Download Manager if it is still open. 2. Create a folder on the Desktop. Call it Lumion_Download. 3. Move the Download Manager and all '.BIN' files to that folder. 4. Add an exclusion in all antivirus software (note that Windows Defender Antivirus is different from Windows Defender Firewall) on your PC for the following: 4.1: The Download Manager file. 4.2: The newly created folder: Lumion_Download. Knowledge Base: How do you add an exclusion for Lumion in Windows Defender and Windows Firewall? 5. Select the Download Manager file, right-click, and select 'Run as Administrator'. Let us know if those extra steps now allow the download to proceed through to completion so that the Lumion can be installed.

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Lumion stuck on "verifying installation files" If you're experiencing Lumion getting stuck at "verifying installation files". Please try the following: Hi, Thanks for reaching out and for your interest in Lumion. The Installer being stuck in the file verification stage can be due to overzealous security software on the PC interfering with the installation process, or lack of user permissions to write files on disk. Please try the following: 1. Create a folder on the desktop named Lumion Installation. 2. Move the Installer into that folder. 3. Add Antivirus Exclusions for that folder and for the Installer file. Here's how to do that: Knowledge Base: How do you add an exclusion for Lumion in Windows Defender and Windows Firewall? Also, add a Firewall exclusion for the Installer. If you are using a different Antivirus system, the steps for whitelisting applications or folders should be similar and/or easy to look up. 4. Once the exclusions have been made, run the Installer as an administrator. (Right-click the Lumion_Download.exe Run as administrator). Let us know how that works for you.

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Lumion black window - dual monitor setup If you're experiencing a black window when opening Lumion, Please try the following: This most likely happens if you have a dual monitor setup. Is that the case? If so, what happens if you try starting Lumion directly from the other monitor? If that doesn't work please send us a Diagnostics Report and an Error Log so we can help you troubleshoot this: Knowledge Base: How do you provide a Diagnostics Report? Knowledge Base: How do you provide a Lumion Error and/or Importers Log file? The articles include instructions on how to generate and share the logs even if Lumion won't start. Thanks in advance

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User is unable to access documents folder If you're experiencing that it is unable to access the documents folder or the documents folder closes when accesing. Please try the following: Hello, Thank you for contacting us. Have you tried starting it as an Administrator? (Right-click Lumion.exe Start as administrator) The error message means that something on the PC is preventing Lumion from saving files in the Documents folder, and that is usually cloud-back up or antivirus software. To get the ball rolling, can you please provide us with a Diagnostics Report so we can take a closer look at the system? Knowledge Base: How do you provide a Diagnostics Report? And can you confirm that you have already tried all the troubleshooting steps in the following article? Knowledge Base: Why does Lumion need access to your computer's Documents folder? If so, please send us screenshots of the folder's permissions, and the exclusion done to it in the PC's Antivirus software, so we can verify that the changes were applied correctly. Also, send us a full System Information report so we can help you look for apps on the PC that might be locking files or otherwise preventing Lumion from saving files in the Documents folder: Knowledge Base: How do you generate a Microsoft System Information report? Thanks in advance.

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Error: 'Failed to create dummy d3d9' If you're receiving the error "Failed to create dummy d3d9" when loading a Project. Please try the following: Hello Thanks for getting in touch with us about the problem. That error message almost always means that the latest Windows and graphics card drivers have not yet been installed. Failure to install the updates can result in glitches, errors, and crashes. So, to get the ball rolling, please follow the instructions in the following article: Knowledge Base: How do you install the latest system software required to run Lumion? When you're done, please check if the problem is still occurring. If so, follow the instructions in the article below to provide us with a Diagnostics Report so we can investigate further: Knowledge Base: How do you provide a Diagnostics Report? Thanks in advance.

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PC restarts while using Lumion If your PC or laptop is restarting or shutting down while running or rendering in Lumion. Please try the following instructioins: Hello, Thanks for getting in touch. I am sorry that your PC is having issues while running Lumion. A healthy PC should never shut down/restart spontaneously, no matter which software you run. In our experience, the most common cause is the power supply. The second most common cause is overclocked components (the graphics card, the CPU or the RAM) that are making the PC unstable. The third most common cause is overheating components due to inadequate cooling. To identify the culprit, you need to rule out the 3 potential causes one by one: 1. Can you confirm that none of your PC's components are overclocked? (CPU, graphics card and RAM) 2. Can you confirm that none of the components are overheating, e.g. by logging all sensor readings in HWiNFO until the PC restarts? Knowledge Base: How do you provide a log file from HWiNFO? 3. If so, please follow the instructions in steps 1.2 to 1.11 in this article to see if it's the power supply that's causing the problem: Knowledge Base: Why does your PC sometimes restart while you are editing a Project or when you start rendering? Please let us know how it goes.

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Error: 'No internet connection found' If you're experiencing the 'No internet connection found' or 'General connection failure' error after opening Lumion. Please try the following: Hello Thank you for getting in touch. I am sorry to hear about your connection issue. That message usually means there is something blocking Lumion from accessing the servers that it needs to connect to during start-up, and when closing. That is, even though you may be able to access the internet via a web browser. Have you already followed the steps in the article below? If not, please do so: Knowledge Base: How do you resolve a 'No internet connection found' and 'General connection failure' error? If the article above does not provide a solution, follow the instructions in the following article (Sections 1.4-1.7) which should solve your issue. You will need Administrative Permission in Windows to be able to perform the procedure. Knowledge Base: How do you resolve anti-virus and firewall problems? Please let us know how it goes after following these past suggestions.

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Low GPU score in benchmark test If you're experiencing a low GPU score in Lumion Benchmark test, Please try the following: Hello Thank you for your inquiry. It could be that you were undertaking some background tasks in other software while running the Lumion Benchmark. Please read the article below and let us know how your PC performs after following the instructions: Knowledge Base: Why is your Graphics Card Score low in the Lumion Benchmark test? Also, if you are using some other graphics card utility to alter or monitor graphics card performance such as RivaTuner then please try the Benchmark again after turning the utility off and rebooting the PC (ensuring it does not restart after the reboot). Thank you in advance.

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Lumion crashes every time a user clicks on 'import model' If you're experiencing crashes when clicking on the "Import Model" button, Please try the following: Hello, Thanks for getting in touch. Sorry to hear you are having trouble importing models. Sounds like there might be a problem with the Documents Libary folder, which is where Lumion stores Imported Model data. Please try the following check. 1. Close Lumion. 2. Navigate to Users\USERNAME\Documents\Lumion version\Library 3. Rename the Library folder to something else, such as Library_TMP. 4. Open Lumion and then try importing a model again. Does that work for you?

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Unable to install LiveSync for Rhino If you're having trouble installing Lumion Livesync pluginfor Rhino, Please try the following: Please try downloading the plug-in again, rename the file extension to .ZIP, unzip theLumionPlugin.rhpfile, and drag it into the Rhino window to install it. Does that work for you? If not, follow the instructions below on how to install the plug-in manually: 1. Quit Rhino and open this folder: C:\Users\YOUR USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\McNeel\Rhinoceros\#\Plug-ins 2. Are there any Lumion folders there? If so, please delete them. 3. Install 7-zip or use another zip uncompress software, or Windows File Explorer to unzip Lumion_LiveSync_for_Rhino6_3.60.##.rhi. 4. Move the unzipped Lumion folder to the 'Plug-Ins' folder in your Rhino # installation folder, for example: C:\Program Files\Rhinoceros #\Plug-ins. 5. Open Rhino # (must be 6.10 or newer). 6. In the Tools menu, click on Options. 7. In the Plug-ins tab, click on Install. 8. Open your Rhino # installation folder to locate the LumionPlugin sub-folder and pick the LumionPlugin.rhp file, for example: C:\Program Files\Rhinoceros #\Plug-ins\Lumion\Rhino #\LumionPlugin\LumionPlugin.rhp 9. Close and restart Rhino. Please confirm that this has fixed the problem.

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Error: 'Can't find 3D Studio Max installation path' If you're receiving the error "Can't find 3D Studio Max installation path" when opening a .MAX file, The error means that you do not have 3DS Max installed on your computer. The .MAX format is read-protected by Autodesk which implies that you need to install 3DS Max on your PC in order to directly import .MAX files to Lumion. Alternatively, you can export the file in an .FBX format. This article offers useful information regarding how you can export files from 3DS Max: Knowledge Base: Model import guidelines for 3ds Max Let us know if anything's unclear.

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Error: '3DS Max cannot create the Proxy file' If you're receiving the error '3DS Max cannot create the Proxy file' when importing from 3D MAX, Please do the following: Extract the contents of the attachment and copy-paste the file to the location below: [Installation Path]\Lumion VERSION\Channels\MaxFileImporter.dll Let us know if everything is working fine now.

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How to change your account password. To change your Lumion Account password see the articles below: Knowledge Base: How do you change your Lumion Account password? Knowledge Base: Why are you not able to Reset the Password on a Lumion Account? If you have not received the email, your email system might be blocking it and you need to check in the Spam/Junk/Bin and the Promotions tab. Also, please double-check that our sender and domain names are whitelisted in your email software: no_reply@lumion.com delivery@lumion.com Let us know how it goes. Thanks.

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If you'd like to change your Lumion Account username, Please do the following: 1. Go to your account page 2. Access My account details 3. There you'll be able to change the Display Name. Please let us know if anything's unclear. Thanks.

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If there is unknown actinity use of your License, you suspect someone is using your License without permission, or there is an unknown PC using you License. Please do the following: 1. Contact Sales Support. 2. Answer the next questions in your inquiry: 2.1. Did you, at any point, share the Activation Code and/or password to their email address with anyone? 2.2. Did you forward the 'Getting Started with Lumion' email to other people? If yes, please be aware that the owner of the License should be the person with access to it and that the License is embedded in the installation files of Lumion. 2.3. Is there a chance that the people who are using the License are working remotely? 2.4. Could it be that they are ex-employees? After that the procedure is as follows: - First, we will forward the request to our Customer Care department to invalidate your current License. - The customer will have to uninstall all versions of Lumion on the organization's PCs and delete the installation files. - Then, our Customer Care team will issue a new License which will be sent to the email address of choice of the customer. Please confirm that only the people in your organization have access to it! - When the new License is issued, they will receive a new 'Getting started with Lumion' email which will contain the Download_Manager to download the new installation files for Lumion. Looking forward to resolving this as soon as possible. Thanks in advance.

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No sounds in Lumion If you're experiencing that there is no sound in Lumion, Please do the following: Sorry to hear you're having trouble hearing sound effects in your Project. A few things to confirm first: 1. Please double-check that the Mute Sound option is turned off in the Lumion settings menu. 2. Confirm that you're able to hear music outside of Lumion. 3. Check if Lumion is muted in Windows. 4. If the problem persists please click here to download a random '.WAV' sound file from: External Link: Freesound 4.1. In Lumion, go to Movie Mode, select Entire Movie. 4.2. Assign a Sound Effect to it. 4.3. Load the '.WAV' file you downloaded and move the mouse cursor to the Preview button of the effect. Can you hear the '.WAV' sound file? Please let us know how you get on with those.

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MyLumion slot limitations If you're experiencing Panoramas being deleted from MyLumion or want to know how many Projects can be stored in MyLumion, Please note that the rule of thumb is that you can upload 10 Locations per MyLumion project and there is an allocation of 10 MyLumion Projects per Seat. For example: if you're using your Lumion Pro License Key with 3 Seats, you can upload up to 10 Locations in each of the 30 MyLumion Projects. If that limit is exceeded, the oldest MyLumion 360 Panorama renderings will be deleted first. Let us know if anything is unclear.

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Low CPU usage during rendering If you're experiencing low CPU usage during rendering, Please note that: The CPU being at 1-2% when rendering is normal as the actual rendering is done by the graphics card. The CPU utilization is low as it's only used for transferring data and for compressing the images/video frames/MP4 when they're done rendering. Let us know if you have any other questions.

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Is Lumion backwards compatible with older versions? If you want to know if you can you open a file saved in a newer Lumion version with an older Lumion version or if you can you transfer anything from newer versions of Lumion to older ones Please note that: Unfortunately, Lumion versions are not backward compatible. This also applies to major updates (for example from 12.5 to 12.3). For minor updates (Lumion 12.0.0 to 12.0.2) you can sometimes open files but it is not recommended. Whether that is possible depends entirely on what the updates involve. The main reason is that new versions of Lumion are permanently updated with more features that would not be adequately translated into the older versions. If the versions between each are only minor version updates then yes it might be possible to transfer Imported Models and their Materials. You would need to test it first before actually moving to include it in your project. Here's how: 1. Locate the Imported Model files in Documents/Lumion (VERSION)/Library and copy them to Documents/Lumion (VERSION)/Library. Knowledge Base: Where are Projects and Imported Models saved to in Lumion? 2. The next time you start the Lumion, the Imported Models should be available in the Imported Model Library browser. The rest of your Project configuration, as well as your Photos and Clips, cannot be transferred and will have to be reconstructed. Let us know if there's anything else we can help you with. Thanks.

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.MP4 video playback is jerky If you're experiencing that your clip or Animation is not smooth or it's blurry, pixelated, jerky, or glitchy. This appears to be a media player/codec problem rather than something caused by Lumion. Have you tried playing your video with VLC Media Player / Windows 10 Films & TV or anything similar? Windows Media Player and BS Player are known to cause these patterns when they struggle to render videos or with '.MP4' formats. For further information, please read the article below: Knowledge Base: Why does your MP4 video freeze or look strange during playback? Please let us know if there's anything else we can help you with.

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Use Lumion without internet access If you want to know if you can use Lumion without WiFi or without internet access. Please note that: Unfortunately, there is no way to use Lumion without internet access. This article will provide you with more details: Knowledge Base: Can you use Lumion without an internet connection? If you have any more questions, please let us know.

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Migrate to new version of Lumion If you want to transfer your models from an older version of Lumion to a newer one, You can follow the instructions in the article below to migrate your data to the newer Lumion version folder located in the Documents folder: Knowledge Base: How do you migrate to a newer version of Lumion? mportant Note: If possible, make a backup of the current Lumion folder and the '.LS' Project files. Ideally, you would want to regularly backup the newer Lumion folder too. Once you have successfully migrated your data to the newer version, you can safely delete the older one. Also, make sure to check beforehand that all your data is available in your current version in order to avoid any losses. Please let us know if this has answered your question and if there is anything unclear, do not hesitate to contact us.

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OpenStreetMap is not working/connecting If you're experiencing that OpenStreetMap is not connecting or OpenStreetMap is not working as intended. Please try the following: From what you describe, it seems to be a connectivity issue. Please see our article to check and resolve common connection issues: Knowledge Base: How do you resolve OpenStreetMap errors? For further guidance in checking ports see the steps in this article: External Link: How to open firewall ports in Windows. Managing network ports is quite an advanced issue, therefore you should check with your network administrator beforehand or ask him/her to have a look. I hope this information proves useful. Let us know if this issue persists and we will investigate further.

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Place two models in the same position If you want to place a Model in the same position of another Model. Please try the following: There are two courses of action in order to achieve the desired effect: 1. Use the Align button: Knowledge Base: How do you move one model to the position of another model? 2. Type in the Position Coordinates: Knowledge Base: How do you type in position coordinates for an object? Please let us know if you have any other questions.

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Change plant colours in Lumion If you want to change a plant's color. Please try the following: When selecting certain Plants/Trees in Lumion, a slider with the text Green selection range is made available in the top right corner of your screen. This slider determines how much of the green part of the color spectrum is modified by the other sliders. Please let us know if anything is unclear

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Model clipped in front of camera If you're experiencing your Model being clipped in front of the camera. Please check out the article below. It explains how clipping works in Lumion and how to get the desired effect in your renderings. Knowledge Base: Why is your model being clipped in front of the camera? Let us know if that helps. Thanks.

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The shadows from moving objects are not being updated in Clips If you're experiencing the shadows from walking/moving 3D People and moving cars are not being updated in their Clip or Movie. Please try the following: Hi Thank you for getting in touch. From your inquiry, it is my understanding that you are trying to render a Clip or Movie and your shadows are not updating. The article below provides an in-depth description of your issue and also explains the nature of Dynamic Shadows. Please check it out and let us know if your issue is solved. Knowledge Base: Why are shadows from cars and people not moving in your Movies? Please let us know if this helps.

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Make the camera start at the same position as in the previous Clip If you want to know how to make the camera in your Clip start at the same position as in the previous Clip. Please try the following: Hello Thank you for getting in touch. We have a tutorial for this exact purpose. Please have a look at the following article: Knowledge Base: How do you copy and paste a camera Keyframe from one Clip to another? Let us know if anything is unclear or if you have any more questions.

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Inaccurate Reflections If you're experiencing innacurate reflections in your renders, the reflection don't look correct, or the reflections are oversized or bigger than they should be. Please try the following: Hello Thank you for getting in touch. That is happening because you are using the standard type of reflection: Projected Reflections. To get the desired effect, you have two options: 1. Add a Reflection Effect in Photo/Movie Mode and place a Reflection Plane on the window. 2. Insert a Reflection Control object from the Utilities category and place it far away from other Objects, e.g. high up in the sky. The articles below contain valuable information regarding Reflections in Lumion: Knowledge Base: How do Projected Reflections work? Knowledge Base: How do SpeedRay Reflections work? Knowledge Base: How do Planar Reflections work? However, when you render Photos in Photo or Movie modes, the Reflection Control object is automatically placed at the camera position. Please note that when you render Clips or Movies, the Reflection Control object is placed at the position of the camera at the first frame of each Clip. The position of the Reflection Control object does not change while the Clip is being rendered. To preview the reflections before starting the rendering procedure, you can press the U key to update the Projected Reflections so that they're rendered at the current camera position. You might want to use the Build with Effects Mode if you want to preview the result accurately while building the Project. Or, use the High-Quality Preview feature if you are using Lumion 10 or newer. The High-Quality Preview creates a high-quality preview of your rendering in Photo/Movie Mode and you can update it manually, if needed, by clicking on the Preview Image. Please let us know if everything works as expected now.

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Walkthrough video at eye level If you want to create an eye-level walkthrough in Lumion while preventing the camera from passing through walls. Please try the following: Hi Thank you for your question. The short answer is 'yes'. You can create a walkthrough video by setting the camera at eye level for each keyframe. This article provides more information: Knowledge Base: How do you create a walkthrough video at eye level? As for preventing the camera from passing through walls: if you come across a situation like this, you can use a Near Clip Plane Effect to adjust the distance at which the object is cut by the camera. Knowledge Base: Why is your model being clipped in front of the camera? Let us know if there's anything unclear.

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Lumion can't read .JPEG textures If you're experiencing Lumion not reading .JPEG textures when loading them as materials. Please try the following: Hello, Thanks for reaching out. Lumion cannot directly read image files with the .JPEG extension. To work around this, all you need to do is change the texture file name extension from .JPEG to .JPG in the file explorer (Just erase the 'e'. A pop-up will appear. Click 'Yes'. After that, Lumion should be able to detect these image files when selecting textures. In case there are many images that need to have the file name extension changed, you can try one of the methods mentioned on this webpage to help you speed up this process: External Link: How to Batch Change File Extensions for Windows Files A bit of background information: The file data is of course the same. It's just a file extension difference. The JPEG extension is used more on the Mac environment and JPG on Windows. Although it depends on the image editing software what format and file extensions are provided. JPG is the standard, and applications such as Photoshop default to the JPG on Mac and Windows. Windows of course also supports the 4-character file extension of JPEG. My suggestion would be to start saving any images/textures as a JPG file if that's possible from your image editing or other software you are using. I hope this can make things easier for you. Let us know how this works out for you.

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Overlapping surfaces (when camera is moved closely) If you're experiencing overlapping surfaces or you're getting flickering surfaces when moving away from them. Please try the following: Hello Thank you for getting in touch. The solution to your issue is fairly straightforward. All you need to do is adjust the Flicker Reduction value of the cladding Material until you can see the concrete (white Material). Select the timber cladding, go to Flicker Reduction in the extended Material Settings, and, while holding the Shift key, adjust the slider until the concrete is visible. The value should really be somewhere in the vicinity of the "0". Please also see: Knowledge Base: What do the properties of the Standard Material mean in Lumion 12 and newer versions? Let us know how you get on.

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CPU running at 99% - Video Textures If you're experiencing Lumion is using 99% of the CPU usage in your task manager. Please try the following: Hello Thanks for reaching out to us. I'm sorry to hear that you're having issues with Lumion. It's expected that Lumion will get slow if you add several '.MP4' Video Textures. You can simulate the impact it has on your PC by playing all '.MP4' files in Media Player Classic at the same time. As you'll notice it only takes a few '.MP4' files to get your PC to become seriously unresponsive. This is however unrelated to Lumion as it's Windows, your CPU, and hard drive that determine how many '.MP4' files you can play at the same time. To fix your problem, please try to remove a few of the assets defined above from within the Project. Alternatively, you can create your assets in a different empty Lumion Project and try to import them into the current one when needed: 1. Import the models into an empty Project. 2. Apply the Video Textures for each and all of the MP4 files. 3. Save the Project. 4. Remove the faulty models from the main model and Re-Import to the Project. 5. Import the separate TV screens as a separate model so you have the TV screens in the main Project until later. 6. When ready to render, remove the separate TV screen model or hide it in a Layer. 7. Then Merge the newly Imported Models from the Project setup with the Video Textures. Please let us know if anything is unclear.

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ArchiCAD / Sketchup - Materials missing after reimport If you're experiencing some or all of the materials are lost when reimporting your Model from Sketchup or ArchiCAD. Please try the following: 1. Did you at any point import or re-import the model using the 'native' Collada DAE exporter in ArchiCAD's File menu rather than the Lumion .DAE exporter (or LiveSync)? The reason I ask is that the 'native' Collada DAE exporter in ArchiCAD's File menu will randomize the material names every time you export your model via '.DAE' format. If the imported material names that are exported from ArchiCAD don't match the existing imported Material names in Lumion, you'll lose the Lumion Material assignments when re-importing a model. 2. You can see the names of the imported Materials by opening the Material Editor in Lumion and moving the mouse cursor to one of the surfaces that will lose its Material assignment after re-importing the ArchiCAD model. Make a note of that name. Then re-import the model and make a note of the new material name. What are the before/after Material names? 3. And lastly, please follow these instructions to provide us with the missing information for a full import/export report: Knowledge Base: How do you get help with import/export questions? Don't forget step 2.9 in the article above as we will also need the original '.PLN' (ArchiCAD) file as well as the original '.LS' Project file from Lumion (with intact materials before the materials go missing). Thanks in advance.

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Lumion hangs when trying to access the Materials Tab If you're experiencing a delayed response or Lumion hangs when accessing the Materials tab. Please try the following: Hello Thank you for getting in touch. I am sorry to hear about your issue. This generally happens when there are too many Materials in the Project or when the textures are too large. Please note that every time you start the Material Editor, a copy of this file has to be saved. In consequence, if the hardware is not fast enough, you can experience long delays. There are a few things you could try out: 1. Make sure you are opening the Lumion Project from a local drive. Accessing your files off external drives or network locations can create additional lag while working in Lumion. 2. If possible open your Project from a location on an SSD drive, not a mechanical one. Hard drive read speeds can increase the efficiency of your workflow in Lumion, and although high speeds for your storage devices are not essential, they are certainly recommended. 3. Please use texture resolutions and formats adequate for your project. Although Lumion supports texture resolutions up to 16K, the reading process of the texture files can become very slow. 4. To avoid any unexpected or unpleasant errors, please make sure that your texture resolutions are divisible by 4. Certain file types (.DDS for example) cannot be used in 3D apps otherwise. Please let us know if any of this helps. If not, you can forward us your .LS Project and/or texture files to further investigate: Knowledge Base: How do you upload files to Lumion staff? Thanks.

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Issue saving rendered file - lack of Temp folder permissions If you're experiencing that after rendering a clip or photo the file is not saved at all. Please try the following: The nature of this error does normally suggest that there are insufficient permissions for the Windows User to execute the action they desire - in your case, it looks like you don't have enough permissions to access the Temp folder mentioned above. Just to double-check, can you please do the following: 1. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Lumion VERSION\temp\. Right-click the folder - Properties - Security tab - Select your username- Are all permissions ticked? 2. If not, click Edit... and make sure that all the permissions for your user name (this is important) are ticked. Then click OK. 3. You can now retry rendering the video. If that does not help, please follow the instructions in the article below: Knowledge Base: Why are Photos or Movies not being saved? Does that work for you?

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Blurry lights and rendering is not sharp If you're experiencing blurry lights and the final renderings do not look sharp. Please try the following: Regarding the noise, you can't completely get rid of it, unfortunately. Though, you can improve it to a certain extent by increasing the Sample count and output resolution. In the end, for the best possible quality, try both: higher resolution and higher Samples. The extra rendering time will be worth the wait. Some background on this: blurred details are a common issue in the realm of raytracing rendering, and as you may already know, it's related to the denoising process. Lumion, like many other rendering engines, uses a denoiser to reduce the noise or graininess that can appear in your images. An interior shot will usually result in more noise than an exterior shot, especially if there is no direct light or little to no ambient light. With the current version of the denoiser, dimly lit interiors (especially with thin line lights) and Raytracing are not a good combination. For now, the denoiser is a 'one size fits all' situation and we're looking to improve it. It's on the roadmap. In the meantime, here's what I generally recommend to ensure a clean Raytraced render: * Light up the interior as much as possible. You can do this by increasing the Sun/Sky Brightness or the artificial light's Brightness. * If the image is too bright or too dark, then reduce/increase the Exposure with the Color Correction Effect. You can also disable Autoexposure for a more accurate control over this. * As explained earlier, increase the Sample count in the Raytracing Effect and output resolution as much as time allows. * If you are still getting very blurry results, consider increasing the Sharpen Effect. * Consider reducing the number of Bounces. * Reduce Chromatic Aberration. * Try using Overcast Realskies, which have a wider range of skylight spread out and that can get better ambient light in indoor scenes in some cases. Some other settings that are known to cause fuzziness and artifacts: * Extremely high Emissiveness or Light Brightness values. * Too many Light sources in view. The more lights are enabled/visible the noisier the output will be. This is because the rays that are shot from the camera are randomly assigned to each light source. Fewer light sources mean that you get more rays per light, which might result in a better less noisy image. This will be improved in a future update. * Light Objects or Emisiveness overlapping/intersecting with other surfaces. This can cause unexpected results because the light doesn't bounce correctly. For more guidance on how to do interior lighting, see these articles: Knowledge Base: Why do you get artifacts, blotches or patchy looking renders with Ray Tracing Knowledge Base: Transitions: How to Set up Lumion 2023 for Good renders Hope these suggestions help you get the most out of Ray Tracing for your Projects. If anything is unclear, let us know.

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Long rendering times. If you're encountering significantly slow renderings or extended/long rendering times. Please try the following: Hi, Thanks for getting in touch. Sorry to hear about this. Rendering times depend on three things: * The hardware being used to render the Project. * The Complexity of the Project being rendered * The output settings used to render the Project. If you'd rather not reduce the output settings and upgrading your hardware is not an option, then we can look into optimizing the Project file to improve rendering times. Please see our article: Knowledge Base: How do you reduce rendering times? If you'd like, you can send us the Project file so that we can advise further. Here's how to do that: Knowledge Base: How do you upload files to Lumion staff? If you do, I'd appreciate it if you send us a Diagnostics Report to assess whether the rendering times align with your graphics card's expected performance. Instructions below: Knowledge Base: How do you provide a Diagnostics Report? Thanks in advance. Let us know if anything is unclear.

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