Lumion 12 – The best version of the program so far?

Lumion 12 was officially released at the beginning of the month, so we had a moment to test its new features. We looked at what has really changed, and we already have feedback from clients. We will guide you through everything briefly below, along with examples. Let's start with the promotional video:



To begin with, it should be said that the graphical innovations and improvements were not presented as the main features in this version. Compared to Lumion 11 and older trailers, this is unusual. Previously, trailers always focused on new functions, such as orthogonal views, photo sketches, rounded corners of models, automatic animations, drops of rain sliding down glass, volumetric fire, improved lighting, render previews, etc. (The full list of new features and several older versions can be found here: https://www.lumion.cz/novinky/ )

Why is it different this time? In Lumion, the functionality of almost every significant feature has been adjusted, but each change involves minor improvements that, while fundamentally altering the experience of creating visualizations and speeding up workflow, would be quite complex to present. Thus, the main presentation logically focused on what users appreciate the most: a functioning program that offers a pleasant and straightforward workflow. Notable exceptions, which stand out significantly, include "stickers" or decals that add imperfections to the scene, volumetric lights that create the mood of a misty morning, or improved materials that allow for more realistic rendering of materials. What everyone sees who has used an older version is the new interface. But let's start with what is most visible.

Stickers

Imperfections highlight one thing: realism. Too sharp edges on models indicate a laziness to model the rounding. An overly shiny texture shows laziness in adding some natural flaw. Lumion 12 has a beautiful tool for this, stickers. They can easily alter the entire impression of the surface, model, and ultimately the entire visualization using just one object. They add imperfections, wear, and flaws. Chipped plaster, scribbled sidewalks, a worn center line on the road. These are all those details that provide credibility to the visualization. In combination with edge rounding, material aging, and new material options, you can create much more realistic-looking visualizations. For those who like to play around, stickers can also be placed on cars and other various objects from the Lumion library. You can simulate a muddy car or scratched furniture, for instance. You can thus enliven and make realistic several thousand models.

Volumetric Lights

Volumetric light for point lights, which is added in photography or video effects, allows you to easily showcase morning fog in the street, subtly display a cone of light in an interior, or simulate concert lighting.

The lights can also be animated and moved. They still react to G.I. and other effects. Thanks to this, you can also create a better-looking traffic simulation on the road by adding this effect to car lights, or visualize an object underwater. Of course, these are just marginal uses; the main purpose is to create the right atmosphere for the visualization. To this end, the new light settings now include temperature input in Kelvin. Uploading IES profiles for lights has become a standard feature.

Program Interface

This may be the most important aspect. The new interface is simpler, clearer, and allows for much more intuitive settings of individual elements. You work with libraries in a simpler way; they are categorized into folders that are clearly arranged in the main library. The same types of objects are also categorized within the categories. For example, when searching for a birch tree, you have all its variants available in one group. Additionally, there are tags available, but more on that later. A nice feature is the graphical design of the on/off "switches," which are set up like a classic old electric switch. Traditional and advanced settings for objects are clearer. You can copy effects between video clips and photographs more easily, or copy entire views and videos.

Materials

The way materials are handled has also changed significantly. If you use custom materials, you can now add a gloss map to them much more easily, indicating the glossiness in different parts of the material at certain reflectivities. Additionally, Lumion still works with the alpha channel, which you can use for other purposes (such as brightness), apart from the most commonly used semi-transparent textures. In practice, this means you find an online material, perhaps a real one from a manufacturer (a good source is "Realworld textures"), and download the jpg maps for color, normal, displacement, and reflections. You can easily upload all of them to Lumion and have a specific material, complete with all properties anticipated by the manufacturer. For visualizations of interiors, this is absolutely the best new feature.

Other Improvements

There are many other improvements, such as better handling of terrain and imported satellite maps, license plate tags, better optimization on certain graphics cards, and better program settings for slower cards. However, I won’t burden you with them when you can try them out for yourself calmly. This is probably the best way to get a clear idea of the program.

The trial version is available here: https://www.lumion.cz/zkusit/