38 – The Limitations of Lumion

We love Lumion here at Civil FX Studios. That doesn’t mean it is perfect, however.

Civil FX Updates

The 2nd visualization challenge is starting in just a few days on Feb 1st
To see the results from the 1st challenge and learn about the VCs, visit www.civilfx.com/vc
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Thinking of bringing more interviews on the podcast because they are more interesting than me, maybe either a happy visualization client or someone that knows about drones

Lumion isn’t for Everyone

Much has been said about Lumion on this podcast and elsewhere online
It is because it solves so many problems
Lumion has an uncanny ability to make 3D models look gorgeous in a very easy way
But the more I hear about Lumion the more I am afraid that people and firms are jumping on the Lumion bandwagon for the wrong reasons
In the 4 steps of 3D visualization, Lumion sits happily in the third step with just a little overlap in the 2nd and 4th step
Other software programs like Civil 3D, 3ds Max or InfraWorks have site modeling (based on CAD data) functionality
Lumion doesn’t replace site modeling functionality
You still need to do most of the modeling outside of Lumion
If you don’t have a good workflow for modeling already then Lumion isn’t going to do you much good

Other Lumion Limitations

Lumion will only get you about 90% of the way to the best visualization possible
For most this is okay, but other software such as 3ds Max will theoretically deliver better results
Lumion also doesn’t have an open SDK so things like bringing in traffic simulation data isn’t currently possible
Because of the closed SDK you also can’t write your own toolbars or other scripts
You also can’t use an external render farm
You also have to have a computer with a dedicated graphics card (no Surface Pro 3)
The price is low for large companies but still high for individuals and small firms

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