Topic: best way to create two environments in the same base model

[wdgdallas]

I have a somewhat basic question about creating two different environments in the same scene file.  I'd like to create a day scene and a night scene.  Both scenes have different materials assigned, in example the glass has a slight glow effect in the night scene.

I have been just using the same file and changing the materials when I re-render different times of day scenes.  This was somewhat time consuming, so I wanted to know what the best way was to create two totally different environments in the same model. 

I tried saving the file in the save menu to "night" and one with "day".  I then opened the "night" file and changed the materials to the night materials.  However when I opened the "day" scene from the menu the day scene had the night materials.  Should I be copying a file and renaming it?

Thanks,

Vince

[cpercer]

There are really two ways to accomplish this.  For both methods, you will need to load your model twice with two different names, i.e. Building_Day and Building_Night.  This will keep you from having to change materials so often.

Method 1 contains all models and duplicates.  Set up your day scene and make sure to use your layers (20 layers should allow you to do whatever).  Also make sure your models' positions are locked.  Next save your scene.  Begin importing all your "Night" models on a new layer and use the align command to match the night models to your day models.  Save your scene.  Use the hide layer effect while making movies.

Method 2 starts the same way.  Save the scene with a different name.  Delete all night models in the day scene and all day models in the night scene.  Save both scenes.

The only difference is the individual scenes will load faster and method two will not need the hide layer effect or any sun position effects.  Rendering times should be the same for both files since you will have layers hidden.

[wdgdallas]

ok, thanks for the response. Sounds like i need to duplicate the entire scene then delete copies of models - yikes. I hope I have the system specs to be able to do this.  I think until we can save and load different model material sets (hope for Lumion 3  ), I may just re-assign night materials for my night scenes each time.  I place all lights on layer to easily turn off.

One more question, how would I cycle through aligned models that overlap each other exactly and know which model is Day and which is Night?

Thanks,

Vince 

[cpercer]

The easiest way is to place the night models on a seperate layer from the very beginning so you can hide them easily and delete the day models.  If you forget to do this, hover your mouse over the overlapping icons and press the up or down arrow keys.  This should cycle through the models; however, if the models are the same then the bounding boxes are the same and it will be very difficult to tell them apart.

[Zdenek Fajfrlik]

The easiest way is to place the night models on a seperate layer from the very beginning so you can hide them easily and delete the day models.  If you forget to do this, hover your mouse over the overlapping icons and press the up or down arrow keys.  This should cycle through the models; however, if the models are the same then the bounding boxes are the same and it will be very difficult to tell them apart.

hi cperser,
if i may participate from your experience:

when you load the same model twice in lumion , i think, the model files can have different names in win and in lumion, but in both files the colours in skp have the same name,
will lumion treat them as different / separate colours , when load in both models ? means, colour 001 can be texture 1 in model 1 and  at the same zime texture 2 in model 2' both in the same lumion project.
thank you, i will soon try myself, but would like to know....

and if the two models are on different layers, are the controll points (selection) also switched on/off whith the visibility of a layer?
thank you. stan.

[cpercer]

If you give the same model a different name in lumion, you can apply different materials to them.

[Truls]

Thanks, Cpercer for helping out!

[wdgdallas]

Yes, thank you cpercer, much appreciated.

Vince