Topic: Best/lightest modelling method

[JamesHoran]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the best form of modelling for large scenes in Lumion?... coming from AutoCAD / 3D Studio MAX....

Generally, I model in AutoCAD using faces - keeps the model very light, and rendering time low. Switch on 2-sided materials in Max and this overcomes the non-aligned normals issue. However, bringing in these models to Lumion results in lots of gaps, for normals facing different directions. Solid modelling in AutoCAD solves this issue, but the models become very heavy, very quickly...

Any ideas for dealing with a large, (VERY large), detailed development? Could be anything up to 60 detailed buildings?

Thanks for any thoughts.

[Ferry]

I think most real polygon modelers will work fine. Probably sketchup is a good method for creating 60 buildings with little effort.

[JamesHoran]

Thanks.. running a few tests here - might be a bit archaic but modelling with lines in AutoCAD - give them the requisite thickness, then 'cap closed entities' on your way into max creates an extremely light model.. whizzes around in Lumion..

[VETS3D]

If your turning on double sided materials in max it will hide any problems with polys being flipped.  You would probably be better leaving that off and doing some quick renders within max to make sure the model looks right before bringing it into Lumion.  I have seen this problem allot when i bring models into max from other packages and cannot work out whether its a problem with the importer or the way the geometry is originally constructed.  When I model directly in Max I dont have the problem.

Cheers
Si 

[manoj]

Hi, I am having problem for textures, when i export from max like a palm tree the leaves are shown only at one side, the back sides are coming transparent, is there a double sided material method to rectify this problem. In one of the tread I read Lumion now supports double sided textures, but not explained how to do it. another thread i read to copy the entire mesh and flip the mesh surfaces, but this will simply double the number of faces. can you give me a solution. Thanks

[Morten]

What you read in the other thread was just Remko carrying out an internal test, so the double-sided functionality is not actually available in Lumion yet.

In other words, you'll have to clone the palm tree leaf polygons and flip their normals prior to exporting your scene.