Topic: building an environment off a trace image or map image -size

[jon2]

I'm testing with free version of Lumion to see if we can use Lumion to quickly recreate environments and place revit and other 3d models in it.  Basically I've found that we can and we are interested now.  But I ran into some possible size constraints and other questions Im hoping i can get answers to.

As a test, I dragged a photo of a google map region into sketchup and applied it to a flat plane.  I exported as collada and imported that into Lumion.  The idea was to use that image as a trace and manually create the look of the area in the aerial view of the image.

I realized then that when placing models on the ground, they will raise or lower with the ground if you raise the ground.  So maybe this plan for a tracing image wasn't a good one.   Is there a better way to go about this?

At the same time, I realized I could pull the ground up through the image in the area closest to the origin, but not further out.  So now I'm thinking i hit a size constraint or something.  Is there a constraint?   I'm trying to test doing this option for a large industrial site that spans across or within a 5 by 2 mile region.  So right now that's the size of the flat plane sketchup'd image i imported.  Was going to attempt this at realtime size.

I found a region around or near the origin axis but off to the right that I can raise the ground on but that is it.  I have no idea what size this restraint seems to be.  Is there one and what size is it restrained to?  Or am I just doing this all wrong?

[Zdenek Fajfrlik]

briefly:

- try fixing imported object to prevent from moving (lock function), since elements move up and down with the terrain......attention: align function in lumion also does not repect imported meshes / terrains so far

- the terrain area is about 2 x 2 km lumion 2.5

should be more ( morten: 3 x 3 ?) in 3.0

- imported terrain unlimited, until limitations of the graphic engine

- and: objects still 'snap' to lumion terrain, not imported meshes, even in 3.0, as far, as i could read in the forum

- in 2.5 you must import objects near 0.0.0 and then move them further away, if  necessary. placing imports outside the 2x2 square makes them invisible.
in 3.0 this limitation should be gone (::: morten , is that right?)


regards gstan

[Derekw]

Hi Jon2,

I've completed a couple of projects using large areas of terrain from Google Earth. You may get some useful information from my posts: Surfcoast Project in work in progress and also Swan Bay Farm in features movies. I hope this helps. Goodluck

[Morten]

- try fixing imported object to prevent from moving (lock function), since elements move up and down with the terrain......attention: align function in lumion also does not repect imported meshes / terrains so far

Here's how the Lock position function works:

Select the imported model (or any other model):
-> Context menu -> Transformation -> Lock Position -> On

I don't understand what you mean by "attention: align function in lumion also does not repect imported meshes / terrains so far". The Align command in the Context menu is used to transfer the position and rotation of 1 model to other models. As far as I know, this works fine. If you have encountered a situation where this is not the case, please post the details in the Bug section, so we can investigate it.

- the terrain area is about 2 x 2 km lumion 2.5

The size of the native terrain in Lumion is 2048x2048m. There's more information in this FAQ thread (search for terrains):
http://lumion3d.com/forum/f-a-q/lumion-2-tips-tricks-and-shortcuts/

should be more ( morten: 3 x 3 ?) in 3.0

No, the size of the native terrain in Lumion is still 2048x2048m in Lumion 3.0.

- and: objects still 'snap' to lumion terrain, not imported meshes, even in 3.0, as far, as i could read in the forum

A model will snap to any other model, including imported models, as you move it.

However, if you select multiple models and move them along an imported model, e.g. a terrain, only the model you are clicking on as you move them will snap to the imported (terrain) model. In addition, the following functions will not cause the new models to snap to your imported (terrain) model:

(ALT) + Move selected object(s): Copy-paste selected object(s) by pressing ALT while dragging one of the selected objects.
Place object mode -> (CTRL) + Left-click: Randomly place 10 copies of the currently active object library model.

- in 2.5 you must import objects near 0.0.0 and then move them further away, if  necessary. placing imports outside the 2x2 square makes them invisible.
in 3.0 this limitation should be gone (::: morten , is that right?)

There is no such limitation in Lumion 2.5 or 3. Models do not become invisible if you place them outside the native Lumion terrain. If you have encountered a situation where this is not the case, please post the details in the Bug section, so we can investigate it.

[jon2]

thanks fellas.  I'll try some of the suggestions.  I would love to have this software become our best asset.

[Zdenek Fajfrlik]

Here's how the Lock position function works:

Select the imported model (or any other model):
-> Context menu -> Transformation -> Lock Position -> On

I don't understand what you mean by "attention: align function in lumion also does not repect imported meshes / terrains so far". The Align command in the Context menu is used to transfer the position and rotation of 1 model to other models. As far as I know, this works fine. If you have encountered a situation where this is not the case, please post the details in the Bug section, so we can investigate it.
The size of the native terrain in Lumion is 2048x2048m. There's more information in this FAQ thread (search for terrains):
http://lumion3d.com/forum/f-a-q/lumion-2-tips-tricks-and-shortcuts/
No, the size of the native terrain in Lumion is still 2048x2048m in Lumion 3.0.
A model will snap to any other model, including imported models, as you move it.

However, if you select multiple models and move them along an imported model, e.g. a terrain, only the model you are clicking on as you move them will snap to the imported (terrain) model. In addition, the following functions will not cause the new models to snap to your imported (terrain) model:

(ALT) + Move selected object(s): Copy-paste selected object(s) by pressing ALT while dragging one of the selected objects.
Place object mode -> (CTRL) + Left-click: Randomly place 10 copies of the currently active object library model.
There is no such limitation in Lumion 2.5 or 3. Models do not become invisible if you place them outside the native Lumion terrain. If you have encountered a situation where this is not the case, please post the details in the Bug section, so we can investigate it.

hi morten, thanx for the corrections, maybe i did not describe exactly, since i understood the question as dealing with up and down movement of objects, since aligning to terrain ( not snapping while beeing placed) really does not respect imported meshes, does it?

and according to placing objects outside the lumion terrain area, i will check this, i may have overseen an improvement, since i had problems with that in my first (2.0) installations.
sorry for that.
regards stan

[Morten]

hi morten, thanx for the corrections, maybe i did not describe exactly, since i understood the question as dealing with up and down movement of objects, since aligning to terrain ( not snapping while beeing placed) really does not respect imported meshes, does it?

Ah, I see what you mean - what confused me was that you used the word 'align' instead of 'snap' (since 'Align' is a Context menu command).

and according to placing objects outside the lumion terrain area, i will check this, i may have overseen an improvement, since i had problems with that in my first (2.0) installations.
sorry for that.

No worries, I think that was a bug in an earlier 2.x version.