Topic: Custom materials in lumion

[jordan230]

Can i create custom materials in Lumion? I need to apply Spanish tile to a roof, and I want to use a custom texture, can I do this in Lumion, or the library is limited only to Lumion textures?

[RAD]

you can do this easily within Lumion.  It is capable. 

[jordan230]

how???

[RAD]

Are you talking about saving a custom material for future use? 
In that it "reappears" next time you open up the program as your own personal material?

If that is what you are asking - no Lumion won't do that as far as the versions I have used.  I believe it has been requested before however.

[jordan230]

what I am asking is : Can you load  new materials into Lumion?

[RAD]

For sure

From the icons on the Left -
go to- Import
Go to- Edit materials
In Materials Editor
go to- Custom  (top left corner)
go to -Standard (middle icons)
go to -textures (small icon on right - looks like a checkerboard)
click on Change diffuse texture (Big icon box)

Will give you a choice to pick your textures.
Hope this helps.

[jordan230]

great!!! i will try that .. thanks for your help!!! I just started with Lumion last week so I am a little lost!! thanks

[RAD]

No problem jordan

You can also change one of Lumions premade standard materials by following the last two steps.
That way you don't have to change all the other settings (time saver), other than adding your custom material and scaling it appropriately.

[jordan230]

I am looking at the material editor and there is an icon that says billboard... what is that for? is that to apply an image? Also what is the purpose of landscaping and invisible?
Sorry for all this questions, i wish there is a tutorial for all these commands....

Do you know how to change the texture of the pre- set landscape, ie like apply a new grass texture to all the landscape?

[RAD]

Billboard textures are created in another software (3D max, etc) - typically textures of people or plants - that when imported into Lumion rotate along the Z-axis to face the camera at all times.
(I havent used them personally in Lumion- Billboards are so 1992)
Google will help clarify what billboards are a bit further if you need more.

Invisible turns off a material in your scene so you can't see it in a render.
Landscape lets you select your imported terrain model to match the Lumion terrain.

I don't see a tutorial coming along for a little longer as the software is still improving and changing - it is practically brand spanking new.  You can find many questions answered in these forums.

Can't change the texture of the pre-set landscape at the moment.  It has been requested many times.
The Lumion team wants their terrain to tile nicely - the reason given from them that this is not implemented.

Although I would imagine most everyone that uses this software would like the option to change it for more individualized looking renderings.  

[jordan230]

thank you  very much for your answers... they are really helpful.... little tips like these helps a lot..... thanks

[Gaieus]

Jordan, watch this tutorial on certain (custom) material settings. It was made for an earlier version but essentially this has not changed.

[ayseyener]

Hi, i'm wondering the materails in lumion have to have just online square forms? Cause i'm trying to edit a tile which has form rectangle, but lumion make it square again. How i can do edit rectangle... Could anybody help me=)
Thanks from now on...

[RAD]

Rectangle materials do turn square in Lumion. 
Sounds like a custom material that needs to be mapped in your modeling software in order to work the way you would like in Lumion. 

[peterm]

As RAD says  .

After updating your model and mapping the rectangle texture in your modelling application, simply re-import it using the Materials Editor --> reload and reapply materials button.

The material Scale value for that surface should stay at 0, as it now contains a UV map, rather than setting one in Lumion with the Scale value.