Topic: Exporting objects landing in an exact position

[dgilberto]

Should be necessary, as it is in Quest3D and most of the 3D packages, to work by phases. I mean: When I finish a big piece and I judge that it is perfect I'll export it into Lumiom. My problem is that I need to place it in an exact place. When I export the next piece I'll wish to land in the same place and orientation that it comes from. Like this I could build a big building or urban environment feeling the security that everything land is in the correct place, exporting many times. This method is very common in Autocad using Wblock or merging Max files.
Otherwise I must to export the whole project once and if I want to insert more geometric pieces to place them in a no exact or controlled  position.
Could anybody help me?
Dgilberto

[cpercer]

When you create your model in your 3D package, that model has an origin point.  If you created all of the pieces independently, then you can build a model in your 3D package which contains all of your items, the entire scene.  Export smaller chunks of the large scene in your preferred format then import into Lumion. 

In Lumion, place the base of your model (usually the site or the largest imported object) where it can best be blended into the Lumion terrain.  Select "Import -> Modify -> (Hover mouse over base object icon and click once) Transformation -> Lock Position -> On." Then while still in Modify Object mode, click the icon again: "Selection  -> Select all Similar Category."  Now all of your pieces should have a red bounding box. Still in Modify Object mode, hover over the icon for the base object (the one whose position you locked): "Transformation -> Align."

The common origin is used to align the objects.  When all the objects are aligned, it is tricky to select them since all the icons are aligned.  To select a specific object, hover over the group of icons and use the up and down arrow to move through the objects.  A green bounding box will appear when an object is ready to be selected.

*Note: There is a "selection" bug in Lumion 1.0 SP2 (as of Build 2).  Sometimes when scrolling through objects, you must highlight the previous object in the selection queue and then click in order to select the intended object.

[Remko]

We're working on new selection and moving. We'll also do some work on coordinates for Lumion 2.0. I don't know if you will actually be able to type in coordinates but you will probably be able to do something that is the equivalent of that. A straight forward coordinate system would be very counter intuitive. Another method would for example to snap a grid to a point in your world and have objects move and snap according to that grid or maybe a type-in if that's really needed.

[Gaieus]

Very useful info, and good description of the process, cpercer, thanks a lot!

[Frank]

I would appreciate using coordinates very much too. Inherently aligning parts of models to a shared reference-point during import would safe a lot of work.

[tug]

Thank Cpercer, useful as well

[dgilberto]

I am really very excited about your answer. Thank you very much Cdercer.
 I tried the alignment and it worked. The thing I don't  understand is the part when you say:
"To select a specific object, hover over the group of icons and use the up and down arrow to move through the objects"
In my model when I move the arrow keys it simply navigate. And I guess that with a lot of pieces will be very difficult to select an specific object.
The real problem is when I realize that there is a mistake in a piece and I want to delete it. How to find and select it rapidly to erase.
Thank you again
Dgilberto

[Ecuadorian]

Don't forget a "preserve origin" checkbox when importing.

[cpercer]

The origin of the last program from which you exported is automatically preserved upon import

[cpercer]

I am really very excited about your answer. Thank you very much Cdercer.
 I tried the alignment and it worked. The thing I don't  understand is the part when you say:
"To select a specific object, hover over the group of icons and use the up and down arrow to move through the objects"
In my model when I move the arrow keys it simply navigate. And I guess that with a lot of pieces will be very difficult to select an specific object.
The real problem is when I realize that there is a mistake in a piece and I want to delete it. How to find and select it rapidly to erase.
Thank you again
Dgilberto

It is quirky to say the least; however, when a large amount of objects (more than 5) are aligned, the up and down arrows do cycle through the objects.  Five or fewer aligned objects allows the icons to spread out a little so the arrow keys are not needed.

[peterm]

Just learning some of the features, so if get something wrong...

Whilst there is a solution to placing the scene objects, it does seem un-intuitive and cumbersome so the challenge will be for Lumion developers to come up with a nice simple solution.

It seems that the issue is simply that you can place your imported scene anywhere in the Lumion world and would do so to match other terrain etc features you want to incorporate.  So it's that initial option that could be managed some other way that might make things a bit easier.

Is it possible to re-assign the Lumion world co-ordinates to a picked position.  That is, the position selected in the Lumion world becomes 0,0,0 world centre so that as long as we have created our scene objects at center in our DCC then everything from then on will align without further adjustment.

An option, if that's not possible, is to assign/record a 'world centre' position (which can always be amended) and then all objects are placed at this world centre.  So, you pick a point (mouse click, or key in, as part of import or scene preparation process) in the Lumion scene that's best for your objects. This becomes 'world centre', the option of locked is still there.  All objects imported from then on are placed relative to world centre.  So long as you have created in your DCC the object relative to 0,0,0 and imported it at such, then everytinhg would then be placed correctly, and all future imports would be placed correctly without need to set alignment, transformations etc etc.  As an added advantage, if you want to move your whole scene for some reason, you would simply edit the 'world centre' values and everything would shift nicely.

[cpercer]

An option, if that's not possible, is to assign/record a 'world centre' position (which can always be amended) and then all objects are placed at this world centre.  So, you pick a point (mouse click, or key in, as part of import or scene preparation process) in the Lumion scene that's best for your objects. This becomes 'world centre', the option of locked is still there.  All objects imported from then on are placed relative to world centre.  So long as you have created in your DCC the object relative to 0,0,0 and imported it at such, then everytinhg would then be placed correctly, and all future imports would be placed correctly without need to set alignment, transformations etc etc.

I'm not sure I understand. As far as I can tell, this is the way Lumion operates.  Your first imported object acts as your world center based on its origin.

As an added advantage, if you want to move your whole scene for some reason, you would simply edit the 'world centre' values and everything would shift nicely.

This would be nice if the Lumion terrain could shift with the imported objecs; however, it is possible to select all objects and move them at the same time.

[dgilberto]

Don't forget a "preserve origin" checkbox when importing.

I can't see that check box!!!

[cpercer]

I can't see that check box!!!

There is no check box. The origin is preserved already.

[Ecuadorian]

No, it isn't. When you import an object you are required to position it manually. You can't just let Lumion match the origin point.