E-on-Lumenrt render for Sketchup
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Sounds fairly similar to LightUp so far, but with bounced light, better reflections, no artificial lights, and external instead of internal. After exporting, do you adjust settings/add objects or is everything set up before exporting? If you do alter some settings after export, how will changes to the SketchUp model be handled?
I have to say it's fairly common for me to go beyond 600k edges/300k faces in models I've animated with LightUp, like this one. However, since LightUp uses a finite-element method (aka a grid) to solve illumination, I can't use it to create a walk-through of a 1Km x 1Km housing development, as I would need to use too wide a grid to show any light detail in close-ups. I only use LightUp for compact models. Seems like LumenRT, which seems to also be using a finite-element method, will be confined to similar compact projects (houses, restaurants, chapels), as so far the examples have been fairly small spaces. No house developments, no large shopping malls, no stadiums have been shown. I guess one would still need Lumion for larger projects. As it uses a screen-space effect, it can handle anything you throw at it and it can still look good on close examination, no matter the real-world dimensions of the project or if it has several million edges.
Here's a sample of my walk-through work with LightUp, Lumion and Twilight. I use different apps for different needs, because so far I haven't found one that can handle all kinds of projects. My guess is that LumenRT will be handling the individual houses part, basically becoming an alternative to LightUp.
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Hi Ecuadorian. Very nice animation you made there.
@ecuadorian said:
Sounds fairly similar to LightUp so far, but with bounced light, better reflections, no artificial lights, and external instead of internal. After exporting, do you adjust settings/add objects or is everything set up before exporting? If you do alter some settings after export, how will changes to the SketchUp model be handled?
There are no adjustments after export into LumenRT. The process is entirely seamless. You just indicate the rendering quality you want ranging from draft (quick preview render taking under 1 minute), Review (~30 minutes or less), Final (~ 1 hour or less), Superior (~ 2 hours or more) and the type of atmosphere you want and then LumenRT takes care of the rest. There is no ability to add objects or new camera animation paths post export into LumenRT. If you need to change something on the model, you do it in Sketchup and then re-export into LumenRT.
@ecuadorian said:
I have to say it's fairly common for me to go beyond 600k edges/300k faces in models I've animated with LightUp, like this one. However, since LightUp uses a finite-element method (aka a grid) to solve illumination, I can't use it to create a walk-through of a 1Km x 1Km housing development, as I would need to use too wide a grid to show any light detail in close-ups. I only use LightUp for compact models. Seems like LumenRT, which seems to also be using a finite-element method, will be confined to similar compact projects (houses, restaurants, chapels), as so far the examples have been fairly small spaces. No house developments, no large shopping malls, no stadiums have been shown. I guess one would still need Lumion for larger projects. As it uses a screen-space effect, it can handle anything you throw at it and it can still look good on close examination, no matter the real-world dimensions of the project or if it has several million edges.
A couple of things here:
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LumenRT does not use a grid/finite element method to calculate lighting. It can handle models of any physical size such as a 1km x 1km housing project. However, it will take much longer to render – perhaps several hours. The display of the final output will of course be totally interactive.
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LumenRT was designed to be used as a collaborative tool for sharing design concepts, ideas, and models with your clients in a more immersive, interactive fashion. In other words, your clients will now have the ability to explore and navigate the models you create themselves, with very high quality lighting and fidelity. It’s not meant to replace tools like LightUp or Lumion or any other rendering tool that produces canned or fixed output. It’s really a complimentary tool or another “arrow in the quiver” to provide a way for you to engage with your clients in a more immersive, interactive fashion – to let your clients “play with” or “explore” the design.
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The only thing you need to be mindful of when using LumenRT is that the interactive GPU performance is of course dependent on the capabilities of your client’s graphics card. Our tests have shown that for models with 500,000 polys or less, there is no performance issue at all provided you are using a reasonably modern graphics card. For your model shown in the link this one, this would probably exceed 500,000 polys and therefore experience some degradation in terms of FPS performance.
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The reason I believe LumenRT and LightUp will be close competitors is that LightUp (and soon Lumion) can also export models that you can send to a client to freely explore. The LightUp player is free and only a 367KB download. I can navigate the model you saw in the video @1080p in LightUp player with no performance hiccup on a Nvidia GTX 570. Models with a lot less detail can be explored on mainstream GPUs.
However, in my experience, you never know what kind of computer the client has, if he's tech savvy enough to open an exe, bypass Windows' UAC and antivirus warnings, and navigate a model you send him without getting lost or getting stuck in a corner. Maybe he doesn't even have computer at all... some people only use smartphones nowadays and have forgotten computers. So the only time you end up using freely explorable models are when you take your laptop and navigate the model yourself in front of the client.
That's why I prefer videos and stills even though LightUp (and soon Lumion according to its creators) also offer navigatable models.
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Hi Everyone,
Here are some links to a few new LumenRT renders. I really like the softness and richness of the light in these:
http://www.lumenrt.com/images/showcase/CafeRosso01.jpg
http://www.lumenrt.com/images/showcase/CafeRosso04.jpg
http://www.lumenrt.com/images/showcase/FelixHotel_03.jpg
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@ecuadorian said:
The reason I believe LumenRT and LightUp will be close competitors is that LightUp (and soon Lumion) can also export models that you can send to a client to freely explore. The LightUp player is free and only a 367KB download. I can navigate the model you saw in the video @1080p in LightUp player with no performance hiccup on a Nvidia GTX 570. Models with a lot less detail can be explored on mainstream GPUs.
However, in my experience, you never know what kind of computer the client has, if he's tech savvy enough to open an exe, bypass Windows' UAC and antivirus warnings, and navigate a model you send him without getting lost or getting stuck in a corner. Maybe he doesn't even have computer at all... some people only use smartphones nowadays and have forgotten computers. So the only time you end up using freely explorable models are when you take your laptop and navigate the model yourself in front of the client.
That's why I prefer videos and stills even though LightUp (and soon Lumion according to its creators) also offer navigatable models.
If you're concerned about your clients hardware, you can simply export a panorama from LightUp with a single button click:
[flash=512,512:2o630022]http://www.light-up.co.uk/resources/cubicvr/panoviewer.swf?filePath=http://www.light-up.co.uk/resources/cubicvr/cube1/&prefix=cofla[/flash:2o630022]
Also ran the Cafe Bar model through LightUp v2.1 after adding a bunch of IES lights sources + some area light sources around the bar area (LumenRT just does a single parallel light ie The Sun, right?)
Lighting time was 5m40s. Images straight out of LightUp with no touching up.
and and quick daytime one too:
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Now there seems to be more information about Lumenrt in their webpage.
http://www.lumenrt.com/ -
yes but it went away as fast as it came online :s
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No, just moved to a different page...its available for purchase now! http://www.lumenrt.com/purchase/
Special intro price of $195.00...SRP $295 -
So, who'll be the first to bite this time?
I have found no free trial... -
First observation: Reflections seem to be hybrid. For closer objects it seems to be using either real-time raytracing or a real-time flat mirror map. Far away objects seem to be rendered using a standard reflection map, either cubical or spherical.
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It seems that QuadroFX cards are not supported ! I tried to launch one of the boxes available for download on their website, and it's not workink with my Quadro FX 1800...
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@ecuadorian said:
So, who'll be the first to bite this time?
I have found no free trial...Hello there sketchers. I'm new here on this forum.
Well i did bite
I'm currently trying out my new gadget... it will be interesting.
Sig
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@panga said:
It seems that QuadroFX cards are not supported ! I tried to launch one of the boxes available for download on their website, and it's not workink with my Quadro FX 1800...
I have no problem and use a Quadro FX 1700. I do have 8meg of ram. It works beautifully for me. All the models I have rendered are acceptable most really good. Beware high quality can take an age. Plants need to be low polygon.
I will definately use this as part of my SU Vue Max pipeline. I would like a range of materials that can be applied in SU, work really well in LumenRT and then translate to Vue materials when imported into Vue so you really get continuity.
I hope that is of interest. -
Thanks for your feedback thecravatman ! Maybe I need to update my nividia drivers...I'll try again tonight.
Cheers.
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Hello to all
I would like to thank you first on this subject with all the information it .. I am interested in the LumenRT program, but I don't know more about it, or about all rendering plugin for SketchUp.
I use Cinema 4D, and plan to learn a second program, to improve some projects, and the Google SketchUp is one of my choices.
My question is focused on how we comparison between LumenRT and LightUp, Or they are completely different?
If they were in the same field .. What the best choice for purchase?
Any advices I will be thankful.
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Hi,
I bought LumenRT a few days ago as it seems to complete my suite software...but could not success to make livecubes work on my QuadroFx 1800...all drivers are uptodate...it's a bit frustrating...
Any clue or advice ?
Edit : Is someone familiar with Eon website and forums, because I can't success to see their forums. I succeed to register my lumenRT licence (got the confirmation page), but after that, when I go to "my account" i got no product registered !! and consequently i cannot access forums or technical support...
If someone could help me ?!!
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Does anyone know if LumenRT supports any type of artificial lighting? ....ies, point, spot, etc.? All examples on the site are sun lit only, so I'm curious.
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From what I've seen and read until now, it's only the sun.
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Just supports SU sun.
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Just got Microsoft Kinect to navigate around my latest model in LumenRT with guestures only!
It works really well IMHO.
I shall test and maybe change some of the gestures.
Nice program! Well done e-onsoftware.
Has anyone else hacked the Kinect for the PC?
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