Creating Great Images with Lumion 12

Lumion is still many people’s favorite render program, and with the new Lumion 12 release you can get great results in exterior scenes. You can find the effect file below the video.

YouTube

What’s in this video?

In this lesson we prepare a realistic exterior image with Lumion 12. The video’s original title says the same: realistic exterior render and effect file. So besides setting up the scene, we also share the effect settings that give the image its final look. (The video is in Turkish; this guide walks through the key steps in English.)

The link to the effect file is in the video’s description on YouTube. That way you can load the same settings into your own scene and compare the results. The description has no chapter timestamps, so we recommend watching the lesson from start to finish and then trying it on your own model.

Who is it for?

The video runs about 21 minutes. It is a medium-length lesson, but it shows every stage of an exterior image.

• Architects who want to take a building they modeled in SketchUp or another program into a presentation
• Users who know Lumion but are looking for more realistic results
• Beginners who want to start from a ready-made effect setup
• Students looking for fast, effective images for project submissions

Realistic exterior images with Lumion

Lumion is a visualization program that works in real time. So when you change the light, sky and surroundings, you see the result on screen right away. In exterior scenes this speed is a big help.

Realism is rarely decided by a single setting. Light, shadow, color balance and atmosphere work together. So instead of adding effects one by one, it is important to build a setup in which they complement each other.

An effect file stores exactly this setup. Once you save settings you like to a file, you can start other projects with the same look. It also makes it easier to keep the same visual language within a team.

Before you watch

A ready-made effect file does not give the same result in every scene. The model’s materials, the sun angle and the camera position directly affect the result. So we recommend treating the file as a starting point and adjusting the settings a little for your own scene.

Preparing a clean file on the SketchUp side before sending the model to Lumion also speeds up the work. For example, cleaning up unnecessary parts and giving materials meaningful names saves time later. For the basics, you can also take a look at the SketchUp Help Center.

When you try the effect file

1. First, save your scene once without effects.
2. Then load the effect file and put the two images side by side.
3. Readjust the sky and sun angle for your own project.
4. Finally, save the setup you like to a new file under your own name.

This small comparison is the fastest way to understand what each effect adds to the image. On your next project you will use the settings with understanding, not by rote.

Preparing the image for presentation

The job is not quite done when the render finishes. You also need to think about how the image that goes to the client or the jury will look. We do a few simple checks before a presentation.

• Save the image at a resolution that suits the size you will use in the presentation.
• Choose a main frame that shows the building’s strongest facade.
• Add two or three close-up frames that explain the details.
• If you have time, take a second image from the same angle at a different time of day.

For example, putting a daytime and an evening image side by side shows two different sides of the project at once. And taking a second frame from the same scene in Lumion only takes a few minutes. Your presentation becomes much richer than a single image.

Related lessons

• Fast visualization with version 12: another scene with the same version.
• Exterior render lesson with version 11: the exterior workflow in the previous version.
• What to watch for when exporting from SketchUp: before you send the model.
• Our full course: the program’s core topics.
• Our render guide: all our render content on one page.

Frequently asked questions

Does the effect file work in every Lumion version?

You need to test that from version to version. We made the file in the video with Lumion 12, so if you use it in a different version, be sure to check the result.

Can I get a realistic image without the effect file?

Of course. The file only saves time; you can set up the same settings yourself step by step.

Do I have to recreate the scene in the video exactly?

No. Working with your own model is more instructive, because it lets you see how the settings behave in a different scene.

Is this lesson suitable for interiors too?

The lesson focuses on exteriors. But the logic of effects working together is the same indoors; only the lighting setup needs a different approach.