Lumion unveils Lumion View
Lumion has unveiled Lumion View, a real-time visualization plugin for SketchUp.
The new add-on is described as a “lightweight design companion” to Lumion, the standalone edition of the software, and is aimed at early-stage design workflows.
Lumion View is currently available free in early access to Lumion users with Pro subscriptions.
Lumion: an easy-to-use near-real-time tool for architectural visualisation work
One of the most widely used renderers for arch viz work, the standalone edition of Lumion creates renders of architectural scenes in near-real time.
It is intended to provide architects with little background in visualization with a more straightforward way to create realistic stills and animations than standard DCC apps.
Users import building models from other software, either in standard 3D file formats like FBX, OBJ, SKP and MAX, or via built-in live links to major CAD applications.
They can then edit materials inside Lumion, set up lighting and weather effects, dress the scene from the accompanying asset library, and create simple camera animations.
Lumion View: a new plugin integrating the rendering technology directly into SketchUp
The new Lumion View plugin cuts out the import and setup work, enabling users to visualize buildings in real time directly inside SketchUp, Trimble’s architectural sketching software.
Lumion pitches it as a tool for initial design work – for exploring ideas and adjusting massing, lighting and materials – that works alongside Lumion itself “without duplication of effort”.
However, the plugin is capable of photorealistic output and can generate “fast 4K renders”, so it could presumably also be used for final-quality images.
Currently free in early access to Lumion Pro subscribers ahead of a wider release
Lumion View is currently free in early access for users with Pro subscriptions to Lumion, ahead of the release of Lumion 2025.0, which will “fully support” workflow between the two.
Lumion plans to make Lumion View compatible with Revit and other CAD software in future: you can register online to be notified of the wider release.
Price, system requirements and release date
Lumion View is currently available in early access for Lumion users with Pro subscriptions. Lumion hasn’t announced pricing, system requirements or a date for a wider release.
One-year subscriptions to Lumion itself cost $749/year for the standard edition; $1,499/year for the Pro edition. See a feature comparison for the two editions.
Read more about Lumion View on the product website
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