Visualization and technology have long gone hand in hand. It is, after all, a means of representing architecture that has relied on technological developments to keep up with the demands of a growing audience across multiple industries. But the fact that the two are inseparable does not mean that technology should dictate the way in which visualization is used. As technology advances, so too does its ability to become less obtrusive, allowing technological know-how to take a back seat in favor of the creative process and design exploration.
The new version of Lumion has entered into a visualization landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. The pursuit of photorealism that dominated much of visualization’s technological development has, for the vast majority of its users, been largely accomplished. Effective visualization is now no longer an exception to the norm, but increasingly an expectation. As Remko Jacobs, Lumion Founder and Chief Technical Officer, explains, “photorealism is there, particularly when it comes to imaging the exterior of buildings. It’s much easier to make something that looks good.”
This is a shift for which the philosophy of Lumion has been prepared. Since the beginning, Lumion’s approach has been to consider the development of visualization as something greater than a series of technological developments. Focus has always been maintained on enabling the creative process to naturally take place, rather than the availability of the latest features. When these features are incorporated, it is in a way that is accessible and intuitive, even if this may mean taking more time to add the latest technology.
Advancements in technology of course remain a vital and important part of visualization. But rather than an end in and of themselves, these developments can be seen as a conduit to improving design communication without requiring users to jump through technical hoops. This is a philosophy that, over time, more and more architects have come to share – understanding how visualization can be utilized to communicate narrative and emotion beyond photorealistic final images. “Lumion is more and more integrated into the design process,” explains Lead Programmer Marius Giertz. “The only work you have to put in is creative work, and that’s the biggest benefit - you spend more time on the creative part instead of the technical part.”
One of the most dramatic technological leaps in the new version of Lumion is the incorporation of ray tracing capability into a completely rebuilt hybrid render engine, allowing for the creation and adjustment of accurate and realistic shadows, reflections, and refractions created by calculating the path of light as it bounces off surfaces. Inherently, in reducing the work the user is required to put in, this is a method that allows some of the focus to shift from technological tweaking to creativity. “The biggest improvement of ray tracing from a user perspective is not primarily the realism, but the ease of use,” explains Jacobs. “You define the materials, select a sky, and then the only thing left is placing your camera; you already have a nice image.”
While the technology of ray tracing is not new, the approach to integrating it into Lumion has followed the same principles that have always steered the software’s development, prioritizing accessibility, speed, and stability rather than simply incorporating technology as soon as it becomes available. In light of this, the entire Lumion engine has been rebuilt from the ground up, not only to effectively integrate ray tracing into a hybrid engine with rasterization, but to ensure that those without the hardware capability to use new features still have a great experience. “It’s the first time that we have started over with all of the important algorithms, rather than building on top of an old version,” says Jacobs. “We really started from scratch.” This includes the addition of a new updater tool, allowing new features to be quickly and unobtrusively installed as and when they are released for a more streamlined workflow.
As the expectation for visualization has grown, so have its use cases across architecture, construction, and engineering. It is no longer work that is outsourced to visualizers but is increasingly done in-house at architecture practices. Lumion has long recognized this shift, again prioritizing ease of use out of the box, but still providing a more detailed level of control for those who require it. “Many people will want the quickest way to a good result, and will just need it to work,” explains Giertz. “Whereas for a visualizer, for example, it’s not about the result but about having control - it’s about creating a fine balance.” “For the new version, we did both,” adds Jacobs. “The interface is simpler and more elegant but in practice you can have more control - but the key idea is that you won’t necessarily need that control.”
In giving users the best of both worlds, whether it is technological control or ease of use, Lumion provides a seamless way to be prepared for the next steps in the development of architectural visualization. The power to create stunning, final project images remains as effective as ever, but so too does the ability to use visualization as a far more integrated and intuitive part of the design process at every stage.
