Lumion LiveSync lets you feel the beauty and life of your architectural projects while you’re working in your CAD or 3D modeling software. Learn how LiveSync real-time rendering can quicken and enhance your workflows.

Lumion is compatible with all CAD and 3D modeling software, from the major players such as Revit, SketchUp, and Rhino, as well as the more specialty programs including Chief Architect and 3ds Max.

No matter which software you use for your CAD, BIM or 2D/3D architectural drawing, you can import your models into Lumion and quickly create photorealistic or conceptual renderings that convey the beauty and experience of your design ideas.

The Lumion LiveSync plugins are free and easy to install. To download the plugin for your software, you can click on the relevant link above. Continue reading to learn how this real-time rendering feature can help you quicken the visualization process while giving you valuable insight into the development of your designs.

Lumion LiveSync for Revit

Autodesk Revit is one of the leading CAD and BIM software programs used by architects, designers, engineers and many others across the AEC industry.

It’s a very flexible and dynamic digital design tool, and Lumion LiveSync for Revit leverages this BIM software’s unique 3D modeling capabilities so that you can always view how your BIM choices impact the photorealistic or conceptual presentation of your project.

For instance, while you are working on the 2D drawings, Lumion simultaneously renders your design choices surrounded by beautiful, lifelike environments. Now, as you’re working out the finer details of your design, you can always see what it means with regards to lighting and shadow, form and shape, context, materials and more.

Lumion LiveSync for SketchUp

Trimble SketchUp is used extensively by architects and designers across the world, and one of SketchUp’s distinct advantages is that it makes the process of 3D modeling as if it were an extension of your own hand.

You can push and pull shapes into residential homes, interiors, multi-family residences or other buildings and landscape designs, which can be ideal when you’re in the beginning stages of the design process. This is where Lumion LiveSync can serve as a helpful, insightful supplement to your SketchUp modeling.

Model design by Pixel-Head Studio.

By turning on the live synchronization between SketchUp and Lumion, you can view all of your design choices, modifications and tests in Lumion’s stunning, detail-rich environments. Explore how light falls on the side of your home design. Get valuable insight into the sensations of “spaciousness” for your interiors.

Lumion LiveSync for ArchiCAD

Graphisoft ArchiCAD is another industry-leading BIM modeling tool known for its clean interface, sweeping capabilities that cover everything from project planning to implementation, and real-time editing and communication that makes model checking and coordination more efficient.

But when you want to better understand the experience of your design, LiveSync connects your ArchiCAD project with Lumion’s large, built-in content library. With over 5,600 models to furnish exteriors and interiors with trees, plants, shrubs, furniture, people, cars, and any other “props,” Lumion LiveSync ensures that you can always demonstrate the real-life interaction between people and your design ideas.

So, when you’re checking out the mood and feeling of your exterior design in ArchiCAD, you can make sure that your analysis includes a Lumion view with trees waving in the wind, high-end design furniture shown in a beautiful arrangement, and true-to-life perspectives that help spark an emotion during your client meetings.

Lumion LiveSync for Rhino

Robert McNeel & Associates Rhinoceros 3D is a little different than the three programs mentioned above, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less powerful. Rhino is an innovative tool known for its ability to create parametric designs (with its Grasshopper plugin) as well as polygon meshes, point clouds, solids, surfaces and NURBS curves.

By running the Lumion LiveSync for Rhino plugin as you’re modeling, you can give yourself an extra viewpoint that truly brings out the beauty and detail of your Rhino designs, from the simple 2D line or arc to the most complex 3D free-form surface or solid.

Lumion LiveSync for Vectorworks

Nemetschek Vectorworks is another comprehensive architectural software known for its pioneering cross-platform CAD and BIM development. Additionally, Vectorworks has several products with nuanced features for specific industries, including Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Designer and Fundamentals.

And with the over 1,200 materials in the Lumion library content library, LiveSync can help you instantly view your Vectorworks project with high-quality, photorealistic textures, ideal for when you’re coordinating the different patterns or evaluating the color schemes of your design in an immersive way.

Lumion LiveSync for AutoCAD

Autodesk AutoCAD is another staple of the CAD and drafting industry with numerous advantages during the early stages of design, especially with its built-in design layouts for architectural planning and building construction.

AutoCAD also lets you apply colors and materials/textures to every surface of the model, making it easier for clients to imagine the design as a real-life building. By adding Lumion LiveSync to your AutoCAD workflows, however, you can elevate this process even further.

With the help of real-time rendering, you can always see what your designs will look like in their beautifully detailed, real-life settings, minimizing the potential gap that could exist between your vision and your client’s expectations.