A look back at the best of Lumion 2023
A recap of this year's highlights
Let’s rewind
The end of the year is fast approaching. And what a year it’s been!
2023 marked an entirely new phase for Lumion. We began with the launch of a completely redesigned version of the software, Lumion 2023, and witnessed its evolution through multiple updates and improvements throughout the year.
Fast forward to today, and Lumion has reached new heights. And with constant enhancements still being made, the stage is set for an exciting 2024.
We decided it was time to look back at some of the highlights of the past year at Lumion. Are you ready to join us in reminiscing?
The highlights
Throughout 2023, Lumion underwent serious transformation. Not only did we unveil a brand-new look, we also revealed the results of our development team’s ongoing endeavors: a completely rebuilt render engine with ray tracing capabilities.
The Lumion 2023 hybrid engine signified a major shift, making the software accessible to users with and without ray tracing-capable graphics cards. It also laid the foundation for future success and ensured that our customers could enjoy the latest innovations and updates as soon as they became available.
And the new updater tool has certainly been put through its paces this year, with one major release and four minor releases successfully made available to all subscribers.
But the work is never finished! We’ve expanded our technical, product, and CX teams by 43% since the start of the year to ensure we can continually improve the software and deliver results more rapidly than ever.
For now, let’s go back in time and take a look at some of the highlights of Lumion 2023.
Improved quality and realism
The quality and realism of visualizations are integral to effectively communicating and accurately representing a design, which is why we’ve been so committed to pursuing these qualities in Lumion.
In 2023, we launched a new unified lighting system that works with ray tracing to help you achieve unparalleled realism in lighting, shadows, and reflections with minimal effort required.
We also completely overhauled the material workflow by fully converting it to physically based rendering (PBR). This allows for the most authentic-looking materials and textures yet, due to the interplay between light and surfaces achieved with ray tracing.
A smooth workflow
Speed and ease have always been at the core of Lumion. This year, we've honed in on this by making improvements to the model-to-render workflow, from importing models to building scenes and producing final renders.
The improved line and cluster placement tools allow you to effortlessly place multiple assets and easily conform them to any surface or terrain.
The updated LiveSync panel enables greater control over the connection between your CAD tool and Lumion, all in one convenient location.
Lumion's interface also got a lift this year, making the entire scene-building experience smoother. With a new gizmo and auto-snap tool, it's much easier to add context to your designs.
Managing complex scenes also became simpler, thanks to the updated layer interface. This gives you visibility of your asset count, enabling bulk selection and transfer between layers, speeding up the entire process.
Greater creative control
Effective renderings not only showcase a design with accuracy but also capture a creative vision and evoke emotions. This goes beyond mere representation, transforming visualization into an impactful and expressive medium that resonates on a deeper level.
Throughout the year, we've introduced new features to add an artistic touch to your designs. The new selection of LUT color grading presets allows you to convey specific atmospheres and establish a consistent style across different scenes. Plus, with the option to load custom presets, you can communicate a more distinctive aesthetic.
The inclusion of custom HDRI skies gives more choice in making your scenes unique. This powerful feature helps capture the right light, shadows, and mood of your project.
The new camera path presets offer a wider range of creative possibilities. You can direct your movies however you like using orbit paths, dolly shots, pan/tilt shots, follow object paths, or even import your own.
An enhanced content library
The Lumion Library has also expanded this year with 378 new models, 166 new fine-detail nature, 165 new materials, and 150 new characters, bringing the library’s grand total to an impressive 9,000+.
But it isn’t all about the numbers. The range of content available has significantly diversified in 2023 – we introduced themed collections of kitchen and bathroom-related items, as well as a brand-new category of stylized low poly models.
Whatever style or level of realism you’re aiming for in your renderings, there’s now something to suit all scenes, from simple stylized figures to the highest quality fine-detail nature.
Looking to 2024
We hope you’ve enjoyed exploring Lumion 2023 this year. If you haven’t had a chance to see what it’s all about yet, you can easily get to know the latest version of Lumion Pro with a free trial.
Curious to know what’s in store for 2024? We recently sat down with our co-founder, Remko, and CEO, Thomas, to reflect on 2023 and get a taste of what’s to come. Dive into the interview to gain a glimpse into their perspectives.
Don’t forget, you can always get a quick insight into what we’re working on by checking the product roadmap. We’re always keen to hear your suggestions and ideas, so don’t hesitate to share them with us by hitting the button in the top-right corner.
Thank you for your support this year, and we look forward to bringing you many more exciting developments in 2024!
