GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD Now Fully-Integrated with LumenRT 2015
Jared’s Note: This is awesome. If you aren’t familiar with LumenRT, here’s a quick video to blow your mind:
I’m super fascinated with how we can model the environments around our designs. So much potential. I’ll definitely be looking into the connect between LumenRT and ArchiCAD more in the future. But first I’ll probably have to clone myself, learn how to not sleep, or somehow get an employee… But before that I’m sure I’ll at least write more about the possibilities of what we could do with this type of tool.
BUDAPEST, November 24, 2014 — GRAPHISOFT®, the leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) architectural software developer, has announced that it is now fully-integrated with LumenRT 2015 on the PC and Mac platforms. The interface includes full support for the export of ArchiCAD geometry and BIM information along with an integrated LumenRT proxy content library of plants, vehicles and characters. With the ArchiCAD LumenRT Exporter (standard on all versions of LumenRT), ArchiCAD users can instantly transform their models into rich, immersive scenery complete with wind-blown trees, moving vehicles, animated characters, wavy water, clouds and atmospheres.
“LumenRT is possibly the best thing that has happened to BIM since BIM itself, by allowing the exploration of BIM scenes in real-time with a true-to-life environment,” said Ivo Venkov, Architect and Founder, PAA Studio.
“ArchiCAD integration has been a top request from our users and we are pleased to deliver this important capability with LumenRT 2015,” said Nicholas Phelps, CEO of e-on software. “The GRAPHISOFT team was extremely helpful during the integration process and we look forward to providing LumenRT to the ArchiCAD user community. We believe the combination of ArchiCAD and LumenRT delivers unparalleled environmental realism in a simple-to-use, real-time platform and is a must have for any ArchiCAD user seeking a more compelling and engaging way to convey their design vision.”
“We welcome e-on software and LumenRT into the ArchiCAD community,” said Laszlo Vertesi, GRAPHISOFT Vice President of Product Development. “LumenRT provides a rich environmental modeling capability that nicely compliments the ArchiCAD BIM solution.”
About LumenRT
LumenRT is the leading 3D immersive communication platform for architecture and GeoDesign. With LumenRT, architects, designers, engineers, and GIS professionals can convey their design ideas and vision in much more compelling and engaging fashion — to tell a story by allowing the audience to “experience” the design rather than just seeing it. To learn more about LumenRT, please visit www.LumenRT.com.
About e-on
E-on software is the leading developer of solutions for the creation, animation, rendering and integration of natural 3D environments (Vue, Ozone and Carbon Scatter), as well as real-time Immersive Communication tools for Architecture and GeoDesign. Offering a wide array of Digital Nature products and applications, e-on software provides solutions adapted to every project and budget. E-on software products are used worldwide by the film, television, architecture, construction, game, science, educational and entertainment industries. E-on software is based in Beaverton, Oregon, with a European office in Paris, France. Visit their website at www.e-onsoftware.com.
About GRAPHISOFT
GRAPHISOFT® ignited the BIM revolution in 1984 with ArchiCAD®, the industry-first BIM software for architects. GRAPHISOFT continues to lead the industry with innovative solutions such as its revolutionary BIMcloud®, the world’s first real-time BIM collaboration environment, EcoDesigner™, the world’s first fully BIM-integrated “GREEN” design solution and BIMx®, the world’s leading mobile app for BIM visualization. GRAPHISOFT has been a part of the Nemetschek Group since its acquisition in 2007. Visit archicad.com to see the most important milestones in ArchiCAD’s 30-year history.
Joe Messier
very interested. very excited.
Roderick Anderson
Jared, definitely saw this as a leap forward in presentation quality and new options for us Archicad users. I ended up getting the trial version of Lumen RT to test out and was seriously considering buying maybe 2-3 licenses. Unfortunately I came up with a major shortcoming of the Lumen installer, as it turns out it will only recognize English or INT installations of Archicad and not any other languages, therefore the Spanish version of AC18 that we use is then unrecognized. At first I thought, no problem, I’ll simply move the add-on files to the correct folder in the Archicad Spanish installation (same as I have to do with Cadimage tools) but upon doing so from that point forward Archicad misteriously crashes EVERY TIME you open it. Moving the add-ons back to where they were installed stops the crashing.
I wrote to Lumen RT support about this but got a response back simply saying that this is something that at this point is not supported and there are no plans from the developers to correct it. This looks like one huge shortcoming, since it is alienating a huge Archicad community worldwide that may not use the English version for one reason or another. What is worse is that I don’t think that we need a Spanish version of lumen, we simply need the single version of lumen to be properly installed and to work with any language version of Archicad.
Jared Banks
Does your license allow you to use the INT version of ArchiCAD? It should. You could download that version (here’s how) and use it as a go-between between your localized version of Archicad and Lumen RT. Opening your regular projects with the right libraries in the INT version should work. It’d be an extra step to open and export and open back up but should be a viable work around. FYI, my USA license works with the INT versions I’ve downloaded, so I expect yours should as well. If it doesn’t, I’d recommend making some calls and e-mails to Graphisoft to see if you can get that fixed.
Also while it’d be an annoying step to go ArchiCAD SPA to ArchiCAD INT to Lumen RT to ArchiCAD INT back to ArchiCAD SPA, saving each time, it should be seamless between the ArchiCADs…assuming there’s no Lumen RT data lost by opening the project in a version of ArchiCAD without the Plug-In. That could be a bigger issue. But…worth a try?
Happy holidays and hope that solves the issue.