Now, to get ready for Lumion 3D, what we need is a detailed 3D model. Lumion doesn't have any modeling tools; this means we have to pick a modeling package such as SketchUp, 3ds Max, Modo, or Blender, just to mention a few, and use a computer-aided design (CAD) plan as a reference to model the building. Modeling with one of these packages is out of the book's scope, but if you are modeling for the first time, you might want to explore SketchUp. SketchUp has a free version; it is a very easy application to learn. There are plenty of tutorials to help you start working with SketchUp, and Lumion imports SketchUp files directly, without the need to use any special format.

Assuming that we have a 3D model, our next step is to import this model into Lumion and start adding more content by adjusting the weather's elements, sculpting the terrain and then adding some camera effects, and finally, exporting this as an image or a movie. In simple terms, this is more or less the workflow to work with Lumion.

Nevertheless, before starting this process, we still need to be sure that the 3D model is ready to be imported inside Lumion. When you look at the topics mentioned in the beginning of this chapter, they might look simple, but we should fight the temptation to jump to the next chapter. This chapter is the cornerstone of the project we are going to develop in Lumion, and the topics mentioned can serve as a checklist that we can run quickly before importing our 3D model, making sure that we don't need to jump back and forth solving issues.

Let's start with a quick overview of some fundamental concepts that will help you work with Lumion and check whether your 3D model is working properly.