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Lumion 2023

System Requirements

Everything you need to know to enjoy Lumion to the fullest

As a 3D rendering program, Lumion is different from other CAD software as it relies primarily on having an excellent graphics card. This is especially important for Lumion’s high-end features. Lumion also requires a computer with a fast graphics card with plenty of memory, as well as an internet connection.

Please check the requirements below to find out if your PC can give you a good Lumion experience. You can also find information about where to start if you are looking to purchase a new PC.

A PC with this hardware is not recommended, as it would only be able to handle simple projects, such as:

A small park or residential building with Lumion models and textures.

Please note that this configuration will not be capable of smoothly handling Lumion’s high-end features. We recommend upgrading if you find that your computer is close to these minimum requirements.

Internet connection

The PC running Lumion must be connected to the internet.

Graphics card

GPU scoring a G3DMark of 9,000 or higher with up-to-date drivers. (Such as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, Quadro RTX 4000, AMD Radeon RX 5700, or better)

Graphics card memory

6 GB or more*

Operating system

Up-to-date Windows 10 64-bit (version 2004) or newer

CPU (processor)

Intel/AMD processor scoring a single thread CPUMark of 2,200 or higher. (Such as the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X, Intel Core i7-4790S or better)

Screen resolution

1920 x 1080 pixels**

System memory (RAM)

16 GB or more

Hard drive

SATA SSD or HDD

Hard drive space

Minimum 75 GB of free disk space in the drives where the Windows User Account and Documents folder are located in.

New PC purchase considerations

If you are considering the purchase of a new PC, we do not recommend using these minimum requirements.

To get the most out of Lumion, we recommend to start with our recommended requirements.

A PC with this hardware can handle complex designs and projects, such as:

A small park or part of a city made with OpenStreetMap or other simple models.

A large home with detailed interiors made up of several models and HD textures.

A single residential or commercial model with a single section of the landscape using some high-end models, such as the fine-detail trees.

Internet connection

The PC running Lumion must be connected to the internet.

Graphics card

A GPU scoring a G3DMark of 16,000 or higher with up-to-date drivers. (Such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000, AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT or better).

Graphics card memory

10 GB or more

Operating system

Up-to-date Windows 10 64-bit (version 2004) or newer

CPU (processor)

Intel/AMD Processor scoring a single thread CPUMark of 2,600 or higher. (Such as the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, Intel Core i5-8600 or better)

Screen resolution

1920 x 1080 pixels**

System memory (RAM)

32 GB or more

Hard drive

SATA3 SSD or NVME m.2 storage

Hard drive space

Minimum 75 GB of free disk space in the drives where the Windows User Account and Documents folder are located in.

Power supply

Click here to see which power supply you need (minimum 80+ gold-rated with sufficient wattage)

New PC purchase considerations

If you are considering the purchase of a new PC for Lumion, we recommend that it has at least the hardware listed above.

A PC with this hardware can handle ultra complex designs and projects with several high-end features, such as:

A detailed city, airport or stadium.

A detailed multi-floor building with interiors made up of many models and HD textures.

A detailed landscape made with high-end Lumion features, such as high-detail trees and 3D Grass.

Internet connection

The PC running Lumion must be connected to the internet.

Graphics card

A GPU scoring a G3DMark of 22,000 or higher with up-to-date drivers. (Such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, NVIDIA RTX A6000, AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT or better).

Graphics card memory

16 GB or more

Operating system

Up-to-date Windows 10 64-bit (version 2004) or newer

CPU (processor)

Intel/AMD Processor scoring a single thread CPUMark of 3,000 or higher. (Such as AMD Ryzen 5 5500, Intel Core i7-11700T or better)

Screen resolution

Minimum 1920 x 1080 pixels**

System memory (RAM)

64 GB or more

Hard drive

SATA3 SSD or NVME m.2 Hard Drive

Hard drive space

Minimum 75 GB of free disk space in the drives where the Windows User Account and Documents folder are located in.

Power supply

Click here to see which power supply you need (minimum 80+ gold-rated with sufficient wattage)

For more information regarding computer specs, visit our Knowledge Base article on this subject. Still have questions? You can find many answers to common hardware questions on our System Requirements FAQ.

* Rendering movies in 4K resolution or using RayTracing requires a minimum of 8GB graphics card memory.
** Your screen resolution may be higher than 1920 x 1080; however, this will impact Lumion performance.

Does Lumion work on your current computer?

To see how Lumion will perform on your current PC or laptop computer, you can request to download the free trial and run Lumion’s in-program “Benchmark” test.

Lumion will benchmark your computer’s Graphics Card, Graphics Memory, CPU and system memory. If any of these components have a red score, you may want to upgrade this component for a better Lumion experience.

Try Lumion for Free

Other methods to benchmark your hardware

The free trial is a fairly large download. Alternatively, you can try:

1) find your graphics card

2) search for it on the PassMark website

3) compare your PassMark score with Lumion’s system requirements.

Want a crash course in optimizing software and hardware?

Check out the blog post, “Lumion computer advice for faster 3D rendering” for everything you need to know about optimizing your hardware.

Learn more

System Requirements FAQ

Does Lumion support 'remote desktop' access?

Lumion 9.0 and newer versions are supported on some virtual PC/remote desktop platforms. We’ve listed a few third party providers in the link below that offer virtual cloud desktop services.

Important: Not all virtual cloud desktop offerings can run Lumion; many of them do not meet Lumion’s hardware requirements. Always check if the virtual cloud desktop you are purchasing has hardware that matches Lumion’s System Requirements.

Read more here.

Does Lumion work on a Mac?

Using Lumion on Macs is not officially supported, but it is possible to run Lumion on a Mac. To find out if it will work, please double-check that you have the following:

1. A relatively new Mac computer with a fast graphics card.
2. A Windows 10 license.
3. At least 100 GB free hard drive space for Windows 10 & Lumion.
4. Apple’s Bootcamp software for installing Windows 10.
5. The latest driver software for the graphics card.

For more information about running Lumion on a Mac, read more here.

What type of power supply will my computer need?

The power supply is a very important component. An inferior quality power supply may cause your PC to reboot if it cannot cope with sudden spikes in demand while you’re using Lumion (and other demanding 3D applications).

For this reason, we strongly recommend using a power supply from a reputable manufacturer such as Corsair, Super Flower, EVGA or Seasonic.

The power supply should ideally be marked as Gold-rated 80+ or Titanium-rated 80+, which means that it is very efficient and can maintain a steady current in spite of fluctuating demand.

Learn more about Lumion and your computer power supply here.

Why do I have a low benchmark score for the CPU?

Most modern CPUs (processors) have a base speed and a boost speed measured in GHz (Gigahertz).

If you have a low benchmark score for the CPU and you’re not sure why, the first step is to double-check that your CPU (processor) meets or exceeds the minimum system requirement (mentioned above under the heading, “System Requirements”). Please make sure that the boost and/or base speed exceed 3.0 GHz and that the CPU has 4 cores or more.

Some reasons why you may have a low CPU score include:

a. Background processes & applications may be having an impact.
b. Intel SpeedStep is running and it may make the CPU run slower when speed is not needed.
c. Other, more accurate Benchmark tests may be needed.

You can learn more about the Lumion benchmark score and your CPU here.

Why do I have a low benchmark score for the GPU?

 Lumion needs a graphics card with as many PassMark points as possible (PassMark points are used to rate the speed and performance of a graphics card).

If you have a low benchmark score for the GPU and you’re not sure why, the first step is to double-check that your GPU (graphics card) meets or exceeds the minimum system requirement (mentioned above under the heading, “System Requirements”).

Some reasons why you may have a low GPU score include:

a. You don’t have the latest graphics card driver and all available Windows updates installed.
b. Your PC isn’t using the right graphics card.
c. If you have two monitors and two graphics cards, the monitor you’re using with Lumion might be physically connected to the slow graphics card.
d. Other, more accurate Benchmark tests may be needed.

You can learn more about Lumion’s benchmark score and your GPU here.

Do you have any recommendations for a laptop or PC computer?

Check out the blog post, “Lumion computer advice for faster 3D rendering,” for some recommendations for a laptop or PC computer.

Some other helpful guides include:

– What kind of computer does Lumion 12 need?

– Which laptop PCs do you recommend?

Description Lumion Lumion Pro
3D model import Collada (.DAE)         SketchUp® (.SKP) Collada (.DAE)         SketchUp® (.SKP)
  Autodesk® (.FBX)    Autodesk® (.DWG) Autodesk® (.FBX)    Autodesk® (.DWG)
  Autodesk® (.DXF)    3DS Max® (.MAX) Autodesk® (.DXF)    3DS Max® (.MAX)
  3DS Max® (.3DS)     Wavefront (.OBJ) 3DS Max® (.3DS)     Wavefront (.OBJ)
     
Image import TGA    DDS TGA    DDS
  PSD    JPG PSD    JPG
  BMP    PNG BMP    PNG
     
Material map import Color map Color map
  Normal map Normal map
  Displacement map Displacement map
     
Video import (MP4) * *
     
Lightmap import: E.g. from AutoDesk® 3D Studio Max * *
     
2D background sound/music (WAV)   *
     
Model and material variation options   *
Description Lumion Lumion Pro
Output image formats JPG      TGA JPG      TGA
  BMP     PNG BMP     PNG
     
Output image resolution 280×720 (0.9 Megapixel) 280×720 (0.9 Megapixel)
  1920×1080 (2.1 Megapixel) 1920×1080 (2.1 Megapixel)
  3840×2160 (8.4 Megapixel) 3840×2160 (8.4 Megapixel)
  7680×4320 (33.2 Megapixel) 7680×4320 (33.2 Megapixel)
     
Material map import Color map Color map
  Normal map Normal map
  Displacement map Displacement map
     
Output video resolution 640×360 (480p) 640×360 (480p)
  1280×720 (720p) 1280×720 (720p)
  1920×1080 (1080p) 1920×1080 (1080p)
  2560×1440 (1440p) 2560×1440 (1440p)
  3840×2160 (4K) 3840×2160 (4K)
     
Output video frane rates 25/30/60/200 25/30/60/200
     
Output to image sequence Max 3840 x 2160p Max 3840 x 2160p
     
Output 360 panaromas for the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift * *
     
Output of Depth Maps, Normal Maps, Lighting Maps, Sky Alpha Maps, Reflection Maps and Material ID Maps * *
     
Output of sound in MP4 * *
Description Lumion Lumion Pro
Object library    
•Plants and trees (affected by wind)    
•Transport models (cars, buses, boats etc)    
•Exterior models (street furniture, buildings etc)    
•Interior models (furniture, decoration etc) 1,928 models 5,840 models
•Animated 3D people    
•Animated animals (birds, farm animals, pets, fish)    
•Children (not animated)    
•3D people & animal silhouettes    
•3D animal silhouettes    
•2D people silhouettes    
     
High-quality animated 3D people, 118 characters 367 characters
some from AXYZ Design    
     
3D sound effects    
•Ambient sounds (nature, locations, etc)   123 sound effects
•People    
•Things (Cars, machines, etc)    
     
Title effect styles 14 basic styles 27 styles
     
Text-in-3D-Scene   *
     
Lights and utilities 37 43
     
Area/Line lights   *
     
Material library categories    
•Various terrain materials    
•Nature, Indoor, Outdoor materials * *
•10 customizable material types (water, glass, billboard, lightmap etc)    
•Custom materials library    
     
PureGlass® stock materials   81
     
HDRI skies 39 44
     
Customizable 3D grass materials   14
     
Furry materials   10
     
Leaf stock materials   9
     
Water presets 20 20
     
Total materials 1,178 materials 1,292 materials
     
Materials with displacement mapping 229 materials 229 materials
     
HQ Materials from Poliigon 252 Poliigon materials 252 Poliigon materials
     
Environment & weather    
•Real Skies    
•42 landscape types    
•6 water types * *
•Customizable weather (cloud cover, sun position etc)    
•Ocean with waves slider, turbidity, color etc    
•Waterfall material    
Description Lumion Lumion Pro
Scene editor    
•Easy model placement * *
•Intuitive material editing    
•Landscape editing and rendering    
•Advanced sky and cloud rendering    
•Realistic water rendering    
     
•LiveSync® for AutoCAD®    
•LiveSync® for SketchUp®    
•LiveSync® for Revit® * *
•LiveSync® for ArchiCAD®    
•LiveSync® for Rhino 6®    
•LiveSync® for Vectorworks®    
     
Upgraded OpenStreetMap import (with height maps)   *
     
20 Scene Layers * *
     
Movie editor    
•Intuitive camera animation editor    
•Animated models * *
•Sun/sky animations    
•Add title screens, scene and post-processor effects    
•3D output for side-by-side stereoscopic 3D playback    
     
Animation    
•Animation import    
(move/rotate/scale    
animations via FBX files) * *
•Advanced animation    
(Curved animations, multiple keyframes)    
•Animated cross-section    
•Sky Drop effect    
     
Background rendering mode * *
     
Custom terrain material sets * *
     
Custom terrain texture import * *
     
Exchange of project files for team use * *
     
Merge project files for team use   *
Description Lumion Lumion Pro
  Sun effects Sun effects
  Sun, God Rays, Sun Study, Volumetric Sunlight Sun, God Rays, Sun Study, Volumetric Sunlight
  Weather effects Weather effects
  Fog Fog, Precipitation
  Sky effects Sky effects
  Real Skies, Sky and Clouds, Contrails, Volume Real Skies, Sky and Clouds, Contrails, Volume
  Clouds, Horizon Cloud, Moon Clouds, Horizon Cloud, Moon
  Objects Objects
  Water, Layer Visibility, Autumn Colors Water, Layer Visibility, Autumn Colors
  Camera Camera
  Handheld Camera, Exposure, 2-point Perspective, Handheld Camera, Exposure, 2-point Perspective,
  Depth of Field, Lens Flare, Chromatic Aberrations, Depth of Field, Lens Flare, Chromatic Aberrations,
  Fish Eye Fish Eye
  Animation Animation
Movie and photo effects Animate Light Colors, Time Warp Animate Light Colors, Time Warp
  Artistic 1 Artistic 1
  Color Correction, Pastel Sketch, Image Overlay, Color Correction, Pastel Sketch, Image Overlay,
  Sketch, Sharpen, Painting, Vignette, Noise, Sketch, Sharpen, Painting, Vignette, Noise,
  Watercolor Watercolor
  Artistic 2 Artistic 2
  Bloom, Analog Color Lab, Manga, Styrofoam, Bloom, Analog Color Lab, Manga, Styrofoam,
  Selective Saturation, Bleach, Cartoon, Material Selective Saturation, Bleach, Cartoon, Material
  Highlight, Blueprint, Oil Painting, AI Artist Styles Highlight, Blueprint, Oil Painting, AI Artist Styles
  Advanced Advanced
  Shadow, Reflection, Print Poster Enhancer, Sky Shadow, Reflection, Print Poster Enhancer, Sky
  Light 2, Hyperlight, Near Clip Plane, Global Light 2, Hyperlight, Near Clip Plane, Global
  Illumination Illumination
     
  Move, Advanced Move, Sky Drop, Move, Advanced Move, Sky Drop,
Movie effects Mass Move (curved), Motion Blur, Fade in/out, Mass Move (curved), Motion Blur, Fade in/out,
  Titles, Wind, Sound, Side by Side 3D Stereo Titles, Wind, Sound, Side by Side 3D Stereo
     
    Real Skies at night, Aurora borealis, Photo Matching,
Pro only effects   Atmospheric rain and snow, Outline effect, Tilt shift,
    Variation control, Speedray® Reflections
     
Hyperlight® 2 in Photo and Video modes * *
     
OmniShadow * *
     
Materials Physically-based rendering * *
     
Weathering for materials * *
     
Transparency for materials * *
     
PureGlass®   *
     
Foliage for materials   *
     
    3 types of falling leaves, 48 types of 
    fountains and “water walls”, 16 types of 
Special effects: 104 effects   fire effects, 20 types of ,6 types of steam 
    effects, smoke effects, 5 types of dust effects, 6 types of fog effects
Description Lumion Lumion Pro
Floating licenses • •
Real Skies • •
Real Skies at night   •
Fine-detail Nature   •
Aurora Borealis   •
Photo Matching   •
OpenStreetMaps (and height maps)   •
Customizable 3D Grasses   •
Atmospheric rain and snow   •
Furry materials   •
Hand-drawn outline effect   •
Soften hard edges   •
Tilt Shift   •
Model and material    
variation options  
Measuring tool and grid object   •
Speedray™ Reflections   •
PureGlass®   •
Foliage for materials   •
OpenStreetMap import   •
Area lights and line lights   •
     
Model library 1,798 models 5488 models
     
Animated 3D people and animals, some 108 characters 345 characters
from AXYZ Design    
     
Ambient sound effects No Sound Effects 123 Sound Effects
     
In-project 3D Text effect   •
     
Advanced 3D Title effects Limited Title effects 27 Title effects
    12 built-in fonts
    Support for custom fonts
     
Merge project files (for projects with multiple users)   •
     
Output to real-time fly-through via Lumion Viewer   •
     
Main movie Sound effect Sound output in MP4 • •

An extension of your imagination

With Lumion, you’re in control of your ideas. Create stunning visualizations of every angle of your design — at any point in your creative process.

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