Introducing Lumen: Real-Time Ray Tracing.
If you are looking for a fast and easy way to create stunning 3D visualizations of your architectural projects, you might want to check out Twinmotion 2023.2, the latest version of the real-time rendering software from Epic Games. Twinmotion 2023.2 introduces Lumen, a new global illumination and reflection system that uses ray tracing to achieve realistic lighting effects in real-time. Lumen can make your scenes look more natural and immersive, with accurate shadows, reflections, and color bleeding. In this blog post, we will show you some of the benefits of using Lumen in Twinmotion 2023.2 and how to activate it in your projects.
What is Lumen, and why use it?
Lumen is a new feature in Unreal Engine 5.3, the game engine that powers Twinmotion. Lumen is a dynamic global illumination system that simulates how light bounces and reflects off surfaces in the scene. Unlike traditional methods that use precomputed lightmaps or voxel grids, Lumen uses ray tracing to calculate the lighting at each pixel on the screen. This means that Lumen can handle dynamic changes in the scene, such as moving objects, changing the sun’s position, or switching materials, without any baking or rebuilding required.
Lumen can enhance the realism and quality of your Twinmotion renders by providing:
– Soft and natural shadows that blend smoothly with the environment
– Accurate reflections that capture the details of the surrounding geometry
– Color bleeding that adds subtle variations and richness to the scene
– Ambient occlusion that creates depth and contrast between objects
Standard Real-Time Lighting (L) vs Lumen (R)
Hardware and Software Requirements
To use Lumen in Twinmotion 2023.2, you need to meet some hardware and software requirements:
– A graphics card that supports DirectX 12 and has at least 8 GB of VRAM
– The latest version of Windows 10 with DirectX 12 installed
– The quality setting in the Preferences panel is set to High or Ultra
Activating and Utilizing Lumen in twinmotion 2023.2
Once you have met these requirements, you can activate Lumen in the Ambience panel under Render > Real-time. You will see two options: Standard and Lumen. The Standard option is the default rendering method that uses light propagation volumes (LPV) and is suitable for low-end hardware or VR mode. The Lumen option is the new rendering method that uses ray tracing and provides higher-quality results.
When you switch to Lumen, you will notice an immediate difference in the lighting of your scene. You can adjust the intensity and color of the sun and sky using the sliders in the Ambience panel, or use one of the presets to quickly change the mood of your scene. You can also add artificial lights from the Library panel and see how they interact with Lumen.
Lumen is not compatible with some features in Twinmotion, such as cycloramas, LED walls, scattered and painted vegetation, or VR mode. These features are either not supported by Lumen or not suitable for its performance requirements. You can still use them in your scene, but they will not contribute to or receive lighting from Lumen.
Lumen’s Impact in Twinmotion 2023.2
Twinmotion 2023.2 is a major update that brings Lumen, a new global illumination and reflection system that uses ray tracing to create realistic lighting effects in real time. Lumen can make your Twinmotion renders look more natural and immersive, with accurate shadows, reflections, color bleeding, and ambient occlusion. We can only imagine future possibilities with twinmotion, with features like nanite being included in the near future.
If you want to learn more about Twinmotion 2023.2 and Lumen, you can visit the official website, read the release notes, watch the video tutorial, or join the support community. You can also download a free trial version of Twinmotion 2023.2 from the Epic Games Launcher and start creating stunning 3D visualizations of your architectural projects today.
Are you Interested in what Unreal Engine is up to? Check out our blog post