Layer Organization and Pre-Lumion Standards
Lumion reads your Rhino model through its layer structure. How you organize now determines what you can control in Lumion.
Why this matters
Lumion's LiveSync imports your Rhino model and uses Rhino layer materials as material identifiers. Every unique layer material in Rhino arrives as a separate, independently assignable material in Lumion. Layers that share the same material arrive as one material ID — meaning you cannot assign them different visual materials in Lumion without going back to Rhino and separating them first. Get the layer organization right before you start LiveSync, not after you've spent an hour assigning materials in Lumion.
Layer naming — 3D modeling descriptors
Rhino layers mirror the CAD naming prefix logic (L —, A —, Z —) but use descriptors appropriate to 3D modeling rather than 2D drafting. Your CAD plan distinguished between L - Walk and L - Walk - Hatch because drafting requires both a boundary and a fill. In Rhino, the surface itself is the geometry — you need only one layer per distinct material condition.
| Example CAD layer | Corresponding Rhino layer | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| L - Walk | L - Walk - Surface | The split terrain sub-surface for the walk area |
| L - Walk - Patio | L - Walk - Patio - Surface | Split surface for distinct paving area |
| L - Plant - Lawn | L - Plant - Lawn - Surface | Lawn terrain sub-surface |
| L - Plant - Bedline | L - Plant - Bed - Surface | Planting bed sub-surface |
| L - Site - Building | L - Site - Building - Mass | Extruded building form |
| L - Road - Curb | L - Road - Curb | Holds both curb front and back in one 3D object layer |
| Z - Xref - Survey | Z - CAD Linework | Parent layer for all imported CAD curves (turn off for rendering) |
Pre-Lumion material assignment in Rhino
Before starting LiveSync, every layer that will receive a distinct material in Lumion needs a unique material assigned in Rhino. A flat color is sufficient — the purpose is differentiation, not visual accuracy. In the Layers panel, double-click the material swatch next to each layer name and assign a basic color. Use colors that are visually distinct from each other so you can tell layers apart in Lumion's material picker.
The one condition that will cause problems: if two layers have identical material assignments (including the default white), they arrive in Lumion as one material and cannot be separated without returning to Rhino. Verify that every modeling layer has a unique color before the first LiveSync.
Final model check before LiveSync
Run these before starting Lumion:
- Turn off the
Z - CAD Lineworklayer — you don't want curves syncing to Lumion as geometry - Run
SELBADOBJECTS— resolve any remaining invalid geometry - Run
PU(PURGE) — clean unused layer definitions and materials - Check the model in Rendered display mode — every surface should show a distinct color with no default-white surfaces mixed in
- Save the file — LiveSync reads the saved state
Try this
Switch your Perspective viewport to Rendered display mode. Every surface should show a distinct color. If any surfaces appear white or share a color with an adjacent but different surface type, those are pre-Lumion material conflicts. Open the Layers panel and assign a unique color to the offending layer before proceeding to LiveSync. What you see in Rendered mode in Rhino is roughly what Lumion will receive as separate material groups.
What breaks
CAD linework visible during LiveSync — curves are not surfaces and they import oddly into Lumion. Turn off all linework layers before LiveSync. They're modeling reference geometry — they don't belong in the rendered model.
Shared default materials — this is the most common pre-Lumion error. Any surface that hasn't been explicitly assigned a layer color will use Rhino's default material. If three different surface types all have the default, they arrive as one Lumion material. Assign every layer a color — no exceptions.