Lumion Alternative October 2026 · 10 min read

Lumion vs Hadaa: A Photograph of Your Landscape DWG, With No Model to Build

Lumion makes stunning images — of a 3D model. For a landscape plan drawn in CAD, that means someone first builds the garden in SketchUp, Revit or another modeller, then brings it into Lumion to dress with trees, materials and light. Hadaa’s CAD ↔ Photo starts from the AutoCAD .dwg itself: it reads the file’s own geometry, builds the garden in 3D, house included, and renders it as a photograph that is checked against the drawing. No other landscape tool renders the DWG file itself.

A photorealistic render of a round stone-paved fire pit area from above. A dry-stone fire pit with burning logs sits in the centre, a curved low stone seat wall runs round the back, and five white wooden Adirondack chairs and two small round tables are set in an arc. Stepping stones lead away across the lawn. Behind are a swing set, a sandpit and a trampoline on wood chips, and a brick boundary wall. A 3D model of a round paved fire pit area from above. A stone fire pit sits in the centre with its embers glowing, a curved low stone seat wall runs round the back, and five white wooden Adirondack chairs and two small round tables are set in an arc. Stepping stones lead away across the lawn. Behind are a swing set, a sandpit and a trampoline on a wood-chip play area, and a brick boundary wall. 3D model Render
The fire pit circle: stone pit, seat wall and five chairs.

A real render beside the view drawn from its DWG. Drag the handle to compare.

Quick Answer

  • From a DWG to a photograph: Hadaa wins — it reads the .dwg and builds the 3D garden itself. Lumion renders a model somebody built elsewhere.
  • Checked against the drawing: Hadaa wins — every view is measured against the drawing it came from and made again until it matches, up to 3 times.
  • Who can make the picture: Hadaa wins — the person who drew the plan, with no modeller and no scene to dress.
  • Walkthroughs, video and panoramas: Lumion wins — Hadaa makes stills.
  • Hands-on scene control: Lumion wins — weather, season, light and a library of more than 10,000 assets.
See Your DWG Rendered →

CAD ↔ Photo is in Signature Studio: $199 a month or $1,990 a year, 2,000 credits a month, on the web.

Disclosure: Hadaa is our product. Lumion is one of the best real-time renderers in architecture and landscape — we’ve described it as honestly as we’d want them to describe us.

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Comparison Table How Hadaa Renders the DWG Where Lumion Still Wins 5 Key Differences Pricing Who Should Use Each FAQ Verdict

Comparison Table

Scroll horizontally on mobile. Hadaa takes the rows about getting from a drawing to a photograph; Lumion takes the rows about real-time scenes, motion and control.

What you get Hadaa (CAD ↔ Photo) Lumion
Starts from βœ… The AutoCAD .dwg itself A 3D model from SketchUp, Revit or another modeller
3D model of the garden βœ… Built from the file’s layers, blocks and levels Modelled elsewhere, dressed in Lumion
The house βœ… Included in the 3D model Part of the model you import
What the engine chose βœ… Every height and roof listed before you spend a credit Whatever the modeller decided
Render checked against the plan βœ… Every view made again until it matches, verdict shown ❌ Renders the scene as built
The design in your own site photo βœ… Walk Around Composite it yourself
Stills βœ… Five recommended views, or any shot from 20Β° above the ground to straight above βœ… Any camera
Video, walkthroughs, 360Β° panoramas Photographs of your drawing, checked against it βœ… Yes
Weather, season and light by hand Set by the render βœ… Real-time control
Who runs it βœ… The person who drew the plan A modeller and a Lumion user
Price Signature Studio $199/mo or $1,990/yr Lumion Pro $1,149/yr, plus a modeller

How Hadaa Renders the DWG

Our Product

Hadaa CAD ↔ Photo — The Drawing Is the Scene

βœ… Reads the .dwg βœ… 3D model, house included βœ… Checked against the drawing βœ… Walk Around βœ… Signature Studio
A photorealistic aerial render of the whole property from a high corner. The house with its grey shingled roof fills the near edge. The walled garden beyond it holds a round stone landing, a pergola, a fire pit circle, a play area, a long evergreen hedge, a swimming pool with umbrellas and a pool house at the far end, with trees along the boundary and long afternoon shadows. A 3D model of the whole property from a high corner. The house with its dark roof fills the near edge. The walled garden beyond it holds a round landing, a pergola, a fire pit circle, a play area, a long evergreen hedge, a swimming pool with umbrellas and a pool house at the far end, with trees along the boundary. 3D model Render
The whole site from the air.
A photorealistic render of the garden seen straight down like a plan. The house with its grey shingled roof is at the left. The garden shows a round stone landing, a pergola with a dining table, a fire pit circle, a play area with a trampoline, a long hedge, a pool with umbrellas and a pool house, flower beds and trees, inside a boundary wall. A 3D model of the garden seen straight down like a plan. The house with its dark roof is at the left in the 16:9 picture and at the bottom in the portrait one. The garden shows a round landing, a pergola with a dining table, a fire pit circle, a play area with a trampoline, a long hedge, a blue pool with a pool house, flower beds and trees, inside a boundary wall. 3D model Render
The plan, straight down.
A photorealistic render of a cedar pergola on three round brick pillars, seen from a raised angle. Under its slatted roof stands a long timber dining table with chairs. A dark granite-topped outdoor kitchen counter with a steel grill runs along the left side, and square planters sit at the pillars' feet. A hedge, a brick wall and an autumn maple surround the pale paved terrace. A 3D model of a cedar pergola on three round brick pillars, seen from a raised angle. Under its slatted roof stands a long timber dining table with chairs. A dark-topped outdoor kitchen counter with a built-in grill runs along the left side, and square planters sit at the pillars' feet. A hedge, a brick wall and an autumn maple surround the paved terrace. 3D model Render
The pergola, its pillars, the dining table and the kitchen counter.

A screenshot is a picture of your design. The .dwg is the design itself: real units, a layer for every kind of thing, every tree placed by name. Hadaa CAD Engine builds the garden straight from it, and lists every height and roof it chose before you spend a credit. From it, Hadaa builds the garden — beds, paths, walls, fences, trees and the house — as a 3D model you can turn, slide and zoom from 20Β° above the ground to straight above. What each thing is made of is read from the drawing’s labels and hatches, and you can change any of it by clicking the model.

Then it renders: five recommended views — the plan and all four sides — or a shot you frame yourself, and Walk Around puts the design into a photo you took on site. Every view is measured against your drawing β€” 27 kinds of thing, among them the roof, paving, trees, fence, water and lawn β€” and made again, up to 3 times, until it matches. The verdict is shown under every render. A Lumion image shows the scene as somebody built it; this one is held to the drawing.

Reading the drawing, the 3D model, edits and materials are included in Signature Studio. Credits go on the images: 9 an image, 15 in high detail, and a checked view takes 1–3 images. A view we can’t make costs you nothing.

The honest boundary: Hadaa makes stills, not video, doesn’t draft, and doesn’t edit the DWG. Walkthroughs and hand-built scenes are Lumion’s ground, covered below.

Bottom line

If the design is already drawn, the scene Lumion would need someone to build is already in the file. Hadaa reads it and renders it, checked against the drawing.

See Your DWG Rendered →

Where Lumion Still Wins

πŸŽ₯ Real-time renderer 🌳 10,000+ assets 🎬 Video & 360Β° panoramas πŸ’° Pro $1,149/yr

Credit where it’s due: Lumion turns CAD and BIM models into images, videos and 360Β° panoramas, with control over context, lighting, materials and output, a library of more than 10,000 assets, and a LiveSync plugin that keeps SketchUp and Revit models in step with the scene. For a client walkthrough or a film of a finished design, it is one of the best tools there is.

What it renders is a 3D model. A landscape plan drawn in 2D has to be modelled first — in SketchUp, Revit or another modeller — and then dressed in Lumion, and nothing checks the result against the plan. As listed on Lumion’s buy page in October 2026: Lumion Pro $1,149 billed upfront for one year ($96 a month, named user) and Pro Floating $1,499 a year ($125 a month, floating seat), with 3-year plans at a discount.

Where Lumion fits — and where it doesn’t

  • Genuinely better: walkthroughs, video and 360Β° panoramas
  • Genuinely better: real-time control of weather, season and light
  • Genuinely better: dressing a scene from a large asset library
  • Not built for: reading a 2D landscape DWG into a 3D garden on its own
  • Not built for: checking a render against the plan it came from
  • Needs a modeller as well as Lumion, and the time to build each scene

5 Key Differences

Five things that change what you end up with — three where Hadaa comes out ahead for a drawn landscape plan, and two where Lumion genuinely wins.

1

Hadaa starts from the drawing; Lumion starts from a model

Hadaa reads the .dwg’s layers, blocks, labels and levels and builds the 3D garden from them. Lumion needs the garden modelled in another program first. The consequence: the plan you already drew is the only input, and nothing is built twice.

2

The render is held to the plan

Each Hadaa view is measured against the drawing it came from and made again until it matches, and the verdict is shown under the render. A Lumion image is faithful to the scene, right or wrong. The consequence: a tree that went missing is named, not discovered by the client.

3

One tool, not two

A Lumion workflow for a drawn plan needs a modeller as well — Lumion Pro at $1,149 a year plus, say, SketchUp Pro at $399. Signature Studio is $1,990 a year and reads the model out of the drawing. The consequence: one subscription and no model to maintain.

4

Motion: Lumion wins

Credit where it’s due. Walkthroughs, videos and 360Β° panoramas are Lumion’s, and Hadaa makes stills.

5

Scene control: Lumion wins

Weather, season, light and every asset placed by hand, in real time, are Lumion’s strength. Hadaa renders what the drawing holds, with materials you can change on the model.

Pricing Comparison

Tier Hadaa Lumion
Entry Pro Studio $39/month β€” photo and sketch engines; CAD ↔ Photo is not included Lumion Pro $1,149/yr ($96/mo, named user)
DWG to photograph Signature Studio $199/month or $1,990/year β€” CAD ↔ Photo, 2,000 credits a month Lumion Pro + a modeller (e.g. SketchUp Pro $399/yr)
Included Reading, the 3D model, edits and materials; credits go on images (9, or 15 in high detail) Rendering, assets, video and panoramas
Floating licences No team plan β€” each designer subscribes on their own Pro Floating $1,499/yr ($125/mo, floating seat)
What you're paying for A photograph of your drawing, checked against it A real-time renderer for a model you build

Lumion prices as listed on Lumion’s buy page and SketchUp’s on its plans and pricing page, October 2026, billed for a year upfront, before tax.

Key pricing observation: Lumion Pro and SketchUp Pro come to $1,548 a year, against Signature Studio’s $1,990, and that stack still needs every plan modelled and dressed before Lumion renders a frame. Signature Studio reads that model out of the DWG you already drew, and its 2,000 credits a month pay for the images.

Who Should Use Each

Use Hadaa if…

  • β†’ Your designs are drawn in CAD and saved as a .dwg
  • β†’ You want still photographs of the plan, not a modelling project
  • β†’ You want every render checked against the drawing
  • β†’ You want to put the design into a photo of the client's own site
  • β†’ You don't run a modeller and a renderer on every job

Use Lumion if…

  • β†’ You deliver walkthroughs, videos or 360Β° panoramas
  • β†’ You already model in SketchUp, Revit or another 3D tool
  • β†’ You want to dress and light every scene by hand
  • β†’ You want weather and seasons changed in real time
  • β†’ You present large projects where motion sells the design

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Hadaa render a landscape DWG without a 3D model? β–Ό
Yes. CAD ↔ Photo in Signature Studio reads the AutoCAD .dwg itself β€” its layers, blocks, labels and levels β€” builds the garden in 3D, house included, and renders photographs from it. There is no model to build in SketchUp or Revit first and no Lumion scene to dress. No other landscape tool renders the DWG file itself.
Is Lumion or Hadaa better for landscape renders? β–Ό
It depends on what you start from and what you deliver. From a drawn plan to checked still photographs, Hadaa is the shorter road. For a real-time walkthrough, a video, a 360Β° panorama or a scene you light and dress by hand, Lumion is the better tool, and it needs a 3D model built first.
How much do Lumion and Hadaa cost? β–Ό
As listed on Lumion's buy page in October 2026: Lumion Pro $1,149 billed upfront for a year ($96 a month, named user) and Pro Floating $1,499 a year ($125 a month, floating seat). Lumion renders a model made elsewhere, so most landscape users also pay for a modeller, such as SketchUp Pro at $399 a year. Signature Studio is $199 a month or $1,990 a year with 2,000 credits a month; credits go on the images, 9 an image, 15 in high detail. Pro Studio at $39 a month does not include CAD ↔ Photo.
Why does Lumion need a 3D model? β–Ό
Lumion is a renderer: it turns CAD and BIM models into images, video and panoramas, and syncs live with SketchUp and Revit. A landscape plan drawn in 2D is not a 3D model, so the garden has to be modelled first and then dressed with Lumion's assets. Hadaa builds that 3D model from the drawing itself and lists every height and roof it chose before you spend a credit.
What does Lumion do that Hadaa doesn't? β–Ό
Real-time, hands-on visualisation. Lumion lets you fly through a scene, render video and 360Β° panoramas, change weather, season and light as you watch, and dress a scene from a library of more than 10,000 assets. Hadaa makes still photographs of your drawing, checked against it, and leaves your DWG exactly as you drew it.
How does Hadaa handle a DWG that isn't perfect? β–Ό
It reads the file's own geometry, and where the file is silent it tells you: every height, roof and unrecognised layer is listed before you spend a credit, and you can set heights and materials yourself on the 3D model. Each render is measured against the drawing it came from and made again until it matches, up to 3 times; the closest is always delivered, with its verdict shown.
Can I use both? β–Ό
Yes. Use Hadaa for the stills of every drawn plan, and keep Lumion for the projects worth a modelled walkthrough or a video.

Verdict

If your design is already a DWG and the client needs to see it, Hadaa is the shorter road. Lumion can make a beautiful image of a landscape, but only after someone models it and dresses the scene. Hadaa’s CAD ↔ Photo reads the drawing, builds the garden in 3D with the house, and renders it — checked against the drawing, with every height and roof it chose listed first.

Keep Lumion for motion. Walkthroughs, video, panoramas and scenes lit by hand are Lumion’s. Many studios will use both: Hadaa for the stills of every drawn plan, Lumion for the projects that earn a film.

See Your DWG Rendered → See every comparison

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