hopper452

Hi all

I know this has come up before, but I have not found a definitive or clear cut answer on my searches

I there an industry standard lighting design and analysis software solution which is accredited in the UK or known to be very accurate and reliable.

For example, if I want to alter an image I use Photoshop

If I want to design a lighting scheme I use "????????"

Thanks

SandmanNinja

I'm guessing 3DS Max 2009 Architectural Design will be the De Facto standard.

I'm sure there is no De Jure standard for anything in this industry.

__________________
-SandmanNinja
website

RobJBrewer

Hi
As I just found out I cant post links but search for
Relux (free)
Dialux(free)
AGI32(demo) ($$$)
There all fairly solid and widely used for lighting design.

Lighting Analysis in max9 seems a little bit of a chore, though has been used on the TV areas for the Scottish Parliment I think so can be done.

What would be good in max would be a way to output all the lighting analysis info for say invisible planes such as walls ceinlings working areas etc. Means could spend my whole day just using max and photoshop
If you play with the programs above you'll get a better idea what I mean.

Any problems give us a shout.

Rob

Hector

If you want to check lighting levels and that sort of stuff I think you should be heading towards Radiance. Which is a lighting analysis tool. I think it's open source (free). It might be tricky to get your models into Radiance. I know that you can bring Ecotect model relatively easy into Radiance but there must be other ways. Ecotect itself does some lighting analisys itself.

Now there is also a Vectorworks add on for lighting designers. I don't really know how good or bad it can be. Check the website.

http://radsite.lbl.gov/radiance/ (for radiance)
http://www.squ1.com/ (for ecotect)
http://www.nemetschek.net/spotlight/featurelist.php (for Spotlight, the Vectorworks add on)

pfbreton

Hi!

I have been involved with the design of this functionnality in 3ds Max Desgin 2009 and here are the main highlights:

- you can create a 3d light metering grid in space

- this grid can display lighting levels in the 3d view as well as in the rendered view

- validated sky models have been added (CIE Overcast/Clear, Perez All Weather)

- you can drive the Daylight system intensity and orientation using EPW Weather files

- it of course works with photometric lights as well

- its all scriptable and you can export light levels to excel

- it of course works with animations

I also posted a few scripts improving the workflow here:

http://www.pfbreton.com/3d/

Pierre-Felix Breton
Product Designer, Autodesk M&E

hopper452

Thanks guys.
Plenty to look at there.

I was dubious about using max / vray as it seems to depend on graphical output, where as I need to be able to stand by the results when the thing gets built. I havn't upgraded to 2009 yet though so will find the disk and take a look.