Photometric Data & Revit?

[archjake]

When do you think we will get some photometric analysis tools in Revit? I'm not sure if systems does this or not, but this is another area that I think we need in Revit Building. It sure would be nice to attach an IES file to a light fixture and have analysis tools to view the lumens / foot candles in the room. Is Revit not a BIM design tool?

Does anyone know of a 3rd party that is maybe working on a tool using the API?

[sleimgruber06]

I don't now of any 3rd party software using this, but post this request in the wishlist forum so the factory guys can see it...

[Scott D Davis]

When do you think we will get some photometric analysis tools in Revit? I'm not sure if systems does this or not, but this is another area that I think we need in Revit Building. It sure would be nice to attach an IES file to a light fixture and have analysis tools to view the lumens / foot candles in the room. Is Revit not a BIM design tool?

Does anyone know of a 3rd party that is maybe working on a tool using the API?
There is a catagory in the Lights Template that looks like you can assign the IES data to the light...not sure how to do it yet, but it's there!

[Andre Baros]

Revit systems can do the analysis for artificial light (anything but daylight) using the IES data added to light fixtures and there are several options out there which sort of work with Revit Building, such as Lumen Designer. If you don't need to be too precise (like if a picture will work instead of a numerical report), Vis and Max can give you some data using the Revit Model and IES fixtures (Pseudo-color analysis)... this is one area where Archicad has a lot more 3rd party support due to their longer track record with an API and stronger market penetration in Europe where more building analysis is done my architects.

Once IFC matures we should have access to more options.

[archjake]

There is a catagory in the Lights Template that looks like you can assign the IES data to the light...not sure how to do it yet, but it's there!
I'm wondering if thats for rendering...

I'd like Revit to have a lighting analysis mode, and by switching that on, or to a view with that on I'd see a loop or multiple loops around a lighting fixture. Each one would represent the foot candles at a certain height (view based, or room based). This inromation would be based on / generated from the Mfr's data / IES file. Then when I started to do my lighting layout I could see where I have holes (ie. not enough light for my desired task level). This would help out immensely when designing.

I know that I can go in and add this as a symbolic line in my lighting fixture families, but why not have it self generated based on the mfr data?

It would also be nice if the "loops" joined together when multiple lights were close enough to create an area of shown foot caneles. There could be a ton of diffent ways to graphicly show this information. This is just one idea. Another could be a color gradiant with a key.

If Revit were to do this analysis I'd like to see it self adjust based on the hight of the fixture in the ceiling to the task level below. The higher the fixture the less foot candles we get on a surface below.

Revit needs more analysis tools. It will help us learn to be better designers!

[jeffh]

There is a catagory in the Lights Template that looks like you can assign the IES data to the light...not sure how to do it yet, but it's there!

Just to clarify. The IES filoe can be attached to the light fixture in Revit systems but this information is not used in the Accurender portion of Revit. This information is only used when the BIM is exported for energy analysis.