Capable replacement for Dialux/Relux???

Anonymous

Capable replacement for Dialux/Relux???

Anonymous
Not applicable

My question is can this lighting analysis plug-in directly replace dialux or relux software tools. Is the Revit software capable of using manufacturer plug-ins for various light fitting types?

Many Thanks

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scheerd
Alumni
Alumni

Hello.

 

Electric lighting and system design is pretty comprehensive in the BIM workflow and illuminance analysis can be done using LAR, but compared to purpose-built tools like Dialux, in Revit there is more hand-holding of the tool required to set up light fixtures (using IES distribution files) and analysis ranges and results views.  The benefits are that you can design, analyze and document in the same environment as the designers, and you can do coordinated combined daylighting and electric lighting design and analysis for dimming situations, as well as coordinated whole buidling energy analysis with your lighting design.  It's really a matter of whether that savings and additional capability is worth it and balances the extra time it takes to use another tool.

 

We are still working up some documentation for electric lighting workflows, as we have mainly been supporting daylighting automation (and some custom analyses) up to now.  We have a release planned for next week that will make electric lighting analysis a little easier, but the following things will need to be considered for electric lighting work:

1. Fixture libraries are pretty limited in Revit, so you'll probably have to develop your own by applying the manufacturers' IES profiles to fixtures.

2. Though linked model geometry is handled well (WYSIWYG) by the main 360Rendering engine and iluminance image tool, linked models are currently not handled well with LAR right now.  With linked models like core-and-shell common for electrical lighting designers, to view analysis data in the model with LAR you'll have to do some workarounds like attach floors (used as analysis parent objects), and if you want Room by room analysis, have the Rooms in the analysis model.

3. LAR results visualization is built with daylighting automation in mind, so you will need to customize the Analysis Display Styles for the thresholds you use for electric lighting analysis.  This is not hard, it's just another step.  We will be releasing customizable thresholds next week.

4. Coordinating loads with energy analysis and full MEP circuit design requires some special settings and is not automated yet, but it is altogether possible to consider the lighting design implications on whole building energy use with a few special steps.  Let me know if you would like to know more.

 

There are probably some other workarounds you will need to accommodate, so I hope you try out the tool and let us know what we need to improve.  Any featurs you need to make your work easier, we would love to hear from you and get the work on our roadmap.

 

360 Rendering is included with Revit (View>RenderInCloud>Illuminance), and LAR is a free plugin that you can use for free for floors less than 25,000 sqft at low resolution.  Feel free to ask for more information or a demo of the tools, we have a lot of resources available.

 

David

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