Showing posts with label calculation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calculation. Show all posts

Review: New DIALux EVO 2

Monday, April 29, 2013 at 9:33 PM


More than a year elapsed since we wrote the first review about the DIALux EVO. DIAL launched the new, updated version of the DIALux: the EVO 2. So we gonna have a second (and quick) look of it to see what happened in Lüdenscheid.


The official change log of the new EVO version:
  • dwg export
  • false colors
  • advanced navigation
  • settings for standard - improvement of the dialog several bugfixes performance optimization



Let start with the FC rendering. The false colour rendering got a really professional look. Congratulation for the developers. However one time saving option is still missing: interpolate. It would be nice to have a linear and logarithmical interpolation option too.
The new false colour overlay is available with the F9 shortcut what is really handy.

The look of the FC is not yet consequent:



















When you want to move an object in the space you can select axis (X,Y,Z) to move the object only in the selected axis. 3DS MAX users are familiar with this. This is a very helpful option.

Navigation in the space also got easier. There are modifications in the UI improving the usability of the software.

Display options are nicely organised:



















High number of options does work only in special circumstances (eg: isolines, light distribution curves in 3D view, etc.) what is a bit annoying.

The DWG import is still seriously buggy. Many files displayed incorrectly and the previews are not available (this last one is an acceptable loss).

This is the original drawing in AutoCAD:



















This is what you get:

Ooops! One step further and Dialux got a black hole. It sucked my lines in:
We have the option to embed the external drawing into the project file. This can be helpful when we have to share the file with other companies:





It`s been never so easy as now to move the base point of the DWG layers:



The manufacturer module has been changed slightly but we are still unable to download the plugin from the software itself. Dialux will only open the internet browser at the download location.





The material library is nicely presented:




There is no change in the furniture library. A refresh would be timely.


Many bugs been patched but still we run into error messages, crashes so often that is not just annoying but makes us think that this is still in beta stage.


Performance-wise we don`t feel any significant improvements. We did run the same test calculations as we did last year. :( The list of  +Pros is longer but there are no changes on the -Con list since we reviewed the beta version.
The EVO branch is still far from overtaking the Dx4 branch.


We haven’t find a comprehensive, list of the Dialux EVO shortcut keys, so here it is.
If something missing, please comment below.

F1   help
F2   Show/hide coordinate system
F3   Show/hide reference lines
F4   Show/hide working planes
F5   Wireframe view
F6   Show/hide iso lines
F7   Show/hide DWG drawings
F8   Show/hide light distribution curves
F9   Show/hide false colour overlay
F12  Save project

Ctrl + C   Copy
Ctrl + X   Cut
Ctrl +V   Paste
Ctrl + S   Save
Ctrl + O   Open
Ctrl + N   New project
Ctrl + P   Print
Ctrl + F2 Print preview
Ctrl + T   New tab
Ctrl + Z   Undo
Ctrl + Y   Redo
Ctrl + 1…9 Save the view
Alt + 1…9 Recall the saved views
Del   Delete

P + left mouse button   Move
Z + Right mouse button   Zoom
The function of the Shift key haven’t changed.

One thing I still don`t understand. Why Dialux doesn’t have shortcut key for the calculate command.


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Location: London, UK

Lighting simulation software: Autodesk 3DS MAX

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 1:54 AM

Autodesk 3DS MAX - High quality visualization and lighting calculation @ the same time



One question quite often raised up among lighting designers: "What is the best lighting design software". My answer: depends what you have to do. One thing is sure if the project requires high quality renderings with lighting calculations than the best software you can use is Autodesk 3DS Max Design. For those who are familiar with the old Autodesk 'lighting design' software such as the Lightscape and VIZ, well these had been merged into the 3DS Max Design. The other common question what I hear in regard of visualization programs: Why 3DS MAX, why not Blender, Vray and mental ray. So first lets make clean the baby. 3DS MAX, Blender, Maya, SketchUp are visualization software. Vray, mental ray, Maxwell, Brazil are rendering engines. These can be standalone software but mostly these are used by the visualization programs like a 'plugin'. All the mentioned programs and engines are great but only 3DS MAX (with mental ray engine) is capable to do photometricly correct calculations. To avoid the surprises it is important to mention that the basic 3D Studio Max is not capable of lighting analysis, just only the Design version of it is able to do so.



More description:

When it comes to lighting analysis, the results are just estimates on how much lighting a space is receiving. There are too many physical factors to be accurate. Materials have to act exactly as they do in reality to bounce light properly. This includes physical characteristics as index of refraction/reflection, caustics etc. Max does a pretty darn good job at simulating these though, so good infact that it is recognized by LEED as program for obtaining lighting analysis credits.



With that said, here is a quick look at how we set a scene up. Firstly, be sure the space you are modeling, is as accurate as possible. The windows need to be the right size, and there cannot be any openings in the space other than the windows. Secondly be sure that the materials you are using are either all ProMaterials or A&D materials, and they act as the material would in real life (tile being reflective, gyp being non-reflective, etc). One of the most important materials is the glass, because it will determine how and how much light will enter the space. The way the glass is modeled is important as well. Be sure your glass has a thickness. Usually the A&D material or ProMaterial Glazing will attenuate light properly for each polygon that is traversed, without refracting it. Thirdly, the lighting must be accurate and represent true-life physical amounts. Creating a Daylight system is the best way to achieve physical properties for your sun, just don't mess with the multiplier amounts. If you also want to include light fixtures the best type of light for this are photometric lights. Typically only FG should be used, and can be used in conjunction with the light portals. For accurate fc or lux amounts it is important to increase the number of FG bounces. 4-8 bounces is acceptable.



Once you have your scene set up, in the menu under"Lighting Analysis" use the "Lighting Analysis Assistant." Basically this box checks your scene to make sure that you don't have any un-natural materials or lights. If you do, it will tell you how many materials and lights need to be tweaked. The "Analysis Output" tab is where you can create a light meter. The Light Meter is just a plane that record light data in the scene and spits out numbers of light intensities (measured in foot candles fc or lux). In the US everyting is measured in foot candles, so I use fc. The modifier settings for the light meter controls the amount of segments, orientation arrows, type of illuminance, and it can export the numbers to an excel csv file.





For the lighting analysis, you will only get figures for where the planes are. So if you need all four walls of room, you will need 4 light meters, one for each wall. Note: the lighting analysis is no gauge on how the scene will render. Much like a camera, you can make a very dark room appear light with the right exposure settings. The exposure settings also don't have any effect on the lighting analysis since these numbers are fixed amounts of energy.




Autodesk 3ds Max Design software helps architects, designers, engineers, and visualization specialists conceive and create everything from digital concept models for envisioning and clarifying creative ideas to compelling cinema-quality presentations that validate and communicate final designs. The software offers further benefits via digital continuity and consistency with the AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, and Autodesk Inventor families of software products.

Exposure Lighting Analysis
Simulate the lighting in your designs with confidence: Exposure™ lighting analysis technology has been validated by the National Research Council Canada (NRC), Canada’s leading organisation for scientific research and development, and the same organisation that has conducted validation studies on Radiance for lighting simulation. A feature unique to 3ds Max Design, Exposure enables you to achieve more sustainable designs by analysing how sun, sky and artificial lighting interact with your design and exploring direct lighting effects in the viewport.





Renderings and screenshots by: Mihaly Bartha

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Location: Budapest, Hungary
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