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- #VISUAL LIGHTING DESIGN SOFTWARE INSTALL#
- #VISUAL LIGHTING DESIGN SOFTWARE PLUS#
- #VISUAL LIGHTING DESIGN SOFTWARE FREE#
CRI measures the ability of a light source to reproduce the colors of various objects accurately in comparison with an ideal or natural light source, 100 being optimal. That's not cheap, but they only require 18.5 watts, are rated to last 50,000 hours (23+ years!) and have a very high Color Rendering Index (CRI) of 89. They're $119ea at HD but I found them for $101 elsewhere. I settled on the Lithonia Lighting 4 ft LED Strip Light, model MNSL M6. I used the product dimensions as shown on the Home Depot website. I did have to modify the Symbol Length and Symbol Width fields as originally the icons were squared and therefore the Calculation Results such as Spacing and Arrangement were incorrect. Fortunately Lithonia Lighting is one of a number of vendor options and their products are available at Home Depot, so I reviewed their products at while making selections in the tool.
#VISUAL LIGHTING DESIGN SOFTWARE PLUS#
Next I selected the green plus tab at the bottom and experimented with various types of fixtures. Under Constraints, per the instructions, I could have blocked off an area where I have a half bath, and you can impose a limit on the number of Rows and/or Columns if there are obstructions on the ceiling, for example. No requirements for Power Density or Quantity. Unfinished cinder block walls and a concrete floor, for example, will have different values, but estimates can be found and confidence gained when similar from multiple sources.Īs described above I found an Illuminance estimate for metalworking to be 700 Lux. Based on these characteristics and my research I estimate the reflectivity to be 90% for the Ceiling, 80% for the Walls, and 55% for the Floor. The floor has a light blue, speckled epoxy finish.
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The walls are also flat and off white, but with shelving and other items covering much of it. My ceiling is flat and off white with most being unobstructed and therefore highly reflective. Reflectances required more Google searches. (I noted after the fact that changing this value from 2' to 6' does not change the results.) As my workbenches will be 3' high 3.5' seemed like a good estimate. Workplane is the height above the floor where you expect to be doing most of your work and therefore need the light. The tool only works with rectangular areas, so entering the Length, Width and Height of my garage was straightforward at 25', 21', and 8.5' respectively. With some Google searches I found a professionally recommended light intensity for metalworking of 700 lux per sf, so I set the Units to Feet - Lux.
![visual lighting design software visual lighting design software](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SWxxhhfkVjc/mqdefault.jpg)
The Settings allow for Lux and Footcandles, which are measures of light intensity. Here's how I used the Visual Interior Tool:
#VISUAL LIGHTING DESIGN SOFTWARE INSTALL#
If I had no choice I could make that work, but it would be cheap and easy to install a few 8' fluorescent fixtures, right? Well, a few searches on VAF (where we have some lighting professionals contributing) convinced me to approach it with some added education and thought. The present lighting is inadequate with two light sockets, one centered between the cars and the other near a wall over a laundry area. I will be building in my two car garage measuring 25' wide by 21' deep. I thought that it may be of interest to other builders who are designing lighting for their workshop.
#VISUAL LIGHTING DESIGN SOFTWARE FREE#
While researching lighting options for my garage workshop, I discovered the online and free Visual Interior Tool.