Overview

 

The lighting database is stored in IES’ own format, and contains all the data about luminaires, lamps and lamp colours required for performing Radiance or FlucsPro calculations. You may edit any of the data, import it from or export it to manufacturers' data in CIBSE, EULUMDAT or IESNA format files, or perform database calculations to produce processed data such as light output ratios and utilisation factors from the raw polar data.

 

The database can be used to add, delete, edit and store information about luminaires and lamps. The information from the database is used by the IES lighting applications (FlucsPro, Radiance, Template Manager, etc.). An extensive system database is provided but this can be supplemented with your own data.

 

Photometric data may be entered into the program either interactively or by importing data from files in standard CIBSE, EULUMDAT or IESNA formats. The standard CIBSE type-1 and type-2 formats are used and are described in CIBSE TM14. For interactive input you describe the luminaire, the valid lamps for the luminaire, and polar-curve data for luminous intensities. Optionally, light-output ratios, spacing-to-height ratios, utilisation factors, and glare indices may be entered. For lamps the lamp description and, optionally, lamp-lumen maintenance-factor curves are specified.

 

The database can calculate light-output ratios, spacing-to-height ratios, utilisation factors, glare data and aspect factors and can perform LG3 checks and BZ classifications for a luminaire, based on the polar-curve information. The results can be viewed on the screen and output as hard copy if you wish.

 

The database is not an application that may be run directly, but instead is accessed via other applications such as LightPro, FlucsPro, Radiance and the Template Manager.

 

These commands are provided as buttons in the applications that use the database.

This command is available from several dialogue boxes in the applications that use the lighting database. The button is named “Select”. It allows you to select the luminaire, lamp, and colour from the database to use for the light fitting. The Select light fitting dialogue box is displayed. The selection is made from a list view (as used in the right-hand pane of Windows Explorer) that allows you to click any of the column headers to sort the data based on the values in that column. In addition you may use filters to help when searching for items. Colour coded icons show the source of the data.

Note you may also edit the database and perform database calculations from this dialogue box, but only when called from LightPro.

This command is available from several dialogue boxes in the applications that use the lighting database. The button is named “Review”. It allows you to review and edit the database. The Review database dialogue box is displayed. The five database tables are displayed, allowing you to review the items in the tables. In addition you may use filters to help when searching for items.

Note you may also edit the database and perform database calculations from this dialogue box, but only when called from LightPro.

This command is available from several dialogue boxes in the applications that use the lighting database. The button is named “Path”. It allows you to set the list of custom folder paths where lighting database files are to be accessed. This allows you to access lighting data from different parts of your network in addition to the system data and the data within your own project folder. The Database path dialogue box will open allowing you to browse for and add folders, or to remove folders, from the list of paths.

This command is available from several dialogue boxes in the applications that use the lighting database. The button is named “Filters”. It allows you to set the filters that affect what elements of the lighting database are to be displayed in the light fitting selection or lighting database review dialogue boxes (Note filters only affect the display - the program still has internal access to all of the data). The Filters dialogue box opens, allowing you to enter filters based on type and manufacturer categories, and on whether the data is from the system folder, the custom folders, or the local project folder.