Lighting Analysis Revit 2023

PLUGINS FOR LIGHTSTANZA

Plugins for LightStanza are tools that make exporting your model to LightStanza as easy, fast, and reliable as possible.

Revit

Officially supported versions:  2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 
(Pleast note that Revit LT does not support the use of any plugins)

You must use the plugin to import a Revit model into LightStanza – read more about it on our help guides. The direct download here will always the be the latest release – the version on the Autodesk app store may be behind.

Simply run the installer to install the LightStanza Revit plugin. Make sure to restart Revit after installation. If you are upgrading an older plugin and have difficulties, you may need to uninstall the previous version first (via the “Add or remove programs” tool in Windows).

By default the plugin will be installed for the current Windows user at: C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins. Depending on your system settings, there may be permissions issues with this location, or you may want to install it for multiple users. If you have difficulty loading the plugin after installing, you may try replacing the default install path with: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins

SketchUp

Officially supported versions: 2017, 2018, 2019

You must use the plugin to import a SketchUp model into LightStanza (alternatively, you can  export as a Collada (.dae) file and then drag-and-drop this file into LightStanza). This plugin is the fastest and most-reliable way to import a SketchUp model. Download from the SketchUp Extension Warehouse to get the most recent official release of the plugin.  Alternatively, you can use the direct download link below, and follow the “Install an extension manually” instructions.

Rhino

LightStanza does not currently provide a Rhino plugin, but you can still upload your Rhino models – simply use the “Save As” menu in Rhino to save the model in Collada (.dae) format, then drag-and-drop it into LightStanza!

A Fully-Integrated Lighting Calculation Tool for Autodesk® Revit®

ElumTools® is the first (and only) fully integrated lighting calculation add-in for Autodesk® Revit®. ElumTools is designed to calculate point-by-point illuminance on any workplane or surface utilizing lighting fixture families and surface geometry already present in the Revit model. ElumTools runs completely inside of Revit with its own ribbon toolbar to provide quick access to analysis tools for Revit Rooms, Spaces, Regions and Views. An interactive Radiosity-based visualization is produced by the calculation process providing designers complete walk-through capability to assist in the understanding the interaction of light and surface.

ElumTools is easy to learn and even easier to use regularly for your lighting computations. The ElumTools workflow is fast and efficient, saving you countless hours over trying to export geometry to a stand-alone tool, then fussing to integrate the results with your Revit sheets. ElumTools can compute your lighting, allow you to see it in a visualization, drop it on the view or sheet and schedule all in the time it takes to export the model for use elsewhere.

If your world is Revit, ElumTools is your solution for painless lighting design! Take a few additional minutes to watch the Overview video below to see how easy it really is!

ElumTools Projected Points feature wins IES 2020 Progress Report recognition!

This blog is the second of a series discussing the energy analysis options currently available in Revit.

Setting up Revit for Energy Analysis in Early Design Phases

The Insight Energy Analysis tool built into the Revit interface (Analyze Tab>Energy Optimization Panel and Insight Panel) exists so Architects can make better decisions earlier in the design process.

The graph shows the cost of change vs. the architect’s ability to effect change as the project progresses. Clearly, the architect can make the greatest impact earlier in the design program by taking the metaphorical bull by the horns, and drive the project to meet the Architecture 2030 Challenge.

The Insight toolset (once downloaded from here: https://insight.autodesk.com/oneenergy) was created as an easy to use design tool for architects. In the past, doing energy analysis required a large breadth of knowledge, not to mention reams of data, to do anything beyond the effects of adding a shading device on the south side of the building. Using the Insight tools, we're going to show you how easy it is to do a quick analysis.

Step 1: Location, Location, Location!!

The first step is the location of the project. And a nearby weather station (conveniently shown in the same image as your project’s location.) Check the weather data by clicking on the weather icon. The nearest station might not be the best for your situation do to microclimate conditions. For instance, I know that my site shown below (Red house pin) has a similar climate condition to a weather station farther away. The weather station to the Northeast is farther away and more correct than the station shown (dotted arrow) to the Southeast.

Knowing your site is key, and as a design professional it is assumed you are optimizing and mitigating unique site conditions for your project.
After setting your location, orient your Site view to reflect the project’s True North as opposed to Project North orientation.

Step 2: Consume your Mass Quantitatively

Set up your base levels (proposed floor to floor heights) first and then create a conceptual Mass element by way of the Massing and Site tab. Once you have created a quick schematic of the building envelope, use the Mass Floor tool to cut floors at each level.

Cutting Mass Floors is a critical step for doing a preliminary energy model. The levels are used by Insight to evaluate the basic energy needs of the proposed project’s occupied spaces*

The Schematic Types options lets the user define a building type and choose the defaults for analytical construction.

As an exercise, create a simple mass model to test the results. To get started with Insight (from my last blog) you only need a few things in the model:

1. Levels – Defining your floor to floor heights
2. Location: Set your project’s location under the Revit Manage Tab.
3. Create a simple mass shape using Revit’s massing tools.
4. Create mass floors.

Step 3: Generate your Energy Model

From here you can get instant feedback on your design. To analyze your mass model, the next step is navigating to the Analyze tab in Revit and click on Generate Energy Model. By default, the Generate Energy Model will use the standard settings under Energy Settings.

You will receive a message as shown below. Click on Create Energy Analytical Model to continue. Once finished, you will have a new view under 3D views in the Revit Browser called “Energy Model” and your model will appear as shown below, right.

You will notice that there are now skylights and window openings generated from the mass model. The settings that are driving this can be found under Energy Settings. For instance, in the settings below you can see that the analytical model is review Conceptual Masses and Building Elements.

If you select the edit button you will have additional options for window and skylight percentages as well as a simple shade device. I suggest exploring these settings to enhance your understanding of how the model is generated and the underlying assumptions.

Step 4: Generate your Insights

The final step to review your results in the Insight Web Portal by selecting the Optimize button on the Energy Optimization Panel. This will automatically upload the model to the Insight Web Portal and start generating your options. You will get an email from Insight when your model is ready to review. The Insight web portal has been set up for ease of use. However, I will discuss the various settings and options next time.

How do you do energy analysis in Revit 2022?

How do I use insight in Revit 2022?

Is Revit 2023 out?