Luminaire

Module(s): Animation

You can use the Luminaire tool to create objects like lamps, streetlights and so on as smart 3D symbols with lights. A smart luminaire symbol can have any number of lights; these are saved together with the smart symbol. The lights that are on are displayed in animation.

To create light objects with lights

• Before you open this tool, the light objects have to be designed in three dimensions first. The drawing file with the light objects must be current.
  If the smart luminaire symbol is to consist of several congruent foils for different reference scales and views, place the elements that belong together beside or below each other in the workspace; this will facilitate the process of selecting foils and setting reference points.

  Tip: Instead of designing luminaires yourself, you can select light object symbols from the Symbols library and place them in the workspace.

  

  You can find a wide range of light objects in the Symbols library in the Exterior - 3D lighting and Interior - 3D lighting folders.

1. Click Luminaire (How).
   

   Activate Luminaire in one of the following ways

   • Menu bar: Change Presentation Animation

   • Toolbar: Change
   • Palette: Tools Change area in the following module(s):

   Animation

   The Light palette opens.

   Note: Setting the light source for a luminaire is almost exactly the same as setting new light sources using Set Light for Project.

2. Start by defining the Type of light. Some parameters change with the type selected.

   Click in the Type of light list box and select the type you need:

   • Point light
     

     Point light is diffused evenly from a single light source in all directions.

     The intensity of the light drops the further away one is from the point. You can adjust the intensity of the light by increasing the black component.

   • Spot light
     

     The spotlight is a directional light source. The light radiates in one direction from the source to the target.

     A pool of light forms around the target. The intensity of the light decreases the further the target is from the source.

     The intensity of the light drops the further away one is from the point. You can adjust the intensity of the light by increasing the black component.

     You can set an angle of between 1 and 179 degrees.

   • Conical light
     

     The conical light illuminates a clearly delimited area around the target. A pool of light forms around the target. The intensity of the light pool cast is uniform.

     The intensity of the light drops the further away one is from the point. You can adjust the intensity of the light by increasing the black component.

     You can set an angle of between 1 and 179 degrees.

   • Area
     

     Using the Area type of light, you can create area light sources diffusing light evenly in one direction, such as rows of lights in ceilings of large rooms.

     As with conical light and spotlight, you define the direction by placing an eye point and a target point. The light quantity depends on the size of the area and the Intensity set.

     A vertical line in the center of the area indicates the direction of light and its intensity. Using Angle, you can rotate the area about the vertical line. You can set an angle of rotation between -90 and 90 degrees.

     You can display the area with lights in rendered images.

3. In the Light properties area, define the parameters for the type of light selected.
4. In the Shadow properties area, specify whether the light source is to cast shadows.
5. In the Edit area, check if the light source is on (indicated by a check mark in the Light status box).
6. Place the light source. Click a point or enter its X, Y or Z coordinates.
   Use this approach to enter the light source and its target for Spot light and Conical light.

   The light source is displayed with a symbol indicating the type of light.

   Note: Do not position the light source within a 3D object.

7. To enter more lights, repeat steps 2 to 6.
8. Press ESC to finish.

   The Smart Symbol Definition dialog box appears.

   Note: The following steps are the same as for defining the variables and geometry of a smart symbol:

9. Enter a name for the smart symbol and the folder where it is to be saved in the top part of the dialog box.
10. Define the general smart symbol properties.
11. Click Define new foil.
12. In the input options, click Layer to specify how the individual elements of the foil are arranged on layers:
    • Retain layers of elements: all elements retain their layers, even as smart symbols. However, parts of smart symbols may be hidden when you hide the corresponding layers.
    • All elements on default layer: all elements are given the default layer:
    • All elements on current layer: all elements are given the layer that is current during definition.
13. Select the elements for the first foil.
    

    • To select a single element, click it.
    • To select elements in a region, use the left mouse button to open a selection rectangle around the elements you want to select
    • To include all the elements in the current document, click All in the Input options or press CTRL+A. Please note that this option is not available for all tools.

    For more information on the options available for selecting elements in Allplan, see Selecting elements, overview.

    When selecting elements, you can use the Filter Assistant to apply a filter based on element types and/or properties. For more information, see Filter Assistant.

14. Enter the smart symbol’s reference point.

    Example

    New nodes are added to the Smart Symbol Definition dialog box:

    • Smart symbol definition with the settings that apply to the entire smart symbol
    • Smart symbol foils with a sub-node for each Smart symbol foil with the settings for the display parameters
    • You can view the smart symbol and its foils in the preview.
15. Now you can define the display parameters of the first foil.
16. Repeat steps 12 to 16 for additional foils.

    Tip: You can also use the shortcut menu provided in the dialog box to adjust the parameters.

17. When all foils have been defined, enter attributes in the Smart symbol definition node.
18. Click OK to apply the settings.

    The smart symbol is displayed attached to the crosshairs and can be placed in the document.
    At the same time it is saved in the folder specified above.

    Note: If you have defined the smart symbol with Snoop functionality, you can now specify the reference line and the distance to this line.
    More information on smart symbols with snoop functionality

19. Place the smart symbol in the workspace.

    The Input Options provide a number of tools you can use to do this.

Note: Select suitable surface properties for the light objects: lampshades made of glass, for example, should be transparent.

Note: If you assign individual surface properties to the light object when you create it (see More options for assigning surfaces), the program saves these properties together with the smart luminaire symbol. Otherwise, the program takes the settings from Set Surface.

Tip: Allplan provides various tools helping you to set the light source and light target, for example:
the tools in the input options
Or:
Work Plane (How).

Activate Work Plane in one of the following ways

• Menu bar: View

• Toolbar: Special