Dialux Tutorial_2 How to make an offset and spacing for objects and luminaries

This DIALux Tutorial explains how to

1. Use the help line and help grid

2. Copy along a help line

3. Copy along a line

4. Insert a photometric file(ies, eulumdat or ULD) to DIALux project
5. Use the Vertical planar with editing and changing different properties

This tutorial to explain to make an offset and an equal spacing for objects and luminaries inside DIALux by four different methods

I will explain the offset and spacing for wallwashers.

A wallwasher is a luminaire with an asymmetric light distribution placed at an offset from a wall (usually one third of the wall height with a spacing equal to the offset) in the next image you can see a a reseed wallwasher for indoor application.

the first three methods explained in this tutorial for placing the wallwasher are applicable for objects and furniture as well.

Tutorial 02

First make a room with dimension of 5×6 and height of 3 meter and don’t forget to click on OK, otherwise you can’t move to the next step.

You can select any luminaire for this tutorial I have selected an RGBW LED wallwasher form ERCO website the product reference is ERCO 37838

You can put this number 37838 in the search box in ERCO website www.erco.com as shown in the next image

After that you can click on the article appears in the result the red box in the illustration

Then select the Dialux ULD data (i-drop)

Download the file to the desktop

After downloading the file go to the file after you unzipped it and select the file and right click on the mouse to open the context menu and select inset into dialux project as you can see form next illustration.

Now you should be able to see the product in DIALux, in the project manager the luminaire used

Placing the wallwasher for the upper wall in the room.

Method one.

Place a help line form the tool bar

On the upper wall of the room form point one to point 2 as shown in the illustration

While selecting the help line put the offset line Parallels Spaced Apart as 1 meter as shown in the next image

By the way you can create as many offset line as you wish by putting the number in the Number of Parallels in this tutorial keep it one.

If the line goes outside the room you have to put a minus sign before the

number so the direction of the offset will be in the opposite side.

Now you can see an offset line as in the next image

Select a line arrangement form the tool bar

Move the two blue dot of the line arrangement by the mouse to the offset line as you can see form the next image

On the mounting tab (second tab) put 5 in the Quantity and then click on paste button as in the next image

Click on the 3D light distribution display button on the tool bar to ensure that the light is to the wall side as in the next illustration.

If the light distribution on the wrong side then you can select the line and rotate the luminaire form the rotation tab on the project manager.

Method Two

Delete the line arrangement and keep the offset line

Drag a luminaire by the mouse form the luminaire used in the project manager to somewhere in the room

Activate the 3D light distribution display button and select the luminaire and rotate it to the wall side as in the next image

Right click on the luminaire to open the context menu and select the copy along a help line command

Now move the mouse to the offset, When the mouse is above a help line a small hook appears that tells you that this help line can be selected

When the small hook appears click on the help line

After selecting the help line put in distance that appears in the property window in the project manager a value of 1 meter which is the spacing form each luminaire, then click copy button.

Delete the extra luminaire on the side and the one that is placed earlier in the room (as shown in the next illustration in red color) so you can have only 5 wallwasher with an offset form the wall of 1 meter and a spacing of one meter.

Method Three

Delete all the luminaire and the help line as well.

If you see the grid lines then hide it or Deactivate it by clicking on the button show display grid so you can hide the original grid line and you don’t see any grid in the floor plan

Click on the draw help grid form the tool bar as you can see form the next image.

Then click by the mouse on the 3 point shown in the next illustration , make sure it is in the same order, the first point in the right corner

Then the left corner then point 3.

while you are selecting this grid line change the size of it form the window property that appears in the project manager to make the offset 1 meter and the spacing one meter as shown in the next illustration

Drag a luminaire form the luminaire used folder in the project mangare as shown in step one in the next illustration and drop it by the mouse in the point 2 which is in the help grid line and rotate it on the z axis to be in the right direction to the wall.

Select the luminaire and then right click the mouse and select copy along a line as you can see form the next image.

Move the blue dote to the last point as shown in the next illustration and put a value of 4 in the box number of copy in the project manager(the red box in the next image)

Don’t forget to click on the copy button.

Method Four

While the previous methods are applicable for any object and furniture, this method is only for wall washer.

Delete the help grid line and all the Luminaires.

Form the tool bar click on the vertical planner lighting.

Click on the upper wall form the right corner to the left corner as could be seen form the next image.

You can change a lot of properties of this line form the project manager, for example you can change the offset form the distance box in the arrangement tab

You can also change the rotation form the rotation tab

If you want to add more luminaire select the Vertical planar line and then right click the mouse and select edit axes

While you are in the blue line right click again and select add axis

You can add or remove as you want by this way.

Now you have five luminaries

These methods of offset and spacing could be used for indoor or outdoor luminaire or eaven for any object

Previous DIALux Tutorial

1. DIALux Tutorial 01: How to create a cove for indirect lighting.

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