Standard Features

Libraries:

• Material BRDF/BTDF Libary - (Optional) This data characterizes exactly how light scatters from real materials upon reflection and refraction. The General Materials Library includes over 180 materials such as semi-specular aluminum, hammertone and textured aluminum and various paints. The library of measured data means you don't have to guess at material scattering properties. You simply pick your material from the list and get an accurate simulation. The data is measured in our custom-built measurement device allowing us to add new materials as they become available and measure special materials for our customers as a service. To see an image illustrating real measured BRDF data and how it changes with the light incidence angle - click here.
• Lamp Library - Photopia includes a library of more than 200 lamps commonly used in the architectural and entertainment industries. The lamp models include the true geometry of the physical lamps as well as their photometric characteristics. You may also construct your own lamp models or use Lighting Technologies' lamp construction service. See our technical paper for more information on lamp models.

Working with your Model:

• Full-featured CAD - new CAD system allows you to view and manipulate model geometry, create new geometry, work with layers, set the view mode (including color renderings and surface orientation checks), and see illuminance planes with their data.
• Model layer properties can be created and changed within Photopia without the need to re-import the CAD file.
• Luminous dimensions can be specified within Photopia for more accurate luminaire luminance calculations.
• DXF/DWG/STL Import - Luminaire designs may be built in any CAD package that exports DXF, DWG, or STL file formats. DXF/DWG file import for AutoCAD™ releases 11 to 2002. Accepts wireframe models from 3DFACEs, 3D Polyline and Polyface Meshes.
• Special Applications: LEDs - model LEDs using the refractor module.

Analysis:

• Complete Control of Analysis Parameters - You determine how many rays to trace and how many reflections, in addition to various other analysis settings.
• Extensive Performance Statistics - Test reports include the luminous intensity distribution, luminaire efficiency (LOR), indoor/roadway CU values, zonal lumen summary, and roadway/floodlight classifications.  In addition, you can see how much light was absorbed by and incident upon the various components of your luminaire model and how much light exited with each reflection. There is even data showing if you need to trace more reflections. (Click here to see an example report.)
• Continuous Results Display - All graphical output and reports are updated continously during the simulation. You can stop a simulation at any time to make alterations to your design or simulation settings.
• General Refractors - Reflector calculations include material index of refraction, extinction coefficient, and also allows for special properties including the effects of light scattering at each optical interface.
• Speed - Ray tracing is much more efficient in complex models in version 2.0 as compared to previous versions. Speed improvements up to 150 times are obtained depending on model complexity.

Output:

• Luminous Intensity Plots - Luminous intensity may be displayed as candela polar plots, contour plots, and tables of values. Any arbitrary horizontal and vertical angle set can be specified.
  
• Illuminance Plots - Illuminances can be calculated for multiple, user-defined rectangular planes and displayed as contour plots, shaded images or tables of values. An extremely valuable feature, these planes may be placed as close to the luminaire as you require (even inside the luminaire) to provide accurate near-field results. Small details in light patterns such as striations, halos or spokes are easily seen in the shaded images.
• Roadway CU Plots - Graphs of Roadway CU values are generated for roadway tests.
• IES Classifications - Photopia determines the IES cutoff and roadway type classifications for appropriate test types.
• NEMA Classifications - Photopia determines the NEMA classifications for floodlight tests.
• View 3D Rays from Analysis - Light rays can be imported back into the luminaire CAD model to see how the light behaves in the luminaire and to help troubleshoot problem areas.
• Shaded plots can be printed and saved to bitmap files.
• Polar, contour, and X-Y plots can be saved to DXF/DWG files
• Output to IES, EULUMDAT, and TM-14 photometric files

Options:

• General Materials Library - The library consists of BRDF/BTDF data for over 150 commonly used reflector and refractor materials commercially available from major material vendors such as 3M, ACA, Alanod, Daume-Jordan, Lorin, and Prefinished Metals.  Lighting Technologies also provides material measurement services.
• Refractor Module - The refractor module adds the ability to model 3D refractors.  Refractor elements are modeled in the same way as reflector elements, so there is almost nothing additional to learn.

Support:

• Printed Documentation - Photopia includes a comprehensive printed manual.
• Networking - Photopia may be accessed from a server enabling multiple users to share a limited number of licenses.
• High Quality Technical Support - The LTI technical support staff is highly trained in illumination, optics, 3D CAD, photometry and luminaire design. Experience drawn from our own use of Photopia during the course of our optical design consulting services helps in both designing a useful program and understanding our customers' needs. We consistently receive high praise for our technical support...

  "Thank you very much for the information. Many many thanks for your infinite patience!!!" - Henryk Wachta (Technical University of Rzeszow Poland)

  "You must be clairvoyant...I am truly impressed with your follow up...most software vendors just take the money and run post sale..." - Mathieu Grumberg (Zumtobel Staff)

  "Perfect!!! Thanks a lot...I'm very happy to have this." - Jayson Auger (Eureka Lighting)