Lighting Systems Design

schematic representations of lighting control networks and power distribution

Lighting systems design is in many ways an art in and of itself. The process can begin in many places; for me I like to start at the systems riser and in a non-representational way lay out how each piece of the network connects. Using this diagram as a map I then begin the network layout.

Theatrical lighting design using the Revit platform has its challenges; the software isn’t set up for performance lighting like other tools available. The benefits of doing lighting plots natively in Revit is not having to import/export between other softwares, typically using .dwg files which can be detrimental to the health of the Revit model. Schedules can be set up to replicate the same functionality as paperwork programs like Lightwright.

drafting and scheduling automation using dynamo

Populating the correct data into lighting devices in Revit can be time consuming and tedious. Using various Dynamo scripts large portions of this process is automated, which allows for time savings as well as less errors due to typos.

repertory lighting design for budgeting and users

Once the network is designed, a flexible “rep” plot is often designed for the user’s use as well as to dial-in a better budget. The goal with these plots is for the local electricians to use them for hang, focus, and performance needs.