PurposeThe purpose of this tutorial is to provide an overview of DIALux. In this tutorial we will present the DIALux graphical user interface and its basic functionalities. DIALux can be used for planning of indoor lighting, exterior scenes and street lighting; throughout tutorials 2, 3 and 4 we will walk you through different indoor, outdoor and street lighting scenes, and we will introduce different DIALux features. Download and Installation DIALux can be downloaded from DIAL’s homepage (www.DIAL.de). Once you have downloaded the DIALux setup.exe file on your hard-disk, double-click on the file to start the installation. Follow the simple instructions on the screen to complete the process. DIALux requires version 5.5 or later of Microsoft Internet Explorer. What is DIALux? It is a free software developed by Dial for effective and professional light planning. With DIALux you can simply create photorealistic visualizations of your own virtual worlds. Similarly, it is possible to import CAD data of other architecture programs and different 3D models from the internet. DIALux enables you to build daylight and artificial light scenarios through which, you can glide with camera runs. Above all, you can carry out different lighting calculations, and issue normative documentation to validate your design. Upon startup of DIALux, you will be prompted with the Welcome dialogue screen, where you can select your indoor, outdoor or street lighting project. If you already have an existing project, select Open Project. Figure 1 Welcome Screen 1 With the mouse. move and roam the room. Similarly. zoom. these options can also be selected from the toolbar menu. rotate. Middle button (scroll wheel): used to move the lighting scene. Right button: Depending on the selected object and the working area. Figure 2 DIALux GUI CAD Window The CAD window is used for the interactive lighting design. move and roam options. rotate. the street or the exterior scene: • • • Left-button: used to trigger the selected option in the graphical user interface. It is also used to zoom in or out. you can graphically select. various options can be accessed. you can right-click inside the room to access the select. if scrolled up or down within the GUI. zoom. 2 . The user interface is divided into three main work areas: • • • Project Manager CAD – Window The Guide Different features and edit options under these three work areas enable the proper and effective planning of lighting installations within DIALux.The DIALux User Interface DIALux has adopted the user interface of Windows XP. Similarly. you can use the ground view. side view and the front view to create your model. Figure 4 Different CAD Window Views 3 . You can obtain different views of your planning using the View toolbar.Figure 3 CAD Window In addition to the 3D view. you can right-click inside the room to select the 3D view or the ground view of your design. Use the tabs at the top of the CAD window to toggle between different views. floor and ceiling). and luminaires. Project menu The Project menu organizes the global project information such as the project name. windows and doors. Elements can be individually selected and their properties can be viewed and modified in the Inspector. walls. where the room consists of room defining surfaces (work plane. The following figure depicts an indoor scene. room elements. It consists of seven main subdirectories: standard elements. Luminaire Selection and Output menus. and object files. Figure 5 Project Menu Objects menu The Objects menu enables the user to add new furniture to the project. Once you have inserted an object into your project. Colors. sports facilities. you can select it and change its properties under the Project Manager. points and grids. calculation surfaces. The Project Manager enables a smooth workflow with the elements used in your design. You can simply add different elements to your project via the mouse using “drag and drop”. exterior scene and street elements. and the location. The Inspector lists different room. objects. exterior scene and elements. Objects. 4 . contact/address information.Project Manager The Project Manager includes the Inspector and the respective tree structure of the Project. light colors and color filter. The Colors menu consists of four main subdirectories: textures. Colors menu Using the Colors menu the user can modify the surface properties of the room elements. The user can simply insert a texture via the mouse using “drag and drop”. the user can also move/copy objects from one directory/folder to another. you can create and delete new folders. 5 . and the light colors and color filter are applicable to the luminaires.Figure 6 Object Menu DIALux allows the user to create and delete new object folders. The textures and colors can be applied to different room surfaces. colors. Similar to the Objects menu. and you can move/copy textures from one directory/folder to another. you can view and modify its properties under Project Manager. Once you have you selected a texture. Keep in mind that the Inspector differentiates between a luminaire arrangement and individual luminaires. where you can download different Plugins to your DIALux database. Luminaire Arrangement is used to change/modify physical properties (luminaire type. Double-clicking on the Not Installed Catalogs will open the internet homepage of the manufacturer. arrangement. position. double-click on the Online Catalogues of a manufacturer and select a luminaire directly from their website. From the tree structure of the Luminaire Selection menu you can import luminaires. mounting height. If you do not wish to download the Plugins. PF. etc…) of your luminaire select individual luminaires. 6 . filter. you can directly import luminaires from the manufacturer’s website. power.Figure 7 Color Menu Luminaire Selection menu The Luminaire Selection menu enables the user to insert luminaires into the project. etc…) of the luminaire. To change the technical properties (flux. in other words. While software is running in the background. Figure 9 Importing IES Files 7 . you do not need to model individual LEDs within a fixture. right-click on it and select insert into DIALux Project. you must simply specify the properties of the fixture as a whole. Once you have inserted your luminaire into your project. you can modify its properties under Project Manager. Therefore. locate your file.Figure 8 Luminaire Selection Menu You can also import your own luminaire IES files into DIALux. DIALux treats imported IES files a “point source“. 8 .pdf document. double-click on the corresponding icon. right-click on the output icon and select Open in New Window. select the desired output types from the tree structure and follow the command File → Print Preview → Print. Figure 10 Output Menu To print.Output menu The Output menu is used to display different outputs/calculations. The user can select different outputs/calculations to be displayed on the screen or to be exported as a . To view an output type on the screen. To view an output type on a separate window. select the PDF icon from the main toolbar menu and save the document. to export different outputs as a .pdf document. select the required output types from the tree structure. Figure 12 Output Menu – Exporting Output 9 .Figure 11 Output Menu – Printing Outputs Similarly. Sport Site Lighting. It consists of seven sub-menus: Indoor Lighting. and apply your selection. From the Adjust Guide check/uncheck the task areas you want to show/hide.The Guide The Guide enables the user to access all the necessary steps for quick and efficient light planning. Figure 13 The Guide The Guide can be customized based on the user’s needs. If The Guide is hidden. Daylight. Emergency Lighting. and Adjust Guide. Street Lighting. Light Scenes. Outdoor Lighting. 10 . you can access it from the Window → Display guide window. Energy Evaluation. Figure 14 Adjust Guide 11 .