Master of Interior Architecture Option II Research
Winter 2000
Professor Walter Grondzik

OBJECTIVE:
To analyze efficiency in using Lightscape to simulate real lighting condition in preliminary design which will provide information for designers to determine the efficiency of using Lightscape at each stage of their design process.

LIGHTSCAPE PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
Lightscape is an advanced lighting simulation processing program developed by a team of Autodesk which is also known
for its popular AutoCAD and 3D Viz programs.

The program is the industry leading application for lighting design and rendering. The
first application to incorporate both radiosity and ray tracing technologies with
real-world lighting, Lightscape simulates the true physical properties of light and
materials capturing lighting effects not normally obtained with conventional rendering
systems.

Rendering Comparison:
Neither traditional scan-line renderings nor
high-end ray tracers account for indirect illumination. Unlike these methods which try
to "fake" realism, Lightscape pioneered the use of radiosity to simulate how light
energy is actually distributed in space, as reflected and absorbed by every surface.
Subtle, yet significant diffuse lighting effects, such as soft shadows and color
bleeding, make Lightscape renderings the best representations of reality
available today. The integrated ray tracer adds specular reflections and highlights.

Using industry standard IES specifications from lighting manufacturers, designers can
use Lightscape to prototype, analyze and present to their clients how a building or
object will appear when specific materials and lighting conditions are used.

Lightscape is also used by digital content creators who use the software to illuminate
and render compelling real-time virtual environments for film, broadcast, web and
interactive gaming applications.
(source: http://www.lightscape.com/overview/default.asp)

FOCUS OF ANALYSIS IN THIS RESEARCH:
- Workflow of modeling and rendering using form Z and Lightscape
- Interactive process in modelling, importing and exporting models, and rendering process between Form Z and
Lightscape

- Efficiency of the lighting rendering results using Lightscape