# lighting layout



## mikeg_05 (Jan 1, 2009)

Anyone have any tips or tricks, or even formulas for saying laying out cans in a long hallway or room to get an even layout?


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Make it symmetrical and keep it simple, for remodels I typically show home owner a dot of blue tape at about 33" and let them slide or move them from there.


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## electricista (Jan 11, 2009)

mikeg_05 said:


> Anyone have any tips or tricks, or even formulas for saying laying out cans in a long hallway or room to get an even layout?


Assuming 6" cans,----Hallways I don't worry too much but I try to be no further than 6' apart.

In a room I usually want to be 4' or the max 5' apart. Thus if my room is 12' long and I want my cans 5' apart max I know I will need 3 cans-- One will be in the middle and the others approx. 4 feet from the center. This would leave 2' from the walls. 

I also don't want my first can to be more than 3' off a wall on the ends.

Say the room is also 10' wide. I would then have the cans 5' apart with about 2'6" off the end walls. So for this 12 x 10 room I would have 2 rows of cans with 3 cans in each row.

Now it can get complicated if there is a fan in the middle because you don't want a strobe effect from the fan. 

I guess it depends if you want an evenly lit room versus having the center area lit or the perimeter lit. If I have a fan in the middle I tend to spread the cans further apart and go for the perimeter lighting.

If the 12 x 10 room had a fan I would definitely eliminate the center row and perhaps move the end ones in a bit.


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## mikeg_05 (Jan 1, 2009)

good tips:thumbsup: I was asking because I just did a great room about 30' wide with windows on the outside wall and a soffit six feet wide it was a little tricky, but like always we got'er done:thumbup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

mikeg_05 said:


> Anyone have any tips or tricks, or even formulas for saying laying out cans in a long hallway or room to get an even layout?


Too broad of a question. What type of lights? What about lamps? Drop ceiling/drywall? Fluorescent? Indandescent? HID? LED? Wall & floor materials & colors? Diffusers? Trim rings?


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## mikeg_05 (Jan 1, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Too broad of a question. What type of lights? What about lamps? Drop ceiling/drywall? Fluorescent? Indandescent? HID? LED? Wall & floor materials & colors? Diffusers? Trim rings?


Sorry 480. Lets see Drywall, 4" can lights, incandescent, white walls hard wood floors, and nickel alzak trims


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## idesign (Feb 7, 2009)

If you do layouts often I would look at some the FREE lighting programs from either Lightolier or Lithonia. Lithonia's is called Visual and the basic version is free. It is loaded with hundrerd of IES files and you can import others if needed. 
It's very accurate if you input correct refectance values, ballast factors, etc...
If your shooting for 30 or 50 or 75 footcandles or whatever this will take out the guess work. :thumbsup:


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## abond82 (Feb 9, 2009)

where do you get the programs?


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## idesign (Feb 7, 2009)

abond82 said:


> where do you get the programs?


 
http://www.visuallightingsoftware.com/

Click on Basic for the free version. 

The pro version is fantastic, great 3d modeling capabilities, way more advanced than the Basic. The Basic is still very helpful.

Good Luck

For Lightoliers just go to their website, nothing to download.


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## opes (Apr 21, 2008)

Lithonia's "Visual Lighting" software works well but does take time to learn how to use it and cost a $100 or so. If you don't have time or the money look in the light fixture catalog. Some times the catalog has a footcandle chart for each light fixture that you can use to guestimate the light levels directly under the light fixture at given distances. 
Or call you local lighting representative. They can do a footcandle calc for you or give you and idea of proper light fixture spacing for a given footcandle level.
Or You can use the lumen method calculation yourself for an approximate average light level. 
Or you can do use the zonal cavity method of calculating light levels for more accuracy in getting average footcandle levels
Or you can do a point by point footcandle calculation which is best done with a computer or by a sale rep. Very time consuming.


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## idesign (Feb 7, 2009)

opes said:


> Lithonia's "Visual Lighting" software works well but does take time to learn how to use it and cost a $100 or so.


The "PRO"version cost $100, the BASIC version is free. It is very simple to use.


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## opes (Apr 21, 2008)

I have been using Lithinia's "Visual" Pro version lighting software since it was first published and took time to figure out the full function of the program. I have the basic version and is user friendly and would probably be the best choice unless your doing a large and specalized lighting job. To a software and lighting design novice Visual Pro may not be all that easy. I suspect to the first time user the pro version will take awhile to learn.


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