Eaton has a solution for lighting designers and engineers looking for a state-of-the-art, effective and professional light planning software package – free of charge! DIALux.
- Generates results showing expected light readings in either footcandles or LUX
- Provides professional quality summary reports
- Allows for energy evaluation reporting
- Planning for whole buildings, including outdoor spaces
- Document your results with photo-realistic visualizations
- Import AutoCAD drawings to use as a background guide with light fixture planning
Two Steps to Get Started:
1. Click here to download the latest version of DIALux. DIALux is free of charge and can be downloaded in many languages.
2. Click here to download the Eaton's Crouse-Hinds series plugin.
The DIALux software comes without any luminaire (photometric) data. This data (called a “plugin”) must be installed separately. The Eaton's Crouse-Hinds series plugin includes the complete photometric database of Eaton's Crouse-Hinds series, CEAG and Pauluhn brands of lighting products. NOTE: Users who have already downloaded and installed any DIALux program only need to install the Eaton's Crouse-Hinds series plugin. Our plugin will work with either DIALux 4 or DIALux EVO lighting software programs.
Posted by3 years ago
Archived
Free/cheap visualization software?
So I'm one of us unfortunates in the corporate event world. We design an event, load it in, have the show, and strike it to make room for the next event. I'm sure most people are familiar.
Problem is, I'm the only real competent LD/L1 on the crew. I'd love to get some of my techs trained up, and I've started the process, but our work schedule never leaves enough time to get a tech a few hours in front of a real rig, and looking at the output window really isn't enough.
As we're primarily a Hog house, I'm trying to put together a Hog 4 PC setup with a visualizer to create a 'training show' of sorts. Problem is this is all coming out of my pocket and I can't afford the thousands of dollars for ESP, Light Converse, etc. Is there something affordable out there that I could use for this? Thanks!
67% Upvoted
I’m looking for a free CAD program that students can download for set/lighting design. I have used Google SketchUp but it was not as user friendly as I would like and does not really conform to theatrical design very well. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Lonnie Royal
Lonnie Royal
I realize this isn’t the answer you’re looking for but.. I’d still throw my vote in for SketchUp. Of course, it depends on the features you’re interested in; SketchUp certainly isn’t a pre-viz tool but it’s great for modeling a set, calculating throw distances and angles. I’ve also used it to generate 2-D plots to give to my lighting techs with all the info they need to hang, aim, add accessories, program DMX channels, etc. All for free.
Insaniquarium online no download. And best of all, you’ll find our games on mobile, console, PC, and many other devices – you may even be able to play them on the moon! PopCap Studios - Official EA Site Inspire the world to play! We Make Great Games Our games are sprinkled with a whirlwind of smile-inducing awesomeness and polished to a shiny sheen that keeps the world coming back again and again.
Since we use it to model sets (which is a great communication tool between directors, producers, designers), I can take the set model and add a lighting grid at the correct height and distance and build my plot. The learning curve is minimal and I find it very easy to use, which makes generating drawings very fast. Been using it for a few years now so I don’t know if there are better “free” tools out there currently. I’m interested in what else you find.
Kenny Knapp
Try LX Free. You can draw plots in it, and it also has a paperwork generator component to it.
iSquint (Justin Lang)
You might look at ProgeCad 2009 Smart. It’s a free (for personal use) version of a pretty complete AutoCAD clone. They are at http://www.progesoft.com/. Be warned that the 2009 version does not get along well with Windows 7. It’s fine under XP though. There is an update due pretty much any time.
Kenny Knapp
Try LX Free. You can draw plots in it, and it also has a paperwork generator component to it.
iSquint (Justin Lang)
You might look at ProgeCad 2009 Smart. It’s a free (for personal use) version of a pretty complete AutoCAD clone. They are at http://www.progesoft.com/. Be warned that the 2009 version does not get along well with Windows 7. It’s fine under XP though. There is an update due pretty much any time.
Along more commercial lines, do I not recall that Vectorworks was offering free educational versions?
Jerry George
Vectorworks does have a free student version! The information on how to get it is on their website.
Crystal M. Lee
Jerry George
Vectorworks does have a free student version! The information on how to get it is on their website.
Crystal M. Lee
View the discussion thread.
Stage Lighting Design Cad Software is a collection reguarding useful softwares for the planning of lighting shows. You can find both free softwares or free libraries for Autocad and paid softwares that allow you to design, simulate, plot, draft projects on paper.
AutoSTAGEis an efficient tool for the cost-effective and easy creation of professional CAD plans, engineering designs and visual images for fair, exhibition, theatre and live entertainment.AutoSTAGE provides the technical simulation of reality. This is based on an extensive library of over 20,000 2D and 3D symbols in areas such as lighting, audio, video, stage, trusses, rigging, studio and theatre and also banquet and catering.An integral component of AutoSTAGE is the large collection of tools. This allows for designs of great accuracy in the shortest time, even complex trussing or lighting plans. Apart from the actual design, the clever combination of information allows a variety of other data planning functions, like stock lists for example, to be created. These can be viewed, changed and displayed at any time.Despite the complexity of the CAD Software, AutoSTAGE is suitable for CAD beginners as well. After a short training period, due to the intuitive design of AutoSTAGE, the user can create professional CAD plans without extensive prior knowledge of CAD.
is a native macOS and Windows application that lets you work with the lighting, video, laser, moving scenery and water elements of a show. Focus points are ease of use and ability to seamlessly allow switching between design, documentation and visualization oriented tasks. This provides an unprecedented level of flexibility and ability to support any type of design process and also encourages trying out new workflows. The new version is able to connect to other technologies and systems, ranging from screen technology and LED as well as filter colour accuracy to physical media input and streaming technologies, 3D model and fixture data / patch file format interchange to 3D motion tracking. Prices: Solo € 395, Duet € 795, Quartet € 1295, Symphony € 2195.
Is the most famous software known by many lighting designer. Cast Wysiwyg allow to design, simulate, make render and pre-visualize the show. Wysiwyg is an all-in-one lighting design software with fully integrated CAD, plots, data, visualization and virtual show control. Wysiwyg features the largest CAD library with thousands of 3D objects you can choose from to design your entire show.
Price: $899 (Report Version) – 2999 (Design Version) – $5749 (Perform Version). Also available the lease mode (3,6,12,24 mounth).
Price: $899 (Report Version) – 2999 (Design Version) – $5749 (Perform Version). Also available the lease mode (3,6,12,24 mounth).
allows a straight forward design and set up of any custom stage or scenery layout with its 2D drawing facilities and a library of basic graphical elements. Multiple windows both in 2D or 3D view with any camera angle can be opened at the same time and will be updated in real-time. All the stage elements can be positioned in x/y/z directions and can also be rotated around the various axes. Textures to design these elements’ surfaces can be chosen from the huge built-in library, or you may import your own graphic files and even video clips and use them as textures. Position and rotation parameters of objects and cameras on the virtual stage can be controlled via DMX. The equipment can be moved freely in the 3D space via the connected grandMA2 console. GrandMA 3D is free.
Free Stage Lighting Design Software
software offers real-time, photo-realistic 3D visualization of any type of show. Features include realistic-looking fixtures, photometric rays and gobo visualization, fixture constructor, video inputs, animated objects, animated fog, customizable 3D libraries. Software updates are free of charge for life. The realism and speed are the best in the industry. First up in v56 are new functions for fixtures, including precise 3D volume Focus calculations for beams and beam footprints, accurate Frost calculation covering the complete range of depth for LED modules, Gobo Edge abilities, Objective Mapping for Shapes (RGB rings, segments, etc.) and added Pixel Shift functions for High End’s ShapeShifter instrument. The latest version additionally adds further enhancements to its integration with 3D Multimedia Glasses and Head Tracker support, which allows users and their clients to be completely immersed in a 360° Virtual World of their show or event – a definite way to bring clients onboard quickly. Price: €1071.00 (NET) – €1666.00 (Media) – €3332 (Trace) – €8925 (Unlimited). Android studio projects with source code.
help designers and electricians record and keep track of the vast amount of data needed to install and maintain a lighting installation. As the lighting world has increased in complexity due to the proliferation of moving lights and LEDs, the organizational demands on lighting designers, design assistants, and electricians has continued to grow. Lightwright 6, for the first time, fulfills a longtime industry dream of controlling the flow of lighting data from design to console without needing to enter data multiple times by hand, while documenting up to 45,000 universes of data. Inside dozens of other new features for lighting users, including a built in label maker. To organize their shows and to provide easy identification of gear, production electricians carefully label everything, including lights, cables, breakouts, power supplies, dimmer racks, and data distribution gear.
LX Free is an application for drawing light plots and generating paperwork. It combines drawing a light plot with editing information associated with graphic objects in the drawing, and it is able to produces reports by linking the graphics, attached data, and additional databases related to the properties of these objects.
The software is totally free and available as a native application on Mac OS X. LXFree for Java runs on Windows and Linux computers that have a Java runtime installed. LX is a Free CAD Software.
The software is totally free and available as a native application on Mac OS X. LXFree for Java runs on Windows and Linux computers that have a Java runtime installed. LX is a Free CAD Software.
is a powerful visualisation system fully integrated with ChamSys free MagicQ software to enable lighting designers to pre-visualise their shows, to program blind and to automatically generate rigging paperwork including plots and patch lists. MagicQ for Windows/Mac/Linux includes the visualiser and as you patch fixtures they will appear in the Visualiser window and you can easily move them to the appropriate position using the on screen encoder wheels. MagicVis is also available as a stand alone MagicVis application which can be run on a laptop or desktop computer connected via network to a MagicQ console. Just start the MagicVis app and it will find the MagicQ console and synchronise with the show file.
has a newly designed 3D engine which provides photorealistic rendering in real-time using the latest DirectX technology. On MSD 6’s user-friendly timeline control you can create complex presentations including lighting, video, animated scenery, camera motion and animated smoke effects.
The user interface has been completely redesigned with a modern look, offering a rapid workflow to quickly drag and drop fixtures, objects and textures as well as instant access to any object’s properties.
MSD 6 is Vectorworks-friendly and through a Windows-based plug-in, Vectorworks files can be exported and imported into MSD 6. MSD 6 also comes with its own 3D modeling app to quickly build objects and materials or import DXF, DWG and native SketchUp formats along with all textures and UV maps. MSD 6 is available in two versions: MSD 6 Pro™ and MSD 6 Lite™.
The user interface has been completely redesigned with a modern look, offering a rapid workflow to quickly drag and drop fixtures, objects and textures as well as instant access to any object’s properties.
MSD 6 is Vectorworks-friendly and through a Windows-based plug-in, Vectorworks files can be exported and imported into MSD 6. MSD 6 also comes with its own 3D modeling app to quickly build objects and materials or import DXF, DWG and native SketchUp formats along with all textures and UV maps. MSD 6 is available in two versions: MSD 6 Pro™ and MSD 6 Lite™.
Realizzer 3D is one of best realistic real-time lighting simulator. It allows you to create photo realistic designs and instantly view your light show on your PC. The software has a comprehensive library with many 3D models included such as Truss and more. With the Pro, Ultimate and Studio versions you have also the possibility to simulate complete laser and video installations. Also, custom created 3D models can be imported in over 20 formats (OBJ, 3DS, DAE, etc.). Starting with Realizzer Studio you can create highly realistic videos rendered in full HD to present your show designs. Price: €300 (Basic) – €800 (Professional) – €1400 (Ultimate) – €2100 (Studio).
is a graphical design application specifically for create lighting plots, manage paperwork for all levels of entertainment from theatre to film to TV and is great for students and professionals. SoftPlot makes it easy to drag-and-drop lighting fixtures, trusses, and other elements on the design surface. You can take a bird-eye’s view and see your design in Plan, Cross Section, and Elevation views to make sure all your sightlines and focuses are correct. Working with SoftPlot will greatly increase productivity during design time. SoftPlot will also manage paperwork from gel lists to instrument schedules. Printing is easy with SoftPlot as it can output to any printer or plotter supported by Windows. Many options are available from color to page sizes. You can also create and print reports of inventory, pattern listings, channel schedules, and others. Price: from €245 to €1622.50 (Depend of license).
is one of the most complete software packages for Building Information Modeling (BIM) and planning. The package is a complete and well designed product, including sophisticated 2D design and 3D modelling environments, enabling professionals to realise projects ranging from architectural to landscape, to 3D modelling and Lighting Design. A complete suite that, thanks to the different workspaces, enables its users to implement design in great detail through the many tools and features that simplify and speed up the designer’s workflow. Vectorworks is able to interface with many other software packages such as ArchiCAD, SketchUp, Autocad, Cinema 4D and Revit. It allows users to generate plans, prospects, sections, reports, and material lists based on the information contained in the project, in addition to realising the graphical aspects of a presentation in a completely customisable fashion. Price: €2945,00 (New License Spotlight Version)
software allows lighting designers, teachers, or students to experiment with light, shadow, color composition, and cue timing in a simulated lighting studio. Virtual Light Lab is fast and easy to use: highly realistic images are displayed immediately and there is no complicated 3D drawing system to learn. Models are placed on a stage and lighted, a backdrop image is added, stage looks are composed. Moving a light or changing a color is as simple as clicking and dragging a light icon or a color swatch. Recorded scenes can be assigned fade times, then played back at full screen size and recorded as QuickTime movies. Images can be printed, or exported for use in other graphic applications. Price: $239 (Individual) – $149 (Student) – $195 (Faculty)
puts the power to previsualize and cue your show at your fingertips. Cross-platform, intuitive software that works with your console, Vision equips you to design creatively and efficiently. Entertainment design and production professionals save time and money when they use Vision because you can previz without needing the venue or having a crew standing by. Experiment with looks and cues, review options with your clients and artists, and get buy in – all before you load in. Made for PC and Mac platforms, Vision is built for accuracy with moving light fixtures. It communicates with a wide array of DMX consoles, including the MA2, Hog, ETC EOS, and many more that can send ArtNET or sACN NET protocols over an Ethernet connection. Don’t worry, you can also work offline with onPC support for hog3 MA1&2, and many other consoles. Price: $395,00 (New Licence) – $198,00 (Education).
I gladly wait for your suggestions to raise the bar of this collection. If you please, comment at the end of the post.