Above Finished Floor (usually refers to the luminaire mounting height or workplane height).
Desktop refers to AGI32’s main interface screen. The Desktop contains all of the pull-down menus, Toolbars, and Graphics Windows related to the program operation. There are three modes of operation within the desktop: Normal (design mode), Render and Reports (presentation mode). Technically, the AGI32 Desktop is a MDI (Multiple Document Interface) form.
A setting in Status Manager that indicates whether a calculation entity is calculated or not.
The SI unit of luminous intensity. One candela is one lumen per steradian.
Luminous intensity expressed in candelas
A curve, generally polar, representing the variation of luminous intensity of a lamp or luminaire in a plane through the light center.
A number indicating the cavity proportions calculated from length, width and height.
A number indicating the ceiling cavity proportions calculated from length, width and height.
The ratio of the luminous flux (lumens) from a luminaire calculated on the workplane to the luminous flux emitted by the luminaire's lamps alone.
This is a simple adder to the formula for the CIE version of the Glare Contol Mark calculation. The value is zero for all lamps other than Low Pressure Sodium. The value for Low Pressure Soium is 0.4.
The AGI32 Command Line can be found across the bottom left corner of the AGI32 Desktop (screen). The Command Line always displays the status of the current command in progress and prompts for action by the user. Data entry can also be accommodated on the Command Line when the command in progress is waiting for coordinate entry.
The term Control is of technical origin and refers to a mini program that is used to control access, or interface with, certain types of information. Examples of typical controls include the following: Text box, Combo box, Pull-down menu, Pop-up menu, Option button, Check box, Scroll bar, Tab, Command button, Tree view, List box, Updown button, Picture box, Drivelist box, Dirlist box, Filelist box, Common dialog, Progress bar and Grid.
The cursor can either be crosshairs, or a pick box in the Graphics window depending on the status of the command being carried out.
The calculation of the effect of natural lighting in an interior or exterior model. AGI32 utilizes CIE sky models for clear, partly overcast and overcast skies.
A Dialog is an interactive window or form that appears when certain functions are activated (as in carrying on a dialog with AGI32!). An example of a Dialog is the Define Luminaire portion of AGI32. This command actually has multiple dialogs associated with it. Essentially, any time you execute a command and an interactive window appears requesting input, you are looking at a dialog.
The ratio of flux leaving a surface by diffuse reflectance to the incident flux.
The ratio of diffusely transmitted flux leaving a surface to the incident flux.
Lighting by luminaires where little to no light is emitted at angles near horizontal.
Lighting by luminaires emitting 90 to 100 percent of their light downward.
Glare resulting in reduced visual performance and visibility. see veiling luminance.
Glare which produces discomfort. It does not necessarily interfere with visual performance or visibility.
A small direct lighting unit which directs the light in a downward direction.
A number giving the combined reflectance effect of the walls and ceiling in the ceiling cavity.
A number giving the combined reflectance effect of the walls and floor in the floor cavity.
AGI32 uses these two meter types when calculating with Full calculation mode. When calculation points are placed on a surface using Automatic Placement, an Exitance meter is used if the corresponding surface has reflectance > 0. This meter calculates exitance or illuminance values based on the calculated luminance values of each element in the surface.
This is the projected area of the luminaire in the 90 degree horizontal photometric plane (USA type C) at a viewing angle of 76 degrees. This number is specific to the luminaire and is determined in the laboratory. It is not commonly included in luminaire data in the USA.
A luminaire designed to light a scene or object to a luminance greater than its surroundings.
The cavity formed by the workplane, floor and wall surfaces between these two planes.
A number indicating floor cavity proportions calculated from length, width and height.
A low pressure mercury electric discharge lamp with a fluorescing coating (phosphor) transoforms some of the ultraviolet energy generated by the discharge into visible light.
The unit of illuminance when a foot is taken as the unit of length.
A photometer for measuring the directional light distribution characteristics of lamps and luminaires.
The graphics window is another description for the active area in which you create your projects. The Graphics Window can contain a number of different Views as created in the AGI32 View Manager.
An electric discharge lamp in which the light producing arc is stabilized by bulb wall temperature. HID lamps include mercury, metal halide and high pressure sodium.
The attribute of a color that determines whether the color is red, blue, green or the like.
The density of the luminous flux incident on a surface.
An instrument for measuring illuminance. The meter is comprised of a photodetector driving a digital or analog readout.
Imageports are presentation entities used in Reports that contain an image.
A lamp which produces light by heating the filament to incandescense by an electric current.
AGI32 is delivered with a database containing luminaire photometric data from a variety of the lighting industries leading manufacturers. This database is called Instabase. Manufacturers included on the CD have made a special effort to organize their photometric data in a clear and organized manner and have included images for their product lines.
The multiple reflection of light by the various room surfaces
The law stating that the illuminance E at a point on a surface varies directly with the intensity I of a point source, and inversely as the square of the distance D between the point source and the point.
A line plotted in a set of coordinates (i.e., grid, polygon) to show all points where the illuminance is the same.
The job file is the computer file that you use to save the job(s) you work on. AGI32 Job files carry the extension AGI. Example: Downtown Pedestrian Mall.AGI
A surface that emits or reflects light in accordance with Lambert's cosine law (perfectly diffuse emitters). A lambertian surface has the same luminance regardless of viewing angle. All surfaces in AGI32 are lambertian.
A generic term for a man made source of light.
The multiplier used in illuminance calculations to relate the initial lamp lumens to the minimum rated output based on a relamping schedule.
Luminaire Classification System. Detailed in IESNA TM-15 document. Describes the optical distribution of luminaires for exterior classification useage.
Luminaire Efficacy Rating - single figure that expresses luminaire efficacy, the luminaire's light output divided by the input power. The formula is: LER = [ luminaire efficiency (EFF) x total rated lamp lumens (TLL) x ballast factor (BF)] divided by [luminaire watts input]
Radiant energy that is visible. The visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum extends from 380 to 700 nanometers.
A multiplying factor used in calculating illuminance over a given period of time. LLF takes into account temperature and voltage variations, dirt accumulation, lamp depreciation and maintenance procedures.
The SI unit of luminous flux.
A lighting design procedure used to determine the relationship between the number and types of luminaires, room characteristics and the average illuminance on a workplane. The lumen method takes into account direct and interreflected light.
A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps along with the components that distribute light and connect the lamps to the power supply.
The multiplier used in illuminance calculations to relate the initial illuminance from a clean luminaire to the reduced illuminance provided due to dirt collection at the time the luminaires will be cleaned.
single figure that expresses luminaire efficacy, the luminaire's light output divided by the input power. The formula is:LER = [ luminaire efficiency (EFF) x total rated lamp lumens (TLL) x ballast factor (BF)] divided by [luminaire watts input]
The ratio of luminous flux emitted by the luminaire to that emitted by the lamps on their own.
Luminous intensity per unit projected area of any surface, as measured from a specific direction. The units of luminance are candelas per square meter.
The density of luminous flux leaving the surface at a point.
The time rate of light flow
The luminous flux per unit solid angle in a given direction. Luminous intensity is expressed in candelas or lumens per steradian.
The SI unit of illuminance. One lux is one lumen per square meter.
A high intensity discharge (HID) lamp in which the major portion of light is produced by the radiation of metal halides.
The vertical distance between the ground (0) and the luminous surface of the luminaire.
The mouse pointer is the standard Windows mouse icon. (Set by system defaults).
The MultiUse Dialog is covered by the previous definition as well, but can be accessed from different commands. An example of this is the Color Dialog box. Many MultiUse dialogs are Windows Common Dialogs meaning they are standardized among applications and available to any developer.
The NULL symbol is a Render symbol used in calculation that does not contain housing or luminous area information. When a NULL symbol is selected for a luminaire in Full Calculation mode, the physical luminaire representation does not participate in the radiosity solution (the luminaire is invisible).
Objects are reflective and/or transmissive elements in AGI32 that may be added to exterior and/or interior spaces to model complex environments.
An incandescent filament or electric discharge lamp whose outer bulb is composed of two pressed parts that are fused together, a reflector bowl and a cover which may be clear or patterned for optical control.
An instrument for measuring photometric qualites such as luminance, luminous intensity, etc.
The measurement of quantities associated with light.
A lighting design procedure for predetermining the illuminances at various locations within lighting installations using luminaire photometric data. The direct component of illuminance due to the luminaires and the interreflected component of illuminance due to the room surfaces are summed together to provide the total illuminance at a point in Full Calculation mode.
A source of light whose dimensions are small enough to be neglected in calculations and measurements.
A Project is a subset of your Job file that may contain computations for any portion of your application. For example, when running multiple interior spaces in a single job file you may want to separate them into multiple Projects. Projects can be locked such that they are not computed when working on other portions of your job file. Projects can be manipulated using the AGI32 Project Manager. A single Job file may contain multiple Projects.
PsuedoColor provides a false color image of the rendered environment. Each luminance or illuminance value is assigned a unique color value ranging from blue (minimum value) to cyan to green to yellow to red (maximum value). This color type allows an alternative way to view the luminance or illuminance distribution in the environment easily.
A measure for the average luminous coefficent of a road surface. It is defined as the value of the luminance coefficient q averaged over a specified solid angle of incident light.
The ratio of incident flux to reflected flux on a surface.
Rooms provide a modeling tool intended for interior applications. Reflective or obstructive characteristics are only attributed to the inside of the room.
The cavity formed by the plane of the luminaires, the workplane and the wall surfaces between these two planes.
A number indicating room cavity proportions calculated from length, width and height.
Lighting by luminaires emitting 60 to 90 percent of their light downward and the balance upward.
Lighting by luminaires emitting 60 to 90 percent of their light upward and the balance downward.
Smart Symbols recommend a symbol for the selected photometric file. Smart Symbols are chosen for the selected photometric file using the luminaire's shape, size and distribution.
For roadway lighting, the distance between successive luminaires along the roadway.
A solid angle subtending an area on the surface of a sphere equal to the square of the sphere radius.
Light from a source that is scattered onto parts of the retina lying outside the retinal image of the source.
Lighting directed to a specific surface or area that provides illumination for a visual task.
Textures are images that are applied to surfaces when rendered in AGi32. The textures provide more photorealistic images by making the surfaces look more real - like brick, marble, tile etc.
Toolbars contain collections of buttons designed to access most of AGI32's most commonly used commands eliminating the need to search for a command in the pull-down menu structure.
An expression to describe the equality of light falling on a given area. Typically expressed in numeric ratios such as Maximum calculated point divided by Minimum calculated point.
A luminance superimposed on the retinal image which reduces its contrast. This veiling effect may result in decreased visual performance and visibility.
Viewports are presentation entities in Reports that are associated and assigned to Normal mode views created with View Manager (Plan, Elevation, or Isometric views).
The Virtual meter is used in Full Calculation mode in the following three scenarios: Automatic Placement is used to locate a workplane grid in space (i.e., off of the floor at 2.5'). Automatic Placement is used to place calculation points on a surface with reflectance = 0. Calculation grids, lines, polygons and scattered points are placed in the environment independently. When the Virtual meter is placed inside of an object constructed of one sided surfaces it "sees" through the object. These points should be removed.
Visibility is a term used in AGI32 for calculation points and Isolines. Calculation values and Isolines can be made Invisible using Status Manager and Project Manager while still being calculated.
The plane at which work is usually done, on which the illuminance is specified and measured. Unless otherwise indicated, this workplane is usually 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) above the floor.
A procedure for calculating the average illuminance on a workplane using the luminaire intensity distribution, room size and shape and room reflectances.