How do a show a lighting scheme?

[Anonymous]

I am new to AC15 and what to show a client a lighting scheme is there any quick way to to this?
Jane

[Barry Kelly]

When you say "show a client" do you mean you want to sit down with the client while you are driving Archicad to show them the 3D model?
If so you just need to model the lights in 3D.
The problem will be finding objects to represent the lights you want.
There are some in the library but whether they are suitable or not will depend on how realistic you want them to look.

If you want to send the client a file for them to look through at their leasure then you will probably want to look at purchasing the BIMx add-on that will allow you to save a file of the 3D model that the client can walk through on their PC, Mac, iPhone or iPad.
Again you will still only have the library items that you can find unless you start modelling your own.

If you want to show the actual lighting effects (colour, intensity, shadows, etc.) then I think you will struggle.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Hi Barry,
I meant when I do a rendering I want to be able to show the lighting scheme how it will look at night for example. I am working with garden design therefore it is interesting for my clients if I can print out a photolike representation of an outdoor lighting scheme.

[Barry Kelly]

So you want accurate renderings.
It is possible but as I said I think you will find it tricky.
Especially as you say you are new to 15 and it sounds like you just want to use Archicad and not any other software.

This is outside my experience so maybe others will be of more assistance.
You will not only have to insert your light sources and set their properties correctly to get the light cone, colours, intensity etc. but you will also have to make sure you have all of your model materials correct.
You mention garden design so to me this brings in another level of difficulty getting decent 3D plant objects that look decent with accurate materials.

If you want to keep the model in Archicad then you are really stuck with the Lightworks rendering engine - which many say is not that good.
Taking the model into an external rendering package will have benefits but at a cost for the new software if you don't already have it (and a learning curve to use it).
Maybe rendering just the model and then "photoshopping" the images will give you the effect you want but you will need to be very famailiar with your "photoshopping" software.
As I mentioned this is not my area of expertise so I don't want to put you off.
Hopefully others will have more encouraging information to pass on.
Barry.