Lighting Manager: Adding and Placing Lighting Equipment

• Lighting Overview
• Adding New Equipment
  • Adding Low-Voltage Fixtures
  • Adding Fixtures from Manufacturers
  • Adding Generic Fixtures
  • Adding Auxiliary Equipment
  • Adding Wire
  • Adding Power Equipment
  • Adding an Electric Panel
  • Adding a Transformer
• Placing Equipment
• Placing Fixtures, Auxiliary Equipment, and Power Equipment
• Light Throw Previews for Fixtures
• Placing Wire
• Editing Lighting Equipment
• Creating Circuits, or Zones
• Generating a Lighting Schedule
  • Schedule Text in Uppercase (or Upper and Lowercase)
  • Work Areas and Lighting Schedules
• Labeling Equipment
• Labeling Lighting Equipment Using Photo Callouts
• Photometric Data Via IES File Compatibility
• Lamp Color & Color Temperature
• Importing Lighting Equipment from a Template or Project
• Error Checking Your Lighting Plan (Verify Wiring)
• Related Webinars
• Troubleshooting

F/X Site ribbon, Lighting flyout

F/X Site menu, Lighting option

GRAPHICS toolbar

Graphics RefNotes toolbar

or type FX_Lighting_Manager in the Command line

1. Select a type of equipment to add to your project.

2. Equipment you add to your project will be listed in this area. (Note: This area will be blank until you add lighting fixtures to the current project.)

3. The symbol assigned to a selected component will appear here.

4. The photo assigned to a selected component will appear here. You'll be able to place the photo in your drawing using our Photo Callout tool.

5. Add a new lighting component to your project.

6. Edit a lighting component you've added to your project.

7. Delete a lighting component from your project.

8. Import lighting equipment from another project or template.

9. To locate a placed lighting component in your drawing, select it from the menu and click Highlight. You’ll be taken right to that component in your drawing.

10. Place a lighting component in your drawing.

11. Use the Circuit button to define circuits, or zones, in your lighting plan.

Here's what the Lighting Manager looks like once you've added equipment to your project:

Select a type of equipment to add to your project (example: Low Voltage to add a lighting fixture), then click New.

Here, you can either:

• Select a manufacturer to specify a fixture from that manufacturer, including reviewing that manufacturer's product line and unique specifications, or ...

• Select Generic/Custom to specify a generic or custom fixture.

1. The selected manufacturer's logo.

2. Click this link to return to the previous dialog box and select a different manufacturer.

3. This list shows all equipment types available from the manufacturer in our database. Click an equipment type to select it.

4. Thumbnail images of all models within the selected equipment type. Click a thumbnail to select that model

5. Click this link to visit the selected manufacturer's website, browse the manufacturer's catalog, and learn more about the manufacturer.

If you click one of the thumbnail images for a component, you'll see a dialog box specifically for that component, where you can configure a number of options including materials, lamp options, finishes, and more.

Click Add to project to add the component to your project.

The Lighting dialog box will open.

Select a symbol to represent the selected equipment, then click OK.

1. The model name of the selected component.

2. The Note field will often be populated with manufacturer information about the component. Add to it if you want.

3. The two-letter code of the selected component.

4. Replace Fixture: Click this button to select a different fixture.

5. Assign a per-unit Cost to the selected fixture.

6. Assign a detail to the selected fixture, or remove a detail association from the fixture.

7. Use these menus to configure options such as lamp type and beamspread.

8. Thumbnail image for the symbol currently assigned to the selected fixture. Click here to select a new symbol.

The model you specified will be listed in the Lighting Manager.

To add generic lighting equipment to your project, click the New button in the Lighting Manager.

Scroll down to and select the Generic/Custom option in the Select Manufacturer dialog box.

The Lighting dialog box will open.

Select the Lighting tab to view the Lighting symbol library, or the Power tab to view the Power symbol library.

1. Enter a model name for the generic component you're adding.

2. Add a note about the component.

3. The Fixture Code field will be blank.

4. Replace Fixture: Click this button to select a different component.

5. Assign a per-unit Cost to the generic component you're adding.

6. Assign a detail to the component, or remove a detail association from the component.

7. Use these menus to configure options such as lamp type, beamspread, and voltage.

Auxiliary lighting equipment may include:

• Hubs/junction boxes
• Controllers
• Photocells/light sensors

To add auxiliary lighting equipment, select the Auxiliary option, then click New.

Select a symbol for the equipment you're adding, then click OK.

Enter all the info you want to include about the equipment you're adding, including the model and any notes you want to associate with the equipment.

Click OK to add the equipment to your project.

To add wire to your project, select the Wire option, then click New.

1. The wire will be assigned to our default layer for wire automatically. Click this button to move drawn wire to the layer of your choice.

2. Use this menu to select a wire type to use in your project.

3. After selecting your wire type, select a wire gauge (or, if required, two or more consecutive gauges) of wire.

4. Also after selecting your wire type, use this menu to select a wire material.

5. Information about the selected wire type appears in this text box.

6. Assign a Cost per unit of measurement (e.g., foot or meter) to the wire type you're using.

To add power equipment (i.e., an electric panel or transformer), select the Power option, then click New.

Select the option to add either an Electric Panel or Transformer, then click OK.

You won't have the option to add a transformer until you've added an electrical panel to your project.

Select the Electric Panel option to add an electric panel to your project.

Select a symbol to represent your panel.

1. Enter a model name for the panel you're adding.

2. Add any notes you want to include about the panel.

3. Add a Cost for the panel you're adding.

4. Assign a detail to the panel, or remove a detail association from the panel.

5. The Input Voltage for the panel. This figure should be the source voltage supplied to your site.

6. Use this slide to account for any voltage fluctuation, or leave it at 100% if you don't anticipate any fluctuation.

7. The maximum amps this panel can supply, or the main breaker rating. Note that the output voltage you see here is not the panel's maximum voltage. It’s the input voltage multiplied by the fluctuation slider value.

Select the Transformer option to add a transformer to your project.

To add a transformer to your project, you'll first need to add an electrical panel.

Select a transformer manufacturer, or select the Generic/Custom option to configure your own custom transformer.

If you selected a manufacturer, select a transformer model from that manufacturer.

If you selected a transformer model from a manufacturer, you'll now see further information about the transformer you've selected, including its wattage rating, input voltage, maximum amperage, and the voltage of each of its output taps.

Click Add to project to continue adding the transformer to your project.

Select a symbol to represent the transformer you're adding.

1. The model name for the transformer you're adding.

2. Add any notes you want to include about the transformer.

3. Add a Cost for the transformer you're adding.

4. Assign a detail to the transformer, or remove a detail association from the transformer.

5. The Input Voltage for the transformer.

6. The maximum amps and watts that will apply to the transformer. The maximum amperage value here refers to the low-voltage (output) side of the transformer.

7. Each of these fields represents one of the output taps assigned to the panel, with each field listing the voltage of the corresponding tap.

8. Open the manufacturer's website to view data associated with the selected transformer model.

With your drawing open in Model Space, go to the Lighting Manager.

Select the item you want to place, then click Place.

Here is an example of an uplight that includes an IES file – the Probe OBM by Unique Lighting.

The light throw appears in the drawing as a horizontal cone depicting a spotlight aimed parallel to the ground.

And here is an example of a path light that includes an IES file – the Centaurus 8, also by Unique Lighting.

This path light's throw appears in the drawing as a circle depicting a path light projecting light symmetrically, 360 degrees around itself, onto the ground.

When you click Place with a wire selected in the Lighting Manager, the cursor will turn into a pickbox, and you can begin wiring your fixtures.

In this example, we'll wire the simple array pictured to the right, including the power source and transformer.

When wiring to a panel or transformer, you'll see a dialog box showing all the branch breakers (for panels) or output taps (for transformers). Select a connection and click OK.

If you've already wired to any of the connections on that panel or transformer, you'll see which connection(s) are already wired.

Click a fixture or other component to wire to it.

If you connected successfully, you'll see a yellow circle around the component.

Keep placing wire in this way until you've completed the circuit.

Continue wiring any additional circuits from your panel or transformer.

Note that when you've already wired to a panel or transformer, the branch breaker or voltage tap that's already wired will show up as dark, as pictured t to the right. Select any of the other connections for wiring the new circuit.

If necessary, you can edit any panel or generic/custom transformer to add or make changes to these connections. Manufacturers' transformers will have their number of voltage taps, and the voltages for each of those taps, already set from the factory.

To edit a fixture or other piece of equipment in the Lighting Manager, select it and click Edit.

Dialog box for editing a light fixture – note the Reconfigure button, which allows you to select different configuration options.

Dialog box for editing auxiliary lighting equipment

Dialog box for editing a wire type

Dialog box for editing lighting power equipment (transformer shown)

With our Circuit tool, you can divide your lighting plan into circuits, or zones, before you've even wired your fixtures. Each circuit will have its wattage total calculated automatically, giving you a good idea of the power your system will need to provide in each region, and in total.

For more information and instructions, see our documentation on creating lighting circuits (zones).

You can place a schedule of lighting equipment you've used in your project within either Model Space or a Paper Space Layout Tab by opening the Lighting Manager and clicking Schedule.

For more information and instructions, see our article on placing a Lighting Schedule.

To import equipment into the current project, open the Lighting Manager and click Import.

Select the template or project that includes the equipment you want to import.

Click OK.

The Import RefNotes dialog box will open.

Highlight the items you want to import, and click Add to Project to add them to the current project.

Click Done when finished.

The equipment you imported will now be listed in the Lighting Manager.

Those components, and all associated data, is now added to your project, and you can place it as needed.