Charles Troxell 8/97 © Charles M. Troxell

Hey, we're back. And this time we will look at Wayne Kessler's Calcu-Lite 5 Suite (The ScreenMaker). I'll admit that I have been negligent in my duties here at HYPERLINK www.light-link.com. But eating in my case is the number one priority and next to that there is chasing about the country with Reg. Wilson of Lighting Down Under. Reg. is my Aussie partner in LIT International.

But let's get on with a review of Wayne's latest programming effort. This program started as a very simple lighting Calculator a few years ago. And it was a handsome product at that. Since then it has grown up with each Version of the program and a lot - a very lot has been added.

It now consists of a suite of four lighting programs that make up everything a lighting person could need to do. These programs are all user friendly. They would serve a lighting person well that has some good working knowledge in a fundamental to intermediate range. But really you can expect to learn from the well documented help files as well as the manual.

The first program in the suite is Calcu-Lite. This program does lumen method calculations on interior spaces. It comes with a generic photometric database. The database, besides the numbers, also has a lot of lamp data, as well as some contractor level pricing estimates.

It calculates the number of fixtures required for a given interior space when provided a desired foot-candle level or calculates the number of foot-candles when given a known quantity of luminaires.

Additionally, it will lay the luminaires out in a grid ceiling for you. You can play with the dimmer slide and see what reducing the light levels or increasing the levels can do for you - or - better yet do to your design, as the dimmer deducts or adds luminaires. This is useful because the software calculates spacing ratios, and you can push for the maximum spacing while maintaining uniformity.

The next program is the IES File Assistant. This is a lighting photometric file editing and reading tool. It will allow you to examine any .ies photometric file in detail. It will print out a hard copy of any .ies format file. This program also is the workhorse as it acts as a photometric database file manager. It will let you select a set of favorite files that you can use time after time. Face it, we specify the same thing over and over - even as much as 75 to 80 percent of the time.

Again this version brings to you, a lighting cost calculator that allows comparison of three different lighting systems. This program also includes a 'green' earth friendly feature to tell you how much pollution your lighting installation generates in the form of hydrocarbons, acid rain etc. It will run the financials for you as well as help you select the right system.

One newer addition is Temp-Lite which handles the point by point work for outdoor lighting lay outs. The thing is quick and does a nice job. It will allow the use of different configurations. Singles, twins and quads. One thing I wonder - - Wayne, can you put a angle adjuster into the thing? Lots of shoeboxes are aimed slightly above horizontal to give a slightly better spread. Then who knows, maybe we could have a good quick inexpensive flood lighting program that would crank out a template!

Calcu-Lite is a extremely easy program to use. Effectively, you don't have to be a rocket scientist. Nor do you have to be a lighting scientist. It's aimed at a market. I see the market as a user friendly, inexpensive, tool for the use of lighting distributors, manufacturers reps and those who "do lighting" on anything but a full time basis. But it is capable of doing anything in lighting, quickly and easily.

The program's documentation is short and to the point. But what I like about it is that it's a good Lighting 101 for the infrequent user. The FAQ (frequently asked questions) section will point you in the right direction . The manual handles elementary light levels, light loss factors, why you might need to edit a photometric file etc. The Quick Starts section will set you up and running quick. All through the manual you find lots of pertinent data and information on lighting design issues.

I feel that this program's has real potential on a license basis for some of the smaller lighting companies. It could be given to their distribution for use with photometric files already installed in the favorites library. Really, we have some large manufacturers who have put a lot of dollars into software development. Many times, because of complexity, these programs end up as shelfware rather than used software. Here's an easy to use lighting tool that I am sure is an affordable and useful tool well within the reach of the small to medium lighting manufacturer. It's certainly in reach of most distributors and individuals.

You can reach me at Troxell.On.Line.

© Charles M. Troxell
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