IES Files for Real Light in V-ray SketchUp
Why IES?
IES files describe how light from a lamp is distributed in a room. This data is provided by many manufacturers so that lighting designers can realistically simulate how a project will look when a specific light source is used. 3D artists also use this data to calculate their images more realistically. However, it is cumbersome to find the correct file using try and error, as the manufacturer does not necessarily include a visual example.
Equirectangular Camera Inside a Cube!
This innovative feature will illustrate how light illuminates in 3D, offering a fresh perspective on illumination dynamics. While we're excited to unveil this feature, please note that it will take some time to process all 400,000 IES files. We're working diligently to ensure that this experience is worth the wait.In the interim, we've enhanced our platform with additional features, including tagging and logging options. Once logged in, users have the ability to mark data as favorites.
IES files for real-world light fixtures for use in DCC and CAD software
A global standard for photometric data, the IES file format encodes the intensity and spatial distribution of light emitted by real-world light fixtures. IES files are supported by most industrial design and visualisation software, including DCC applications like 3ds Max, Blender and Maya, either natively or through renderers like V-Ray and Arnold.
Although IES files are freely available online, IES Library collects together data from many individual repositories, including those for a range of major lighting manufactuers, and eliminates duplicate records. Each file is presented with supporting information like wattage and bulb type, plus a standard render showing the lighting pattern it represents, generated automatically in Blender.
Files can be filtered by manufacturer or by type: there are simple categories for downlights, uplights, flood lights and multi rays.
Understanding the IES files
All of that having been said, I am thinking that for the most part, we can probably stick to using V-Ray's IES light type here as this will both simplify the workflow for us while at the same time enhancing the realism of the lighting setup we are creating.
Having chosen this as the approach we are going to take, it would probably be a good idea to take a moment or two here to outline exactly what a V-Ray IES light is, as well as pointing out why they make an excellent light choice given the type of scenario we are working with here.
Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) are in fact the originators of the IES file format. The file type was created as a means of digitally profiling the photometric data for any light fixture as well as then having the ability to both easily view and distribute the data to anyone who wanted or needed it. The IES format is widely used by many of the industry's leading lighting manufacturers at the time of this writing and has become one of the, if not the industry standard in photometric data distribution.
Because they contain a digital profile of a real-world light unit (in 3D software packages that support them), the IES files can be used to create light sources that have physically accurate energy distribution and throw patterns attached, giving them an extremely realistic look and feel when used inside our 3D scenes.
Downloading and viewing IES profiles
One of the brilliant things about IES files is that lighting manufacturers such as ERCO often make them freely available for the light fixtures that they create. This of course is extremely good news for 3D artists and lighting engineers, who can put them to very good use on both visualization and lighting analysis projects.
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