Revit Tip: Defensible Lighting Analysis and Documentation Workflows in Revit

When lighting performance is part of your deliverables, use Revit’s analysis workflows to make defensible decisions early and document results clearly.

When to run lighting analysis

• Code compliance or owner requirements (minimum maintained illuminance, emergency egress).
• LEED v4/v4.1 daylight credits (sDA/ASE) and glare risk checks for critical spaces.
• Fixture optimization, energy budgeting, and value engineering comparisons.
• Design reviews where visual comfort or presentation quality matters.

Prepare the model for trustworthy results

• Create enclosed Rooms/Spaces; ensure Room Bounding is enabled on links and major elements.
• Assign realistic material assets: wall/ceiling/floor reflectance, glazing Visible Transmittance (VLT), and shading.
• Use photometric (IES) lighting families with correct lumens, light loss factors, and aiming.
• Set project Location, True North, and time zone; define Sun Settings you will reuse.
• Establish an analysis work plane: 0.80 m (2'-6") for desks, 0.20 m for floors, or per code.

Pick the right tool for the question

• Revit Cloud Rendering – Illuminance: fast false-color lux maps for daylight/electric scenarios (availability depends on your Autodesk plan). Great for quick design options.
• Autodesk Insight (Daylighting): daylight autonomy/annual metrics using weather data for LEED-style assessments.
• ElumTools (add-in): detailed point-by-point electric lighting per IES standards directly in Revit.
• Dynamo + schedules: automate grid creation, naming, and result extraction into QA logs.

Need help selecting or licensing tools? Explore Autodesk Revit and add-ins at NOVEDGE, or talk to their specialists at novedge.com.

Run and visualize consistently

• Define scenarios: Daylight (lights off), Electric (lights on), Combined. Name views accordingly.
• Choose sky models/dates: CIE Overcast for worst-case daylight; representative dates/times for typical use; use weather-based runs for annual metrics when required.
• Place an analysis grid at the correct height with sensible spacing (0.6–1.2 m typical); keep it inside the room boundary.
• Use Analysis Display Styles with legends keyed to your pass/fail thresholds; store these in a View Template and apply to all analysis views.
• Document settings (location, sky, date/time, work plane, light settings) in view parameters or a key schedule.

Quality checks that save rework

• Validate one “test room” first; compare results against a quick hand calc or manufacturer calculator.
• Confirm units (lux vs foot-candles) and planes; mismatches are a common source of error.
• Verify IES files, lumens, and tilt angles in lighting families; small mistakes cause big deltas.
• Control reflections: overly glossy materials inflate results; use credible reflectance values.
• Keep views light: hide heavy links, use coarse detail, and section boxes to speed runs.

Packaging results for stakeholders

• Place analysis views on sheets with consistent legends and notes; include a short methodology blurb.
• Export images and tabular results; highlight compliance zones and exceptions with callouts.
• Track iterations by embedding scenario/date in view and sheet names for easy comparison.

For licensing advice, cloud workflows, and recommended add-ins, connect with NOVEDGE—their team can match your analysis needs to the right Revit ecosystem tools.

You can find all the Revit products on the NOVEDGE web site at this page.