AftabRad Revit Add-in -> How to create “Daylit”, “partially Daylit”, “non-Daylit”, “excessive Daylight” zones

This tutorial shows how to categorize spaces based on the daylight availability in the interiors. We can use such analysis to do our lighting design concept or define different lighting control zones.

For example, in a non-daylit area, the electrical lighting fixture should be switched on whenever it is occupied. So, its lighting design concept should be different from a daylit or partially-daylit space

that could be adequately lit by daylight during day times. Regarding the part of interiors categorized as excessive Daylight that can be faced with too much sunlight and consequently have problems

with glare, it is recommended not to place any working desks there whenever designing the interior layout. 

Therefore, by doing Daylight Autonomy and Annual Sunlight Exposure calculations for the interior spaces, and by considering what is recommended in the below, we can define different areas of

interior spaces as Daylit, excessive Daylight, partially-Daylit, and non-Daylit.

DA₃₀₀ ≥ 50%: Daylit
DA₃₀₀ ≥ 50% and ASE₁₀₀₀ > 250h: excessive Daylight
DA₁₅₀ ≥ 50% and DA₃₀₀ < 50%: partially-Daylit
DA₁₅₀ < 50%: non-Daylit

To find fully, or partially daylit areas, or parts of spaces with insufficiently daylight that can be used to categorize space in regard to daylight access, we use the method that is recommended by Christoph

Reinhart and his colleagues in this paper (Reinhart, C., Rakha, T. and Weissman, D., 2014. Predicting the daylit area—a comparison of students assessments and simulations at eleven schools of architecture. 

Leukos, 10(4), pp.193-206).

Anyway, in order to do categorize an interior space as Daylit, partially Daylit, non-Daylit, or withexcessive Daylight, we should do the following steps.

1- With the help of the tutorial in this link https://www.aftabsoft.net/AftabRadTutorial/DA_PtsCalculation_rcontrib.htm, we should do both Daylight Autonomy of minimum 300 lux (DA₃₀₀) and

Daylight Autonomy of minimum 150 lux (DA₁₅₀) for the selected space.

To do so, we should modify the parameters in the “Dynamic Inputs Form” page as they are shown in the below image.

2- Then please follow this link https://www.aftabsoft.net/AftabRadTutorial/ASE_PtsCalculation_rcontrib.htm in order to do Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE₁₀₀₀) analysis.

3- When all the needed calculations (DA₃₀₀, DA₁₅₀, and ASE₁₀₀₀) that are mentioned above are finished, please follow one the below methods to open the Daylit Zoning tool

- Go to Start in windows, and then in the Aftab Rad folder, press the “Daylit Zoning” button

- Or simply go to C:\AftabRadSoft, and run the daylitZone_creation.exe file

4- When opening the Daylit Zoning tool, at first it asks to open a *.da file that should be related to the already DA₃₀₀ calculation file.

Secondly, we should select another *.da file that should be based on DA₁₅₀ calculation file.

And finally we need to open another *.da file that is related to an already calculated ASE₁₀₀₀ file.

Then, after opening all three files, it automatically create a new file ended with *_zon.da and save it in the same folder as where the DA₃₀₀ calculation file is saved.

5- Now, it is time to import the *_zon.da file into Revit. Therefore, the next step is to press the importToRevit Button.

6- In the Data2Revit page, we need to press the Open Dat File button to open the right *_zon.da file.

7- When pressing the Open Dat File button, the below page will be opened. Then we need to go where the *.da files saved.

When choosing the right da file, press the Open button.

8- It should automatically select the Zones under the Calculation Type, otherwise, please select the Zones radiobutton and then press the Import button.

9- Finally, you should see the results similar to the below image.