The lighting design is an integral part of the building planning process. The building will be created in the CAD system. The architect defines the room geometry. Walls arise, windows and openings are planned, the entire building is virtually created. At a specific time the lighting design is in the series. Great time waster is often that a building or room geometry in DIALux has to be re-entered. This is actually an unnecessary step, since that information is indeed already available digitally. Therefore, DIALux has integrated since many years a data exchange format, the STF interface. This interface, developed by DIAL defines the data transfer for the carcass. The architect defines the building in the CAD program. Via STF he exports the room geometry, the room designations, the window and door positions, reflectance, and if available he also sets the luminaire positions. This data is passed through a STF file from the CAD software to DIALux. The lighting designer reads the STF file and finds the spaces as defined by the architect in DIALux. The time consuming “reproduction” of the rooms is not necessary. The lighting designer is concentrating on his core task. Instead of re-establishing all the rooms, he directly develops the lighting concept. He selects and places the luminaires according to his vision in the rooms. Upon completion of the planning and calculating the lighting designer returns the STF file with the result to the CAD software. Lamps, luminaires, the positions and technical data, images, texts and calculation results can be transferred to the CAD software and the building design process can be continued for example with the electrical design.


The STF interface is supported by many CAD programs. Check if your CAD software also supports the STF interface. If not, please share your request with your supplier. It is your time.


Some programs that support the STF interface (in alphabetical order, with no claim to completeness):

Autodesk MEP

ArCADia

Bentley Building Electrical Systems

CADprofi

Data Design System DDS-CAD

ESS AX3000Elektro (auch als AUTOCAD und ALLPLAN Lösung)

Hannappel Software elcoCAD

LVZ ElektroCAD

Pit-cup pit-CAD

Plancal nova CAD Elektro

MagiCAD Group MagiCAD

SDProget SPAC Impianti and SPAC Start

Trimble Nova


Manufacturer of CAD software, like the STF interface to be integrated in their program, are invited to get in contact with DIAL. Your contact can be reached at the email address [email protected].

We will gladly send you the current documentation for the interface free of charge.