Daylight for AutoCAD®

Daylight for AutoCAD is widely used by consultants to process rights to light calculations and carry out daylight and sunlight assessments within the AutoCAD environment.

The software allows analysis by running calculations from a constructed 3D solid model either built within AutoCAD or imported into AutoCAD. 

The plug-in fully meets the relevant daylight and sunlight regulations and requirements, including the Building Research Establishment (BRE) guide ‘Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight – A guide to good practice’ as well as fellow regulations BREEAM, LEED, WELL, EFA and EN 17037.

Separate to planning, Rights to Light must be considered even if planning permission has been granted. Property owners who are negatively affected are potentially entitled to legal remedy. If successful, that can mean compensation is awarded, developments altered, and court orders given to stop development. It is therefore in the developer’s best interests to ensure all the facts and figures are known from the earliest stage, which Daylight for AutoCAD can provide.

Our Daylight for AutoCAD software can run calculations using the graphics card. This significantly decreases the amount of time it takes to run calculations, especially computer intensive calculations such as Spatial Daylight Autonomy. 

As well as allowing speedy calculations, using the graphics we have created our own live rendering dialogue where you can check groups and layers, carry out live calculations and create clean images amongst other things.

Most calculations can be exported as an Excel file tabulating and summarising the results. Waldram Diagrams for tests such as VSC, APSH and SE provide the user with visual outputs. Room calculations typically produce contour images demonstrating the distribution of light which can be presented within Autocad.