=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2744/short43
|storemode=property
|title=Computer Graphics: New Horizons in the Education of Lighting Designers and Engineers (short paper)
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2744/short43.pdf
|volume=Vol-2744
|authors=Vladimir Budak,Denis Makarov
}}
==Computer Graphics: New Horizons in the Education of Lighting Designers and Engineers (short paper)==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2744/short43.pdf
Computer Graphics: New Horizons in the Education of
Lighting Designers and Engineers*
Vladimir Budak1[0000-0003-4750-0160], and Denis Makarov2[0000-0002-5043-8911]
1National research university “MPEI”, 111250 Moscow, Russia
budakvp@gmail.com
2CJSC "Point of Support Promelektrosvet", 125080 Moscow,
Russia
d.makarov@k-to.ru
Abstract. The development of computer graphics programs (CGP) and their
widespread introduction into the practice of designing indoor and outdoor light-
ing with the ability to visualize the projected object has led to the fact that the
design engineer simultaneously performs the functions of a designer. Similarly,
designers creating artistic light images that previously assumed the selection
and adjustment of light on the spot are now forced to select real lighting devices
using PKG, which requires professional engineering knowledge. It determines
the objective basis for creating a new specialty – light designer. However, the
systems of engineering and art education have almost no common methodolog-
ical foundations. We propose a method of teaching based on the use of PCG in
the educational process, which will be able to combine both educational sys-
tems into a single specialty. The methodology is based on the joint project cre-
ated with the teacher in CGP, collective discussion, and defense of the devel-
oped projects. It allows engineers to explain the created artistic images, and de-
signers to explain the influence of the characteristics of light fields and parame-
ters of lighting devices on the image. The results of test sessions among stu-
dents in both areas of study are discussed. The thinking features of each student
group and the possibility of developing a unified approach to design are ana-
lyzed.
Keywords: Lighting design, Lighting engineering, 3D modeling, Lighting
modeling, Education.
1 Introduction
Until recently, there were two different approaches to lighting design. In the first en-
gineering approach, the design of lighting installation (LI) was carried out to create
Copyright c 2020 for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Commons License
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
* Publication supported by RFBR grant № 19-01-00435
2 V. Budak, D. Makarov
the necessary levels of illumination and quality of lighting (discomfort, ripples, color
reproduction) for performing some work by a person. In the second design approach,
the light artist with architectural or exposure lighting sought to create some image,
believing that the light would already be adjusted in place.
The rapid development of both directions of computer graphics in design, which
allowed how to create a virtual image of the projected object, in this case, perform a
rigorous calculation of light distribution taking into account all the processes of re-
flection and transmission of light, rapidly drew together both strands and identified
the emergence of a new profession – lighting design.
However, the birth of a new specialty did not lead to creating a unified training
program for them. There were still two directions in education, in one of which –
engineering taught "the physics of light," and in the other – artistic "the feeling of
light" [1]. In engineering education, the basis is studying the nature of the light field,
calculating its parameters, and the psychophysiology of its perception by the human
eye. In art education, the student is taught taste through drawing design objects and
discussing it with a mentor – learning "on the tip of a pencil."
At the Department of lighting engineering of the National research university
"MPEI," teaching students to perceive and feel light in the framework of engineering
education has been dealt with for more than a decade. For example, in their work [2],
the authors touch on the principles of similarity of nature and image sensations. A
little later, in [3], it is proposed to structure modeling lighting in groups to find the
identity of physical models with calculated visual sensations.
In art education, serious attempts have been made to link the "feeling of light," the
resulting light image with the characteristics of the distribution of the light field. The
work entitled "Lighting engineering and light art" [1] describes two components of
success in architecture – creative impulse (talent) and erudition, understanding the
laws of light propagation.
However, the modern practice of OU design shows that there is a significant prob-
lem for designers without engineering training, which does not fit into training with a
pencil, and theories with strict definitions of the quantities used and mathematical
relationships between them are needed. Our experience has shown that using comput-
er graphics programs, and you can convincingly present lighting technology on the
example of the resulting synthetic images of the designed LI.
We proposed [4] the concept of educating creative abilities in engineering students,
where computer graphics programs successfully replaced the famous pencil of de-
signers. In this paper, we conducted classes on the design of LI using the same meth-
odology among engineers and designers. It allowed us to identify the difference in
their thinking and formulate principles for overcoming it. This approach can be used
as the basis for a new specialty of light design.
Computer Graphics: New Horizons in the Education of Lighting Designers and Engineers 3
2 Technique basis
The basis of our proposed training methodology is the extensive use of computer
graphics on the example of professional lighting programs – DIALux and DIALux
Evo [5], which allow you to model lighting installations (LI) of any complexity.
In any lighting project, there are always three stakeholders: the customer, the de-
signer, and the designer. Each of them describes and evaluates the quality of the LI in
its terminology. Photography (a synthetic image on the screen) creates a common
language of communication and understanding. This fact turned out to be crucial, and
modeling programs quickly completely replace the classical methods of OU design.
Modern computer lighting programs allow you to consider multiple reflections in
the diffuse approximation. In this case, the lighting technician receives not the values
of illumination or brightness at individual points of the lighting scene, but the parame-
ters of the light field at all its points. It allows you to represent the distribution of the
light field in various forms: tables, isolux curves, fictitious (pseudo) colors, which
removes the disadvantages of photorealistic reproduction: the image on the screen is
scaled, contrasted, and changed in color. It removes the main problem of LI design:
the design object itself – light – unlike any other object, is invisible, and only the
created LI will allow you to see all the objects as a whole.
In turn, the image of an object in combination with light distribution analysis tools
made it possible to design an OPC not only based on the values of illumination or
brightness at fixed points in the scene but also to take into account the quality of light-
ing: discomfort, light rhythm, accents. By solving the problems of calculating and
analyzing the distribution of the light field across the scene and creating an image of
the scene, OU modeling programs have opened up broad opportunities for LI design.
We are witnessing a new approach to the creation of LI and, accordingly, the emer-
gence of a new profession – lighting design.
Now, classical methods of teaching lighting design are outdated and do not allow
students to develop their creative abilities.
Our proposed teaching method lacks the disadvantages of classical teaching meth-
ods and has several undoubted advantages:
1. Interaction with the teacher at all critical stages of the project.
2. Training on real projects.
3. Group presentation of projects, discussion, and protection of lighting solutions.
3 Organization of classes
thorough preparatory work, and the student - basic knowledge of lighting engineering
and work in the DIALux and DIALux Evo lighting programs, which have become the
primary tool for any light designer.
The methodology requires careful study of each of the four stages: preparatory and
practical stage, presentation, and summing.
4 V. Budak, D. Makarov
Much attention is paid to the verified timing since the entire process has a limited
time frame. The duration of the class is two academic hours (two 45 minutes without
a break).
A computer room equipped with a projector and a teacher's computer is required
for training. From our experience, the number of jobs and users should not exceed ten
people. Before the lesson, pre-prepared models in programs are uploaded to students '
computers. The first 20-30 minutes are the introductory part – the teacher's presenta-
tion of the illuminated object. The purpose of the presentation is to introduce the au-
dience to the item and formulate the necessary recommendations and requirements for
lighting. For example, if we are talking about Museum lighting, such recommenda-
tions are usually: light levels on exhibits, calculating the required level of contrast
with the background, choosing lighting devices, choosing the right optics and color
temperature, calculating the blinding effect. For each class, you can select particular
lighting tasks that students will have to complete.
The preparatory stage includes the following activities:
• the teacher introduces students to the object model in the DIALux/DIALux
Evo program;
• demonstration and explanation of the task of working with the model. Both
standard tasks and additional tasks of suspended complexity are issued.
Then the practical stage begins - students work on lighting the object in the pro-
gram. In the course of work, questions to the teacher are welcome. After all, this way,
a live dialogue between the teacher and students is achieved. Through virtualization,
when an image from any of the students ' computers is displayed on the projector, the
teacher can publicly give comments and recommendations. One of the mandatory
aspects of high-quality work is to assign a name to each project that reflects the es-
sence of the lighting concept.
Students ' work on lighting modeling continues for 30 minutes, after which the
third stage begins – the presentation of projects. Each of the students demonstrates
their concept of lighting the object. Simultaneously, all students present in the class
participate in the discussion, which opens a broad debate on the proposed solutions in
the coverage.
The teacher records each speech, indicates the title and author, and then evaluates
it according to the main criteria: visual perception, technical performance, and presen-
tation level. The latter, in our opinion, is essential for students, so in the end, the
Foundation is laid in the ability to correctly convey their thoughts and set up commu-
nication with the customer.
Then, after individual presentations of students on the protection of their lighting
solutions, based on the collected data, the teacher conducts a discussion with students,
where the submitted works are discussed. Based on the collected opinions and com-
ments, points are calculated, the best works are selected using the ranking method,
and ratings are given.
The same technique can be used to teach artists the "physics of light" – in the cre-
ated project, and you can clearly show the parameters of light distribution that affect
Computer Graphics: New Horizons in the Education of Lighting Designers and Engineers 5
the perception of an artistic image: light contrasts, brightness, adaptation, color char-
acteristics, parameters of light sources, and much more.
4 Test sessions
We conducted an experiment where groups of engineers (the Department of lighting
engineering of the NRU “MPEI”) and designers (Stroganov Moscow state Academy
of art and industry and the Department of computer-aided design and design of the
NUST “MISIS”) were asked to illuminate the salon of works of art.
Participants were presented and sent models of the Museum salon (see Fig. 1.) in
the DIALux / DIALux Evo programs – by choice. The programs are similar in their
functionality, and it does not matter in which of the two programs, students will com-
plete the tasks assigned to them. The essence of the task was to illuminate the exhibi-
tion objects - paintings and sculptures located in the room, according to the norms and
requirements of Museum lighting: the level of illumination on the exhibits, the con-
trast of objects and background, uneven lighting, brilliance.
The lighting system is based on spotlights installed on a lighting tire track, which is
suspended at the height of 4 meters from the floor level and 0.5 meters from walls.
Thus, the structure runs along three walls and represents the letter "P" on the plan. a
Wide set of lighting devices is already loaded into the Solon model of works of art.
Students are invited to choose the correct spotlights in their opinion, place them on
the tire track, aim at the illuminated objects And achieve the required lighting indica-
tors.
Fig. 1. The original assignment is a three-dimensional view of the Museum interior without
lighting.
6 V. Budak, D. Makarov
This process is complicated by the fact that by lighting any object in the scene with
a single lamp, it is not possible to achieve the required indicators. There will always
be a need for a combination of floodlights and the need to consider the lighting of the
neighboring exhibit. Students are initially forced to choose and use lamps based on
the description of their technical characteristics, perform calculations in the program
and adjust the choice of lighting equipment based on the results of the calculation
analysis. In our opinion, this iterative method of selection and subsequent refinement
opens up opportunities for students to show their creative abilities. The result of the
task is a generated lighting report, which the program creates from the calculated data
that the listener submits for protection to prove the correct implementation of lighting
in the cabin.
From the results of the work of Engineers (Fig. 2) and designers (Fig. 3), we can
conclude that all students, without exception, understood the task and demonstrated a
reasonably high level of knowledge of the programs.
Fig. 2. The engineering approach in lighting (MPEI). Searchlights are arranged according to the
task. The targeting of lighting devices and the light levels on the exhibits are shown.
I would especially like to note the difference in approaches to solving lighting
problems of engineers and designers. Engineers used a limited set of spotlights and
tried to reduce their number to a minimum, used the method of lowering and increas-
ing the luminous flux from the lamps, and followed the instructions precisely to ar-
range the lighting equipment. Designers, on the other hand, added and used lamps in
places not specified in the task, and paid more attention to the light and color envi-
ronment of the room than to strict achievement of light levels and unevenness.
Computer Graphics: New Horizons in the Education of Lighting Designers and Engineers 7
5 Conclusions
Our proposed method of teaching students, based on computer programs for mod-
eling lighting and its testing by engineers and designers, showed different approaches
in the thinking of students when implementing lighting. In the process of public de-
fense of their concepts and the presence of qualified teachers, it became possible to
visually correct approaches to lighting and rethink the possibilities of light design.
Thus, we are convinced that the further development of this technique, based on
the use of computer graphics programs, will lay the foundation for creating a single-
specialty – light design.
Fig. 3. The artistic approach to lighting (MISIS). Spotlights are positioned almost evenly and
independently on the ceiling. Added ceiling lighting fixtures to expand the space.
References
1. Makarevich, V.G.: Lighting engineering and light art. Svetotekhnika, 10, 15-17 (1974)
2. Matveev, A.B., Tokhadze, I.L., Undasynov, G.N.: Similarity criterion for reproducing
brightness ratios. Svetotekhnika, 11, 5-8 (1968)
3. Matveev, A.B.: Methods of modeling lighting installations. Svetotekhnika, 10, 1-2 (1971)
4. Budak, V.P., Kovyrkova, M.D., Makarov, D.N., Minaeva, S.Yu., Skornyakova, A.A.:
Light design: the education of creative abilities in lighting engineering students.
Svetotekhnika, 1, 80-83 (2019)
5. DIAL, https://www.dial.de, last accessed 2016/09/05