TABLE OF CONTENTS

Design with Lighting in Mind

Lighting is a great way to help illuminate clothing in a closet, to provide task lighting to an office, or accent lighting to a media center, or is generally useful in most other spaces. Our LED lighting is available in several different applications and in various styles.

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When designing with lighting it is best to plan ahead as much as possible, as setting up the design in ClosetCADPro in preparation for lighting is much easier than manipulating the design afterwards.

Users can still follow the typical order of drawing when creating the space. However, there may be additional steps to take into consideration when designing with lighting.

The Space

One of the most important things to make note of when adding lighting are outlets, as they are required to power the lights. Ensure that all outlet obstructions are added to walls and placed accurately to what was measured in the consult.

Add design zones where needed, making note that if lighting is going to be included in the design zone, there must be an accessible outlet.

If adding filler to the design, it is helpful to change the design zone offsets left/right to accommodate prior to adding components. This is done in Properties [Design Zone] from the plan or elevation view.

The Components

Next, add components and manipulate widths, heights as needed.

If designing with lighting, users could add filler and backing at this point as both are required for most lighting applications (may not be needed for top cap lighting, or other similar applications as the cords can be hidden above; Talk to your plan reviewer for more information).

Filler is most easily added from the Tools section of the ELV ribbon toolbar. If the user has offset the design zone as mentioned above, filler will automatically add to the gaps between components and walls.

See Filler page for more information on other addition methods.

Backing is most easily added via the Materials tab. For backing, users can select 1/4” backing or press-in-backing depending on the database.

The next steps would be to add parts, accessories, and manipulate as needed. Lighting is typically one of the last parts added and have their own steps or order of drawing.

Add Lighting

Users must be in the Lighting tab in order to add or edit lighting. This will provide a view very similar to the Elevation.

Start by selecting either “Mesh” or “Non-Mesh” from the Style dropdowns, which determines the application options. If desired, select the Temperature and Intensity (this can be done at any time).

Using the options in the Lights section of the ribbon toolbar, add left click to add lights to the desired parts or areas of a component. The tool remains on until the user right clicks to turn the tool off.

Lighting can be added to many parts, such as (but not limited to):

• Partitions*

• Shelves** (fixed, slanted, glass)

• Poles

• Drawers (will be on shelf above drawer)

• Top caps

• Bottom caps

• Toe kicks
  
  

Notice how the labels designate what type of light will be added, this varies by part. ClosetCADPro is built to understand what type of application is being used based on where it is being added to.

Light Labels

Lights have labels to call out their presence on a part. It will show the light type (“Ribbon Light” or “Puck Light”) and abbreviations to indicate the intensity (H for high and M for medium) and Temperature (W for warm, C for cool, and MW for multi-white).

Manipulate Lighting

Lights move and delete like other parts. To move a light, either double click to move, or right click and select Move. When moving the light to another location, it may switch the application type to coordinate with the new location.

To delete the light, right click and select Delete. Users can hold the “shift” keyboard button and click on multiple lights to delete more than one at a time.

To edit lighting, right click on the light and select Properties [Part]. The options to edit will vary depending on the application/type of lighting that is selected. Here are some of the fields users may come across in the different lighting properties:

Users can also “globally” change certain light settings directly from the ribbon toolbar while in the Lighting tab.

This will impact any light that is available in that style, temperature or intensity. The light labels will change accordingly.

Light Groups

If using Mesh as the lighting Style, light groups are required. This is how the lights are grouped together to be controlled by switches and remotes. Light groups are edited in the lower right side of the elevation view while in the Lighting tab.

Create Light Groups

When first enable Mesh, any unassigned lights or any new lights being added will automatically be assigned to Light Group 1. Users can add more light groups by clicking the [ + ] button below the existing groups.

The number of groups will largely depend on the number of controls being utilized. There can be a maximum of 6 groups added, at which time the user will not see the add button any longer.

As users add light groups, any subsequent lights that get added to the design will be assigned to the most recently added group.

To delete a light group, right click on the group button and select Delete. Note that this will unassign any lights that were connected to it, which will result in a warning.

Assign Lights to Groups

Users can assign lights to light groups (which designates which group of lights will be controlled by what switch/remote) in two ways:

Control & Power

Users have to consider both how lights will be controlled and how they are to be powered when adding LED lighting to a design, as both will be required*. Users would select either a remote or a switch for a light/light group.

Both remotes and switches are added from the ribbon toolbar while in the Lighting tab.

Remotes

Remotes do not require any additional wiring and can be used to control lighting in a design. Remote are available for mesh and non-mesh lighting and will add the appropriate style depending on the selected style.

Remotes are added from the Remotes section of the ribbon toolbar. Users can continue to add multiple remotes in the same manor, and the quantity will change in the lower right.

This does not physically add a remote anywhere on the design, as it would for a switch. Once added, remotes will show as text in the lower right of the elevation.

Mesh remotes automatically connect to light groups. Non-mesh lights will display a warning until remotes are assigned.

To remove a remote, simple left click on the X that is to the left of the remote, and the quantity will change. This removes one remote at a time.

Assign Lights to a Remote

If using mesh lighting, remotes automatically assign to up to 6 light groups. The code “MR” appears next to the light group to show they are connected.

If using non-mesh lighting, go into the light Properties [Part] and select “Remote” from the Switch pulldown. Use the Apply properties to.. function to apply to other lighting parts.

Switches

Switches can be used to control lighting in a design. If designing with non-mesh lighting, they are used to control individual or multiple lights. For mesh lighting, they are used to control light groups.

When adding switches, whether mesh or not, codes (IDs) are assigned numerically based on the order they are added in, such as SW1, SW2, and so on.

Mesh Switch

There are several switches specific to mesh lighting. Some switches can control 1 Light Group, and others can control 2 or more. Mesh switches fall into two categories:

To add a switch, select an option from the drop down(s) and place them into the design (either within the component if furniture switch, or on a blank area of wall for wall switches). Switches will have codes depending on the number and order they are added (SW1, SW2, SW3, etc).

Switches can be moved and deleted like other parts. To move a switch, either double click and hold to drag to a new location, or right click and select Move. To delete a switch, right click and select Delete. Hold shift + click to delete multiples.

To edit a non-mesh switch, right click and select Properties [Switch]. The fields may differ depending on the type of switch. The list below outlines some of the fields users may see.

Assign Mesh Lights to a Switch

There are 2 ways that users can assign mesh lights to a switch (click on each GIF to enlarge):

When a light group is assigned to a switch, it changes to the same color as the light group(s).

Non-Mesh Switch

Non-mesh lighting parts will have a warning to indicate that there isn't a switch associated to that light.

To add a switch for the lights, select a Non-Mesh switch from the Switches part pulldown in the ribbon toolbar. These are switches that can be added to partitions or fixed shelves.

Move the cursor over the desired location on a fixed shelf or partition and left click to place. The function remains on until users right click to turn it off. Switches will have codes depending on the number and order they are added (SW1, SW2, SW3, etc).

Switches can be moved and deleted like other parts. To move a switch, either double click and hold to drag to a new location, or right click and select Move. To delete a switch, right click and select Delete. Hold shift + click to delta multiples.

To edit a non-mesh switch, right click and select Properties [Switch].

Assign Non-Mesh Lights to a Switch

There are 2 ways that users can assign lights to a switch:

Once switches are connected, users can hover over a switch. This will show dashed lines to any light(s) that are connected to that switch.

Exterior/Hard-Wired Switch

In the Properties [Part] of a light part, select “Exterior Switch” in the Switch pulldown menu. This refers to a hard-wired switch option that is not one of the purchased program offerings, similar to how a ceiling light in a room works.

This means that the outlet being used to power the light(s) is wired to an existing wall switch by a licensed electrician, and is drawn in CAD using the obstructions tool.

Power

A power source refers to what the lighting system runs off of. This is usually an outlet, although lighting systems can be hard-wired by a contracted, licensed electrician.

When first adding lights to a design, there is an action item to “assign power source in design zone properties” in the review pane, which indicates that a required outlet or power source has not yet been assigned.

To assign a power source, right click on the design zone (from either the plan or elevation view) and go into Properties [Design Zone]. At the bottom of the menu, select an outlet from the Power Source drop down.

This list will show existing outlet obstructions in that particular design zone, labelled as they are on the wall (P1, P2, etc).

The outlet IDs will default numerically based on the order in which they are added, such as P1, P2, and so on. This ID will appear on top of the outlet in the Elevation view.

Users can change the outlet ID or name by right clicking, selecting Properties [Obstruct.] and changing the code under the ID field. Users may need to do this in the Plan view if there are components or parts in the way of the outlet.

If there are no obstructions, the only option will be “none”. Since power is required, an outlet or power source must be present in the physical space.

Lighting in WebGL

While lighting parts are visible in the 3D view, lighting will realistically render and ‘shine’ in the WebGL view.

In WebGL view, click the light bulb in the lower left to open light controls. Here, users can choose to turn light groups on/off by checking the box on/off.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Lighting Fundamentals eLearning (external link, directs to CC360)

• Comprehensive Lighting Guide 2023 (download)

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RELATED PAGES:

• Lighting Tab

• Backing

• Filler

• Review Pane

• WebGL