Evaluation of Lighting Design Based on Computer Simulation

Photorealistic computer simulations are now a popular method of lighting design. They are usually associated with the illumination of objects, but they are also successfully used in interior lighting, especially representative lighting. The problem of the verifiability of the tool is often discussed and in which cases only visualization without purely analytical calculations can be used to evaluate the lighting design. The article presents both subjective and objective studies of conformity of a project made using photorealistic visualization and its subsequent implementation. Subjectively it means based on the comparison of simulation images made with different accuracy, with post-implementation photographs of these projects, objectively - on the basis of measurements of the luminance of the completed project and their reference to distributions previously generated by computer. The field measurements carried out as well as surveys have clearly shown that computer simulations in the form of raster images are a reliable design tool in the hands of a lighting designer. The future of the lighting design is also presented.