BeamViz Section

Overview 

BeamViz Section allows you to draw a 2D triangle of light showing an instrument’s spread in section. You can select beam and field angles for the beam, visualize shutter cuts, display a figure as well as identify an area with minimum coverage width.

In order to keep beams from extending infinitely, the BeamViz Section has four display modes, selectable in object info:

Mode	Description
Control Points	The beam will terminate at the two drag-able control points that also define shutter cuts. Shutter cut control points are available in the other modes, but they only affect the beam ends in this mode.
Horizontal	The beam ends will terminate on a line horizontal with the focus point.
Vertical	The beam ends will terminate on a line vertical with the focus point. This option is useful for visualizing illumination of drops or scenery.
Focus Area	The beam ends will terminate at the floor, as defined by the face plane. In this mode, you also have the option to view a figure whose head is at your focus point.

Instructions 

1. Click on the BeamViz Section Tool icon 
2. Click and drag from the gate of your light to your focus point, this mode is called light to focus . If you would rather drag in the opposite direction, use the focus to light mode. 
3. If you don’t have representations of lighting instruments in your section, you can end the line at the hanging position. Next, click the button labeled “Shift by clamp height,” and your beam will compensate. 
4. Adjust the section’s options, including Field Angle in Object Info. 
5. To visualize shutters, make sure “Draw Shutters” is selected in Object Info. You will see a control point handle towards the ends of the beam section. Drag the point, and the shutter cut will pass through the point. You cannot open the shutters wider than the field angle permits. 

Parameters 

Parameter	Description
x, y	The coordinates of the origin of your beam, the gate of your light.
z	If you want to use the 2D section in a 3D plane, this is the distance above the working plane.
Rotation	The angle from the light to the focus point.
Beam Options
Throw Distance	The distance from the light to your focus point.
Field Angle	The field angle of the beam.
Beam Angle	The beam angle of the beam. If you do not want to draw the beam angle, enter a value of 0. If you only want to draw the beam angle, enter it in Field Angle.
Peak Candela	The peak candela of the beam. This is optional and used for computing footcandles.
Get Light Info Data	Opens a dialog where you can select beam and field data from the symbols in your document and the symbols in your default file. Beam Draw will display the footcandles each unit type will output at the current throw.
Display Options
Show Beam	Deselect to hide the beam edges. You will see a locus at the origin of your beam. If shown, your figure will stay visible.
Display Field Angle	Select to show the field angle indicated next to the beam origin.
Show Shutters	Select to show shutter cuts and the shutter cut control point handles. If you deselect, any shutter cuts you made will still be preserved.
Reset Shutters	Press this button to completely open the shutter cuts. Useful if your shutters are all the way in to the center of the beam.
Beam Ends	This mode option determines where the ends of the beam terminate. See the explanation in the Overview .
Extend	Extend the beam a distance beyond the points defined in Beam Ends.
Focus Area Options (Available in Focus Area mode)
Face Plane	The height above the floor to which the beam is focused.
Show Figure	Draws a 6′ figure at the focus point. You also have a control point handle at the figure’s feet.
Flip	Draws the figure facing the other direction.
Show area limits	Use this option to visualize coverage in the plane perpendicular to the section. For example, say you want to see coverage for an 8′ area. After setting Area Width to 8′, you will see a rectangular area that shows the limits of your 8′ area.
Area Width	The width of minimum coverage shown in Show Area Limits.
Origin Options
Show Clamp Position	Draws a locus and dragable control point at the instrument’s C-clamp.
Distance to clamp	The distance from the light’s gate to the hanging point of the C-clamp.
Shift by clamp height	Shifts the origin of the beam down to compensate for the distance between the C-clamp and the light’s origin at the gate. Useful if you are drawing the section between the hanging position and the focus point, rather than a sectioned view of the lighting instrument.
-Computed Info-
Throw Dist	The distance from the light to the focus point.
Angle to Face	The angle from the face to the light. Straight top light is 90°.
Footcandles	The computed intensity of the light.
Maximum Width	The maximum width of the beam at head height.
Classes
Auto-Class	This option will create sub-classes based on the object’s overall class, and assign those classes to component parts. Beam Draw will only create new classes for component parts that are enabled to draw.
Class Settings	The following parts can be individually classed or be set to use the same class as the overall object:Field EdgeBeam EdgeFocus VectorFigureCoverageAngle Text
Settings	Set the default base class and layer prefix. You have the option to save defaults for all new documents.
About	See Beam Draw version and license information.